During the slowest period of the baseball season you’ll see a number of pitchers, usually guys who didn’t play in a winter league due to injury, throw side sessions for scouts who will then decide if the player is worth signing.

I’ve often thought this would be one of the more difficult things to go through as a player. Not only is the continuation of your career potentially riding on throwing in a non-competitive environment, but there must be an odd parallel in doing something young prospects routinely do at the amateur level — but this time with your future behind you.

Former Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon threw a session for the Indians and a few other teams last week and the results were reportedly pretty awful. He failed to reach 90 MPH, and for a guy who doesn’t have a lot of movement on his pitches, that’s not good. Kris Benson has already thrown for several teams and will do so again next week.

And today MLBTR is reporting that lefty Yukinaga Maeda, who was recently released by the Yomiuri Giants, will attempt to get a major league deal, and will come to America for throw for a few major league teams including the Rangers.

Maeda has thrown just 34 1/3 innings over the past two years, which could somehow be in his favor I suppose. I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone give him a minor league deal, despite being largely irrelevant in Japan for several years.