Major league pitcher Carlos Silva is known for being fast -- not with his pitches (although he is capable of topping 90 miles an hour), but his working habits.

At his best, Silva keeps the ball low and in the strike zone. That helped him lead the majors in ground balls induced (34) and set a major league record by averaging just .43 walks per nine innings in 2005. His knack for keeping the ball in play resulted in a record 74-pitch complete game that season.

A year later, however, Silva's MO caught up with him. Realizing that he threw virtually nothing but strikes, opposing hitters began to strike back. In 2006, Silva saw 38 of his pitches leave the ballpark (more than any other major league pitcher), and allowed a .326 collective batting average against him. 2007 wasn't much better.

Nevertheless, thanks in part to a shallow free agent pool, the Seattle Mariners signed him to a contract believed to be worth between $44 and $48 million over four years. It has since been described as one of the most inflated (and ill-advised) salaries ever paid to major leaguer.

"I believe I'm going to help this team a lot," said Silva when he was introduced to the Seattle media. "Last year they were very close to the playoffs. I'm not going to say it was because they don't have enough pitching, but I know I'm going to help."

Unfortunately, Silva came up with a sore shoulder that kept him out for most of the year, and he finished the season in the bullpen. The Mariners were more than happy to unload him (and part of his contract) in a deal with the Chicago Cubs for troubled outfielder Milton Bradley.

Silva was born April 23, 1979 in Bolivar, Venezuela and originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies. He was acquired by the Minnesota Twins in 2004, who converted him from a starter to a reliever.