Waiter: Check (swing), please!

Castillo makes contact (really)

With each passing day, I grow happier knowing that we won't have to see this anymore -- a defensive swing to fight off a pitch in an at-bat that, more often than not, will end in a five-hopper to shortstop.

On weekend in grade school, I was at my friend Phil's house with some other kids, playing Wiffle ball in the backyard. One of Phil's neighbors (I think his name was David, but not the Dave I'm still good friends with today) kept checking his swing, even at the fattest pitches -- and we weren't even trying tricky curves and other fun with physics and a plastic white ball with holes in it. The pitcher -- Phil's dad, I believe -- was serving up simple lobs. Finally, Mr. Phil asked, "Why do you keep doing that?"

"I'm trying to check my swing," David said, implying that he was attempting to mimic what he'd seen big league players do, to prove that, if he couldn't crush a home run like Dave Winfield, he could at least check his swing like him. And that's the feeling I sometimes got with Luis Castillo -- that he was up there just trying to prove he could do what he'd seen other players do. Or maybe that he'd get himself into a two-strike hole just so he could foul off eight pitches before grounding out.

I know that's not the case, but as he lost his speed, his ability to steal bases at will, his range at second and any semblance of even doubles power (when's the last time anyone remembers him ripping a ball down either baseline or hitting a line drive over an infielder, not between them; or the last time he split the outfielders for a double?), I lost any pleasure I got from watching him play.

I enjoy watching "tools" guys, speed merchants who, when they get on base, bring the same sense of anticipation that a power hitter like Albert Pujols does when he steps to the plate -- there's a good chance you're going to see something exciting, like beating a perfect throw from the catcher on a steal of second, then scoring from there ahead of a peg to the plate by Jason Heyward or any other top right-field arm.

But Castillo hadn't brought any of that in some time. I was fine with bringing him over in 2007, when Jose Valentin no longer cut it and Damion Easley and Ruben Gotay couldn't fill the hole. But because Castillo had knee issues and speed was always the best part of his game, I didn't want the Mets to sign him after the season. If they did, I hoped it was only a one-year deal, two at the most. From the moment we heard that it was four years, I labeled it the worst contract on the club, and I think it held that title pretty well, remaining the No. 1 or 2 worst deal to this day.

I suppose there's a good chance Castillo catches on with another club as a backup, but I hope it's not a team that comes to Flushing this year, both for Castillo's sake and Mets fans', because you know there's only going to be one response he gets.

The shadows are creeping in

Some fans and beat writers are looking at this road trip to Atlanta and Philadelphia as a make-or-break stretch of six games in the Mets' season.

But I think it's already broken.

This isn't just about yesterday's debacle against the D-backs, which, had things been a bit different (say, New York had won five out of six from Arizona, with yesterday being the one loss), might otherwise be looked at as just a learning experience for Jon Niese. The young lefty still threw 51 of 83 pitches for strikes and should soon learn how to get a left-hander out even after two straight hits. Mets Police and Metsgrrl (not to mention a kick-ass headline on the game recap) have summed up pretty well how I felt sitting out there in Queens yesterday. I'm sure there are plenty of other good summations, but I can't bring myself to read anymore.

But yesterday's events confirmed for me what might be the core problems of this team.

I'm not part of the camp that thinks a roster overhaul is in order, that trading David Wright or Jose Reyes or Carlos Beltran is what is needed to get things going in the right direction. Those guys -- particularly Wright and Reyes -- are the core and that's who they need to build around to get back on top of the NL East. And I'm glad they stood their ground at the trading deadline, not making a move for the sake of making a move (which it sounds like this one guy behind me yesterday wanted to see). Dealing a few mid-level prospects for a Jake Westbrook or Ted Lilly or Chad Qualls wasn't going to make up four or five games in the standings. Besides, it sounds like whoever the Mets contacted to sniff out a trade was asking for Niese or Ike Davis -- or both -- as a starting point. No, thank you.

And I'm not sure the Mets had too many tradeable veterans to send away to bring back a young player or two. Pedro Feliciano was probably the most attractive candidate, and maybe he could have been moved, but relief pitching is at a premium, and if this team is a few offseason moves away from fielding a legitimate contender, Feliciano is going to be part of that foundation. Francisco Rodriguez is probably untradeable (and, I'm sorry, for all his faults, he's not really any worse than most other closers. Overpaid? Sure, as are pretty much all ninth-inning guys not named Rivera). Jeff Francoeur? He can be dealt in August -- and he just might be, once we all get a look at the standings on Sunday night.

So I'm fine with the lack of activity at the deadline, because these three key problems aren't solvable in a July trade or two.

1.) Three particularly bad contracts are holding Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel hostage. That is, they don't have the flexibility to improve the roster with the three-headed albatross of Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo and Alex Cora. Ollie and Castillo are untradeable, unless the Mets get another bad contract back in return. And for the money they're making -- at least that Perez is -- it's hard to designate them for assignment and eat that money, whether or not you believe the team is in financial straits because of the Madoff mess. Still, no one who was at the ballpark yesterday would care if they heard tonight that one or both was booted off the roster. And Cora, as a versatile backup infielder (even if he can't hit), isn't a bad contract for one year, but when he's starting 41 of the 61 games he's appeared in (numbers that should, at the very least, be reversed) and when he has a terrible vesting option that becomes guaranteed as soon as he plays in that 80th or 81st game, then it's a bad contract, because then you're stuck with a .200 hitter again next season.

The one tarnished silver lining I can find in these deals is that Omar stood his ground when Bengie Molina wouldn't take the Mets' one-year offer. (Though Cora's deal was also done this offseason, which doesn't help matters.)

2.) The faith in John Maine in the rotation -- and, relatedly, Perez, too -- helped sink the Mets this season. I don't think there was any question as to whether Maine would make the rotation this spring, or that he would be the No. 2 starter. Maine's ceiling may have once been as a No. 2, but he had done nothing since 2007 to show that potential. Going into spring training with Maine and Perez as the Nos. 2 and 3 didn't help. A contending team needs those slots to be rock-solid firm, not based on potential and hope for a bounce-back season. Mike Pelfrey and Niese certainly pitched like consistent top-of-the-rotation starters in the first half, but if Pelfrey doesn't get over this dead-arm period (or whatever it is) and Niese doesn't rebound from Sunday, the Mets can't go into 2011 with those two as the rock-solid Nos. 2 and 3.

This has been discussed elsewhere this season, but the Mets are pretty lucky that they didn't overpay (in dollars or years) for some of the free-agent pitchers that we were all clamoring for in the offseason, myself included. Jason Marquis hasn't pitched for the Nationals since April, I think; Ben Sheets is done for the year; and John Lackey would have been way too many dollars for certainly too many years. Joel Pineiro (10-7, 4.18 for the Angels) and Jon Garland (10-7, 3.60 for the Padres) would have helped keep Hisanori Takahashi in the bullpen, but would either have really made that much of a difference? (Both might have, but then Niese would be something like 12-2 for Buffalo right now.) Which brings us to my third key problem that has soured 2010 ...

3.) Why can't this team win on the road? At 20-33, the Mets are playing .377 ball on the road. Want to know who has better winning percentages away from their home parks? Toronto, Kansas City, Cleveland, Oakland, Milwaukee, the Cubs, Houston, Houston, Colorado and the Dodgers. The Mets are playing .635 baseball at home, better than everyone but the Braves, Phillies, Yankees, Cardinals and Rockies. If the Mets could play just close to .500 on the road (I'm talking 26-27 at this point, if they'd won six more games -- how about three in Arizona, one in Puerto Rico, and one each in San Francisco and Los Angeles), they'd be a half-game out of first as they begin a three-game set at Turner Field.

With such a difference in home and road winning percentage (at a .257 difference, the only teams with bigger gaps are the Tigers, .346; Braves, .285; Cardinals, .275; and Rockies, .276; and Atlanta leads baseball with a .723 winning percentage at home!) I don't know how that can be explained by anything other than the manager and coaching staff. As explained in Nos. 1 and 2, Manuel is a bit hamstrung because of some of the players on his roster, but if they can win 63 percent of their games at home, they shouldn't be losing 63 percent on the road. As much as I love Howard Johnson, he has to shoulder some of the blame when the team is shut out three times on the same road trip for the first time since the early '90s, or whenever it was. And then they added a fourth shutout for good measure. And Manuel, who I gave credit to when he had the team in first place back at the end of April and within half a game as late as June 27, has to do something to get this club a winning road trip. His refusal to use K-Rod for anything but a save situation in a tie game on the road is maddening. What's the point of keeping Rodriguez for a save situation that only might appear when Ryota Igarashi or Raul Valdes is taking the loss in the bottom of the ninth or 10th?


And so that's how I see it. Others may not agree, but for some reason I like to find two or three points that seem to be the root cause of the problem. I guess it's something of a baseball butterfly effect -- had things been different in these particular instances, then maybe, just maybe, everything would have turned out better in the end (or to this point).

As for this road trip, I can't see how anyone thinks this time will be any better than the last one. It's now August. There are two months left in the season, 29 home games and 28 road games (if I counted and subtracted correctly in my head). If the Mets play at their current rates at home and on the road, they'd go 51-30 at Citi and 30-51 on the road. Yes, folks, that's a .500 season. Except, for this road trip to "make" them, they need to do no worse than 4-2. There's not enough time left to break even in six games in Atlanta and Philly, not when there is another trip to each one still to come. They have to make close ground, winning two out of three at each stop this week. They can't afford any steps back.

And I don't think they can do it. The sun may not have set on this season, but it's casting some very long shadows.

My one final thought to wrap up this discourse is this: After the heartbreak of 2007 and '08 and the frustration of nothing going right in 2009, I just wanted a competent, competitive team. I let myself get excited over first place at the end of April and half a game out five weeks ago. I enjoy it when my teams are winning and I can't stand to criticize and nitpick their faults. I know someone who gets worked up over every at-bat, nearly every pitch. I just can't be a fan like that. I just wanted a team that had a chance to finish a strong second in the division, to look down on the Braves or Phillies, even if it meant the other one was on top and some team from the West was the Wild Card winner.

So much for that. Guess I'll have to look for some room on that Reds bandwagon. It'd be nice to see some fresh blood make some noise in October.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Falling short once again

I've let time pass and decided I'm ready to write this post. It's hard to watch your team come so close to the postseason and not close the deal. It's particularly tough when your boys have it in their control -- all they have to do is win -- and it still gets away. But as time passes, as the days go by and we get deeper into October, we get further from the season and reality sets in. Baseball fades as teams drop from the playoffs, football rises, and sad thoughts of this year become hopeful wishes for next year.

This year's fall wasn't as bad as last year's. It didn't hurt as much. While I hoped the Mets would erase the bad taste from 2007, this year's team wasn't as good. It didn't have the depth to overcome all the injuries. Bringing back Moises Alou probably wasn't a good idea from the outset, but losing him wasn't the worst thing to happen. But losing Angel Pagan and then Fernando Tatis, well, that exacerbated the problem. John Maine's absence in September wouldn't have been crippling if Billy Wagner hadn't gone down and blown up the entire bullpen. With Wagner on board, that bullpen lines up much better and fewer games get blown; more close losses instead to go the Mets' way and -- perhaps -- they edge out the Brewers by a game, instead of the other way around.

The 2007 Mets were on top of the NL East -- and the National League -- for the bulk of the season. They led until the final week. They were the better team. The 2008 Mets, though, weren't as good as this year's Phillies. Nevermind the postseason, where anything can happen (note the 2006 Cardinals and '07 Rockies, to name just two recent hot-at-the-right-time teams).

What we can hope for, as Mets fans, is that this year taught management a lesson. Luis Castillo is a black hole in the lineup and at second base. The bullpen needs an overhaul. Oliver Perez, for all his inconsistency, should probably be brought back. It'll be easier to fill that fifth-starter's position than both slots four and five. Ryan Church can be an everyday right fielder so long as he isn't concussed, and while Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans could probably be a serviceable left-field platoon, an everyday replacement there would probably be a better move.

I'll use another post to go through the free-agent options, but one thing is clear: The Mets are probably going to have to open the checking account to bring in Francisco Rodriguez or Kerry Wood. A closer is needed, and there aren't many available. Brian Fuentes may be had in a trade, but if the fans got on Wagner just because he put two runners on base before getting the last out, what will they do when Fuentes turns two-run wins into one-run wins? Or worse?

And I'd love to see them revive a possible acquisition from three years ago: Rafael Furcal to play second base. Castillo would have to be traded (and his contract paid for), but I'd rather spend throw money at the solution than throw losses at the problem by starting Castillo everyday.

So now we're left with another offseason of waiting, watching, wanting. The Phillies are up, 2-0, in the NLCS and appear headed to the World Series. Those fans will be even more obnoxious and unbearable if they get there. As for us, we'll just have to anticipate the Winter Meetings, wait for the New Year and long for Spring Training and then the coming of Citi Field.

Shea Goodbye: 70 to go

I'm always wary when going to Shea Stadium with the Braves in town. I tend to get my hopes up -- This is the day. Today, they'll turn it around and bury those punks. -- only to have Tim Hudson throw a one-hitter through seven, or some such dominance. Had I attended last night's game, I probably would've felt the tide turning during the three-run-on-four-straight-walks third inning ... only to have Mike Pelfrey piss it all away in one at-bat to Kelly Johnson.

And so as I dragged myself out of bed this morning to check the weather and the ticket situation, I half-hoped for an ominous forecast of rain, or a single ticket in the far reaches of the upper reserved, indicating very little chance of using the courtesy pass this afternoon. But the Weather Channel told me that any precipitation for the day had already passed through, and Mets.com told me that I could have two tickets in the orange field-level seats if I wanted to pay $167.

But things started looking up as we made our way from the house. Casey and I went our separate ways at Secaucus, where she took the Northeast Corridor line to Trenton and I awaited the next Penn Station-bound train. Mine happened to be a train of the new double-decker cars -- a first for me heading into the city, or on a weekend -- and as I sat down on the left-hand side of the train, facing the platform on which Casey had been standing, I saw she too had the luxury of two-story cars, and would get to enjoy it five times as long as I would for my 10-minute trans-Hudson traverse.

My train luck didn't transfer with me to the E, which went local through Queens instead of the much more efficient express, but I got to Roosevelt Ave. with enough time to walk from the back of the platform to the front to ride the first car of the 7 the final six stops to Shea, getting some nice photos of the blue ballpark as we approached.

My comped seat, as usual, was way up in the upper reserved, but row B, which does make a difference. And once there, I scanned the starting lineups for each team -- my smile growing ever wider as I went through the Braves' lineup and over to the Mets. No Yunel Escobar, the talented young Atlanta shortstop. No Chipper Jones, the long-time villain in the Mets' battle against evil. And on the Mets' side, no Luis Castillo, the 32-year-old slap-hitting second baseman with two bad knees and a fat, four-year contract that the Mets should already be regretting with every downward chop at a fastball and each four-hopper to second base with runners in scoring position. Carlos Delgado was still in the lineup, but at least he drove in a run in this game ... albeit on a dribbler up the first-base line that Mark Teixeira probably should've let roll foul, or charged harder for a play at the plate. (And later, on the throw Tex did make home, he was given an out by the home-plate umpire, even though it looked like Angel Pagan slid in safely before Brian McCann got the tag down.)

It was nice to see the Mets bunch their hits together in the third inning for a four-run rally, but some insurance would've been nicer. On Friday night, when Jair Jurrjens lost his cool with the umpire's strike zone and walked four in a row, he provided all the Mets' runs in a 6-3 loss. They had two hits at that point, too, and I later found out that that's all they'd get for the game. Though they managed a few more hits after their only run-scoring frame today, they're going to have to put up more crooked numbers on the scoreboard if they want to put together any kind of winning streak.

Hopefully, they'll find some magic against John Smoltz tomorrow. The chances aren't good, but perhaps they're due. They're due for a six- or seven-game winning streak (the Pirates arrive for three beginning Monday, and then the Mets head to Arizona, where they've had great success the past three years; though with the D-backs' solid pitching staff, I'd be happy starting off with one win and going from there). The Phillies have been fattening up on weak pitching (the Pirates) and child-like ballparks (particularly their own), and the Marlins are playing over their heads. If the Mets can keep the Braves down and start another four-game winning streak on Philadelphia when the next series starts, the division lead will come back to them. But first they've got to start hitting.

Trading fiends

Major league GMs are making deals like fantasy owners drunk at an All-Star Game party. It started on Nov. 3 when the Nationals traded third baseman Vinny Castilla to San Diego for pitcher Brian Lawrence. That one's easy: great move for Washington. They open up third base for their first-round pick last summer, Ryan Zimmerman, and get a decent starter who should pitch well in RFK Stadium.

Here are the other 35 deals made in the last six weeks:

Nov. 10: Blue Jays acquired infielder John MacDonald from the Tigers for cash.

Nov. 16: Cubs traded pitcher Jon Leicester to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named. Ho-hum.

Nov. 18: The Mets dealt outfielder Mike Cameron to San Diego for first baseman/outfielder Xavier Nady. This cleared some salary for the Mets and I speculated that, barring any other moves, Nady could platoon at first base with the left-handed-hitting Mike Jacobs. Cameron is perfect for San Diego. He can move back to the position he loves, center field, and the Padres need a gold glover out there in the spacious, lush lawn of Petco Park.

Nov. 21: The Padres acquired infielder Bobby Hill from Pittsburgh for a player to be named or cash (they got pitcher Clayton Hamilton). Hill was a top prospect out of Miami in 1999 but could not come to terms with the White Sox, who drafted him in the second round (with the 66th pick). He played for the Newark Bears and re-entered the draft in 2000, when the Cubs took him in the second round (43rd pick this time). Chicago dealt him to the Pirates in the deal for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez in 2003, but he's never been able to establish himself as anything but a utility player. He'll now serve as a backup to Castilla at third base or as a veteran option at second base if rookie Josh Barfield is not ready.

Nov. 24: The Marlins traded first baseman Carlos Delgado to the Mets for first baseman Mike Jacobs, minor-league pitcher Yusmerio Petit and Class A third baseman Grant Psomas. If you ask me, the Mets didn't give up much for Delgado. They gave up a rookie first baseman and two minor-leaguers for an All-Star slugger who has the longest active streak of consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs, nine. Jacobs had a great start last season with 11 home runs in 100 at bats, but there have been other who have come into the majors like that and left them not too long after. Kevin Maas comes to mind. Petit mowed down hitters in the Double-A Eastern League but got knocked around a bit when moved up to Triple-A. Psomas, a third baseman, hit .301 with 20 HR and 69 RBI with most of his 468 at bats coming at low-Class A. But hopefully, the Mets are set at third base for 15 years or so. Delgado was a necessary acquisition with both the loss of Mike Piazza and the terrible production they got last year from first base. As Tom Verducci pointed out, the Mets have the money and, despite appearances, aren't throwing money around like the Yankees.

The Marlins (officially) traded pitchers Josh Beckett and Guillermo Mota and third baseman Mike Lowell to the Red Sox for top shortstop prospect Hanley Ramirez and minor-league pitchers Anibal Sanchez, Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia. This is the deal that begins the end for the Marlins. Nice work by Boston to hold up Florida for Mota as well. When first announced, this deal was for Beckett and Lowell (and his contract), but when it became final, Mota was moving too. The difference between the Yankees and Red Sox last year was the bullpen (notably, Boston's horrible one), so adding Mota -- and hoping closer Keith Foulke is healthy and back to normal -- is a big step in securing those middle innings.

Nov. 25: The Phillies traded first baseman Jim Thome to the White Sox for center fielder Aaron Rowand, minor-league pitcher Dan Haigwood and a player to be named (pitcher Gio Gonzalez). I said that's where Thome would end up, though I didn't anticipate Phil Konerko re-signing with Chicago. Great move for them, however. Frank Thomas has been declining (mostly his health) the past few seasons. Now they've got one left-handed slugger and one right-handed bopper to split DH and first base duties. On the Phillies' end, Rowand is probably one of the best options they could've had for Thome because he's a major-league experienced center fielder who helps them immediately. They've had trouble with decent fielders in center and this one can hit a bit, too. They'll probably have to move Jimmy Rollins back to leadoff, but I think the tradeoff works to their favor. Gonzalez quickly becomes one of the Phillies' better pitching prospects.

Nov. 28: The Mets acquired outfielder Tike Redman from the Pirates for cash. Redman gives the Mets a left-handed backup outfielder or potential platoon partner with Nady or Victor Diaz in right field.

Dec. 1: The Red Sox acquired pitcher Jermaine Van Buren from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named. Minor deal.

Dec. 2: The Marlins traded second baseman Luis Castillo to the Minnesota Twins for pitchers Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler. It's baffling what happened to Castillo's baserunning prowess. The past four seasons, his totals have been 48, 21, 21 and 10. His at bats have declined too -- 606, 595, 564 and 439 -- so health may be an issue, but he just hasn't been the same player the last two seasons. Maybe a change will light a fire under his feet.

Dec. 4: The Marlins traded catcher Paul Lo Duca to the Mets for minor-league pitcher Gaby Hernandez and a player to be named (outfielder Dante Brinkley). I would've rather had Ramon Hernandez catching for the Mets, but GM Omar Minaya must've felt that trading for Lo Duca was a cheaper and safer option. Hernandez signed with Baltimore for $27.5 million over four years; the Mets deal was for about three years and $20 million, but they never got past an initial offer before they dealt for Lo Duca. I think Lo Duca is on a downward slide, but hopefully he can still make contact and bat .280-.290 and not become an offensive liability at the position. Brinkley was nothing more than a throw-in but Hernandez had a decent season at low-Class A Hagerstown (6-1, 2.43, 99 SO in 92.2 innings and a no-hitter) but went 2-5 with a 5.74 ERA after his promotion to Class A St. Lucie. He's still a few years away, so it will be a while before we can judge this one.

Dec. 5: The A's acquired pitcher Chad Gaudin from the Blue Jays for a player to be named. I won't be commenting on all the little deals. They're just mentioned to show a complete record.

Dec. 6: The Giants traded reliever LaTroy Hawkins to the Orioles for reliever Steve Kline. Kline is a good pickup and a capable left-handed specialist. Hawkins could find himself in the closer mix as the Orioles try to replace B.J. Ryan.

Dec. 7: The Blue Jays acquired first baseman Lyle Overbay and a player to be named (pitcher Ty Taubenheim) from the Brewers for pitcher David Bush, oufielder Gabe Gross and a player to be named (pitcher Zach Jackson). After two big mound signings -- starter A.J. Burnett and reliever B.J. Ryan -- the Jays ditch the infatuation with the initials and bring in a guy whose name on the back of the jersey will rhyme with the name on the front. A good doubles hitter from the left side, Overbay will help Toronto on defense as well. But the main reason for this trade is in Milwaukee, where Prince Fielder will now get the first base job and David Bush could make the rotation. Gabe Gross won't have much room to crack the staring lineup with Carlos Lee, Brady Clark and Geoff Jenkins in the outfield, but he's there if someone gets hurt.

The Cardinals traded reliever Ray King to the Rockies for outfielder Larry Bigbie and second baseman Aaron Miles. Miles looks to be the replacement for Mark Grudzielanek, who will leave St. Louis via free agency (perhaps -- hopefully -- to the Mets?). Bigbie should have a shot at a job with Larry Walker's retirement (if he sticks with it) and King can really only help a pitching staff that needs all it can get.

The Padres acquired pitcher Dewon Brazelton from the Devil Rays for third baseman Sean Burroughs; they also acquired catcher Doug Mirabelli for second baseman Mark Loretta. In the D-Rays deal, San Diego and Tampa Bay essentially traded two guys who hadn't really lived up to their potential. Burroughs at least had two seasons as a starter in San Diego, but without any power as a third baseman in an expansive ballpark, he just wasn't as attractive a player. Brazelton was a first-round pick in 2001 but has struggled in his attempts to become a major leaguer. Perhaps Petco can help.

The Braves traded reliever Dan Kolb back to the Brewers for reliever Wes Obermueller. For once, it looks like Atlanta made a mistake in evaluating a pitcher. Or two. Jose Capellan, who went to Milwaukee for Kolb, looks to be developing into a solid reliever. Kolb blew some big games for the Braves last summer and Obermueller bounced around among the rotation, the bullpen and the minors. If nothing else, this deal illustrates how Kolb's value has declined in a year.

The Royals acquired pitcher Mark Redman from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Jonah Bayliss and a player to be named (pitcher Chad Blackwell). I don't expect the Royals to really be playing for anything, so I don't see what this does for them. Nor do I know anything about the players Pittsburgh acquired, but with their young pitchers and Jason Bay, they seem to be putting themselves into a position to build for 2007 or 2008.

The Mariners traded catcher Yorvit Torrealba to the Rockies for a player to be named (pitcher Marcos Carvajal). Torrealba could put up some good numbers in Colorado -- but then again, who can't?

The Marlins traded center fielder Juan Pierre to the Cubs for pitchers Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco and Renyel Pinto. The Cubs got a big piece they needed -- two big pieces, in fact: center field and leadoff. Pierre fills both and can take some pressure off of Corey Patterson, if he stays (and if it hasn't already ruined him). Chicago suffered because of injuries last year, injuries that have become predictable. The same names seem to be hurt (primarily pitchers Kerry Wood and Mark Prior), so they desperately need everyone to be healthy so they can stop using the injury excuse and find out if they've really got what it takes. What they don't have is a shortstop, unless you believe in Neifi Perez or rookie Jose Macias.

The Diamondbacks acquired catcher Johnny Estrada from the Atlanta Braves for pitchers Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal. Good move for Arizona, which needed a catcher. Atlanta made the deal because Brian McCann emerged when Estrada sat with injuries, which was most of the second half. Note that the Braves have picked up three young relievers in deals this offseason. You can see where that is going. With the struggles last year, they're looking to build a better bullpen under the direction of new pitching coach Roger McDowell.

Dec. 8: The Reds traded first baseman Sean Casey to the Pirates for pitcher Dave Williams. Casey now blocks the position for young slugger Brad Eldred, but he's always hit well at PNC Park. He's a career .355 hitter with 5 HR in 121 at bats in Pittsburgh. Williams will give up a lot more home runs in Cincinnati.

The Phillies acquired pitcher Chris Booker from the Detroit Tigers for cash. Okaaaay ...

The Royals acquired infielder Esteban German from the Texas Rangers for pitcher Fabio Castro, who was selected in the Rule V draft. As minor as minor deals come.

The Rockies acquired infielder Aaron Rifkin from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named. After trading Aaron Miles, Colorado needed another Aaron.

The Yankees traded infielder-outfielder Tony Womack to the Reds for infielder Kevin Howard and outfielder Ben Himes. Womack will have to fight if he expects to start in Cincy, but at least he can play outfield and both middle infield positions. Howard led the Arizona Fall League in batting but isn't considered a top prospect.

The Red Sox traded shortstop Edgar Renteria to the Braves for third baseman Andy Marte. Now why would Boston trade its top position prospect, Hanley Ramierez, who also happens to play shortstop and then go and trade their starting shortstop? Plus, they have both Lowell and youngster Kevin Youkilis to play third base, Marte's natural position. Boston can't be done, but they may have to settle for Alex Gonzalez to replace Renteria, at least for this season.

Dec. 9: The Angels acquired pitcher J.C. Romero from the Twins for infielder Alexi Casilla. Arguably the best bullpen in the AL (Chicago has just as strong a case) gets stronger. I know nothing of Alexi Casilla other than I'm almost positive he's a guy.

Dec. 12: The Phillies traded pitcher Vicente Padilla to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named. So much for Padilla's career.

The Tigers acquired pitcher Randy Steik from the San Diego Padres for pitcher Kenny Baugh. Randy's name makes me think of steak.

Dec. 13: Announced earlier, but made official on this date: the Rangers acquired outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge and pitcher Armando Galarraga from the Nationals for second baseman Alfonso Soriano. Washington has a problem on its hands with Soriano's unwillingness to play anywhere but second base and Jose Vidro's presence on the roster. Vidro's a better second baseman but Soriano may be a better hitter at this point, with all of Vidro's injuries the last two years. But Soriano's numbers will take a hit moving from both the ballpark and the lineup in Texas to those in Washington. Instead of a 30/30 player, he's more of a 20/30 player with the potential to hit 40 HR. Wilkerson, should he be 100 percent healthy next year, could take off. Sledge just becomes part of an outfield logjam.

The Dodgers traded outfielder Milton Bradley and infielder Antonio Perez to the A's for outfielder Andre Ethier. It will be interesting to see how those in Oakland handle Bradley and his temper. They did it with Jose Guillen and made him a wanted commodity again (or perhaps they did it jointly with Cincinnati that year). Ethier hit .319 with 18 HR and 80 RBI at Double-A Midland last year. Interesting how those numbers at that level are worth a switch-hitting center fielder with power and an infielder.

The White Sox acquired infielder Rob Mackowiak from the Pirates for pitcher Damaso Marte. Marte gets in line with fellow southpaw Mike Gonzalez and free agent signee Roberto Hernandez to audition for the closer's job in spring training. With a new manager (Jim Tracy), I don't know where this one will go. Otherwise, I'd say the favorites would be Gonalez, Marte, Hernandez, in that order.

Dec. 14: The White Sox acquired pitcher Javier Vazquez and cash from the Diamondbacks for pitchers Orlando Hernandez and Luis Vizcaino and minor-league outfielder Chris Young. The World Champions are making some outstanding moves this offseason, though it remains to be seen just how comfortable Jose Contreras will be without his close friend Hernandez on the team. At least he knows Vazquez from the 2004 season in the Bronx.

Keep it simple, stupid

Today's games should count more than yesterday's, if you ask me. Oh, there are no major-league games today?

My point exactly.

Driving into work this morning, a caller and the host made a point on WFAN about the idiocy known as "This One Counts." (I won't drop this until Major League Baseball does.) No matter how much weight Bud Selig and his minions try to add to the exhibition, the players are never going to treat it like a true game, unless maybe you award the players on each team a cash bonus, paid on the spot, and other incentives -- say, $1,000 handed to them at first base after a single, or $10,000 in crisp hundreds collected while standing on home plate after a home run. Oh, and don't keep secrets like a new Corvette from the players. You'll have more guys trying to be MVPs.

The point made on the radio was that Jim Edmonds, one of the game's most aggressive players, didn't come close to Miguel Tejada in an attempt to break up a double play. Edmonds -- a guy who dives in the outfield at least once every two games, who only takes off a crisp, clean uniform on days when he never left the shade of the dugout -- didn't slide hard into second base. And Edmonds plays for the Cardinals, the NL team most likely to benefit from having home-field advantage in the World Series! No one's ever going to pull a Pete Rose again and run over the catcher in an All-Star Game, for fear of injury to himself and the stigma that would come with ending Jason Varitek's season. Ever.

Managers may run the game a little differently, instituting some signs, attempting steals, starting a hit-and-run, pitching around a player. (The day we see an intentional walk in an All-Star Game -- particularly if it's the only at bat a guy like Miguel Cabrera might get -- will be, on a smaller scale, as horrendous as the Tie of 2002.) But you're never going to get anything more than Torii Hunter leaping to rob Barry Bonds of a home run, because he was there in plenty of time and it wasn't as reckless as crashing into a wall or diving headfirst for a sinking liner in the gap.

There are those who argue that if you're going to have "This One Counts," then you have to have every team represented, but I think it's even more of a reason to abolish that representation rule. If the All-Star Game is for league supremacy and is meant to determine which side gets home-field advantage in the World Series, then each league should have its best players available to help it win. The NL deserved to have Cliff Floyd's relative youth and strong arm over Moises Alou's creaky knees. It deserved to have Marcus Giles available for four or five innings instead of Jeff Kent for one at bat. Keeping the fan voting is more important to me than home-field advantage, and how can you justify the fans' collective whim with making the game matter? Carlos Beltran and Edmonds didn't deserve to start over Miguel Cabrera and Andruw Jones, but the fans wanted to see them.

Clearly, the game doesn't count to guys like Gary Sheffield, who in the past only went to represent the Dodgers if they paid for his family to join him, or to Pedro Martinez. (As a Mets fan, I'm more happy that Pedro rested for the games that really count -- Sunday against the Braves -- than I would have been seeing him throw an inning against Miguel Tejada, Vladimir Guerrero and Mark Teixeira. Which he would've gotten through unscathed, which is more than I can say for John Smoltz.) Besides, I already saw him face Vlad in the lesser idiocy of interleague play.

I still love the All-Star Game. I like seeing all the different uniforms on the same field together. I like watching players from different teams chatting in the dugout. I love seeing Jimmy Rollins pretend to care enough to ask Luis Castillo where the Marlins start the second half of the season ("Are you at home?") only to have Castillo shake his head, smile, and point to the "Phillies" on Rollins' chest. "Oh, you're at our place?!" Rollins realized. But you're never going to get the players to play harder than they do now, and to use "This Time It Counts" as a failsafe to ensure there's never another tie is as ridiculous as the car salesman's suit Selig wore during his ESPN interview during the home run derby. Just tell the managers they have to save some pitchers in case the game is tied, and if one team runs out of hurlers while the score is still even, then that league loses the game. They won't run out then.

If David Stern told NBA players that the winning side of the league's midseason exhibition got home-court advantage in the finals, they still wouldn't play defense -- they'd just try to win 150-140. If the NHL ... oh, who cares? It's just that I don't see a difference in how the game is played. There's a miniscule difference in how it's managed, but nobody goes to a baseball game to see the managers' strategies played out. They want to see pitchers pitch and hitters hit.

That's what counts.