Million dollar eyes

Over three million dollars actually. That's the amount of money lost by Wagner Mateo after a physical examination indicated he has vision problems.

The St. Louis Cardinals officially voided its contract with Mateo:

Mateo's contract was contingent on a physical exam. Results of the physical exam discovered pre-existing injuries and physical defects that led to today's decision by the club.

When Mateo signed the contract in July an ESPN article stated Mateo was "considered to be among the top amateur free agents from Latin America" and quoted Cardinals GM John Mozeliak calling Mateo equivalent to a top ten draft pick. This contract was the second largest sum ever offered a Latin American amateur player and the most for a hitter, according to Baseball America.

Mateo is only 16 years old. Reports suspect he has a degenerative eye condition. It surely is much more serious than 'he needs glasses' - whatever the specifics the kid has multi-million dollar vision problems.