There are some major league rookies, 2nd year players (like Jonathon Papelbon for instance-$425,000 salary) and 3rd year players (The Phillies Ryan Howard-$900,000.) who are baseball bargains. But it would be tough to find many better deals in baseball right now than Tim Wakefield.

Last year Wakefield signed a contract extension/life time contract with the red sox guaranteeing that he would finish his career in a red sox uniform, and doing so at a reasonable salary (these days) for major league pitchers at 4 Million per year. But right now that salary is a bargain.

Wakefield is the 12th highest paid player on the Red Sox (getting less than half od what matt Clement is getting) but after last night's 7 shutout innings against the Blue Jays, Wakefield is #1 in the American league in Earned Run Average at 1.79.

Wakefield will not get the national recognition because win-loss record is the sexy statistic and Wakefield's teammate Josh Becket has grabbed the national spotlight with his is 7-0 record compared to Wakefield's 4-3. What the national media doesn't realize is that Beckett is being supported by an average of 8 runs a game while Wakefield is getting half that amount.

Not bad for a guy who will be 41 on Aug 2nd