Super Mario is in a rut. Again. The polarizing Italian striker was left out of Manchester City's squad for today's English Premier League match-up against Newcastle. The startling thing is that not only did Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini leave Balotelli out of the starting 11, but he left the striker out of the list of substitutes as well. This omission adds fuel to the fire, as rumours that the club's brass has had enough of the volatile Balotelli and could be keen to offload the 22 year-old to either his former club Inter Milan or their rivals A.C. Milan.
The latest installment of the Balotelli saga highlights yet another example of the player's ongoing attitude problem in the blue side of Manchester. After a dominating performance at EURO 2012 (specifically his dominating performance against Germany) in the summer, it looked like Balotelli was ready to take the football world by storm. However, due to multiple squabbles with the club's manager, Balotelli does not even find himself on the substitute's bench,let alone dominating on the field! At some point Balotelli will have to grow up. Whether that occurs in Manchester or elsewhere, we will have to wait and see. If he chooses not to, Balotelli's shot at greatness will pass him by.
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| Benched: Mario Balotelli could be on his way back to Milan |
Blue Jays Eying Dickey
After starting the off-season by orchestrating a (rather one-sided) blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins that brought Mark Buerhle, Jose Reyes, and Josh Johnson into town and signing MLB pariah Melky Cabrera to a 2 year contract worth $16 million, you may have thought the Toronto Blue Jays were done wheeling and dealing in the winter. Think again. The Jay's GM Alex Anthonpoulos seems to be going for the jugular, as he is now in trade talks with the New York Mets for last year's NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey. Contract talks between the Mets and the pitcher have hit a snag, which have allowed the Blue Jays a chance to swoop in for the 38 year-old knuckleballer.
The N.L's reigning Cy Young winner, who produced a 20-6 record with an 2.73 E.R.A. for the hapless Mets, is reportedly looking for a 2 year contract extension worth $25 million. According to FoxSports' Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays are willing to offer Dickey this extension and are in negotiations to trade a package of young prospects, which could include one of J.P Arencibia or Travis d' Arnaud and outfielder Anthony Gose.
If the Blue Jays can make this deal happen, it will go further to help to rejuvenate the fan base in Toronto. In addition, solidifying their pitching rotation will go a long way in the challenging for honours in the AL East. With the Red Sox in the middle of a re-build, and the grey-haired New York Yankees getting older by the minute, the Rogers' family and the Blue Jays organization seem to be aiming their sights for the top of the AL East.
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