We'll always have 20

I got a call last week from "my Mets ticket representative," who of course wanted to know what it would take to get me into a 2013 ticket package that day. But he started out by asking how often I come to games (usually about a dozen, though last year was the first in about eight that I didn't hit double-digits) and what my favorite memory at a game has been. Nothing tops the 2000 NLCS clincher over the Cardinals, but he meant at the new ballpark. And I didn't have an answer right away. At first, I answered that I wasn't sure it had happened yet.

And then I remembered: R.A. Dickey's 20th win in September. That is my favorite moment, and if it's not the new place's greatest moment, it might be equal to Johan Santana's no-hitter. I wasn't there for the no-no, so I can't say from experience whether Sept. 27 was better -- or even equal to -- June 1, but here's why Dickey's 20th stands out for me: On a weekday afternoon with school in session, a less-than-capacity crowd was as loud and enthusiastic as an Opening Day sellout or a Friday night opener against the Bronx boys (who of course have plenty of their own fans invading). The City rocked like Shea used to as we cheered on every strikeout as the game moved past the fifth inning, and when Dickey walked off the mound for the last time, everyone -- the group from The 7 Line in center field, the folks in the upper deck, those of us along the first-base line -- all stood and cheered the way you do for an ace.

Dickey was a great story -- and we've all heard it, several times, since his book came out last winter -- and it was wonderful to have that story on our team. Quite often, we'll hear from other fan bases that a player is getting so much publicity just because he plays in New York, but in this case, Dickey deserved it all. He was a great story no matter what team's jersey he was wearing. It was a pleasure to root not just for the knuckleball pitcher, but the person in that uniform.

So while I understand today's trade, while I know the Mets weren't going to contend this year, while I realize that Dickey's value would never be higher and there's a good chance they won't be good enough soon enough for him to have an impact on a contender, and while I love that they got a potential All-Star catcher in Travis d'Arnaud, I still find Dickey's departure a little hard to take as a fan. Just on the face of it, it's worse than saying goodbye to Jose Reyes. But at least Reyes left on his own, taking an offer that I'm glad my team didn't present to him. Dickey, though, was dealt away by the team, then signed a very reasonable offer that said team easily (even in their dire financial straits) could have made.

For now, I'm disappointed. I'd hoped to use the occasion of a Dickey contract extension to buy a new blue Mets alternate jersey with his name on the back. Now, I'm thinking 2013 might be the year my Opening Day streak (dating back to 2000) comes to an end. I'm not going to boycott the team and not go to any games, but I'm just not inspired to pay the money to be there for Game 1.

I know this move is better for the future, and the future is where this team's chances lie (because they're not in the present -- as in the 2013 season). But it doesn't make the waiting -- which Mets fans have been doing since 2006 -- any easier.

And we're back

After a thoroughly enjoyable, active and at the same time relaxing vacation, I'm back at it. It will take me a bit to catch up on some of the stuff I missed, but I did ignore several developments, too. There's no point in rehashing what's a week or several days old.

But let's start off with the Ryan Howard-for-Albert Pujols rumor. I don't deny that there may have been some "internal discussions" by the Phillies. It is, after all, Buster Olney reporting, and his sources are as good as anybody's. Though, because it's the Phillies, it's surprising that writer-in-residence Jayson Stark didn't have this first.

As for the internal talks, someone could've said, "Hey! Let's trade Howard for Pujols!" in a drunken stupor at the team holiday party and it could be considered, technically, "internal discussions." (Incidentally, the well-known near-swap of Ted Williams for Joe DiMaggio that was referenced in that story allegedly was agreed upon after a night of drinking, tabled until the morning for further consideration in the sober light of day, and withdrawn after more clear-headed evaluation.)

Even if the Phillies may have thrown out those two names in the same sentence, and though the Howard-in-St. Louis angle has some merit, not only do I not see the Cardinals dealing Pujols, I don't see him getting away. For various reasons, the Cardinals might not have the revenue of the Yankees or Red Sox or the ability to stretch their payroll as far as the top-paying teams in each league, but I have to believe that none of that applies to the contract discussions with Pujols. Of course, they won't let Pujols and his agent know that, but -- ahem -- internally, they'd better be saying if there's one player for whom they can be creative to sign on his terms, it has to be King Albert.

The Cardinals draw well. They probably sell a lot of merchandise in the Midwest. They contend every year -- especially with Pujols. On the surface, the chances of them hamstringing themselves because of what they pay Pujols are minimal; obviously, we don't know what their financial ledgers look like. But you have to believe that they wouldn't have signed Matt Holliday to $120 million over the next seven years if they felt that would prevent them from signing Pujols.

The last paragraph of that story mentions the blockbuster deal in December 1990 when Blue Jays GM Pat Gillick (now an adviser in the Phillies front office) traded Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff to the Padres for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. It's amazing that that was nearly 20 years ago, and I was curious to see which players were active during the 1990 season and in 2009.

It's a short list:

Ken Griffey Jr.

Tom Gordon

Randy Johnson

Jamie Moyer

Gary Sheffield

John Smoltz

Omar Vizquel

That kind of puts into perspective how often these kinds of deals happen, and the Phillies just made a pair involving Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, so should this one have any legs, it would be two once-in-a-generation deals going off within about a year.

Banking on the signing of Bay

I like the Mets' signing of Jason Bay. I really do. I know they need a starting pitcher, because Oliver Perez has a long way to go to prove he's anything more than a cash suck and Jonathan Niese is probably not the No. 5 starter they need right now, but Bay was another big piece.

SI's Lee Jenkins puts it well:

By reportedly agreeing to a contract with left fielder Jason Bay on Tuesday, the Mets do not necessarily change the power structure in their city or their division. But they do change the conversation. The Mets, and not the Yankees, have made the splashiest move of the offseason in New York. The Mets, and not the Phillies, have made the most significant offensive addition in the National League East. At a time when other big-market teams are hoarding nickels, the Mets identified the player they wanted, pursued him aggressively but not foolishly, and landed him for a relatively fair price.

Matt Holliday would not have come for a fair price (and would not have been as good a fit, as Jenkins goes on to say), and the perceived remaining top starter available, Joel Pineiro, is not available for a fair price at the moment, either. As I wrote earlier, I think the Mets missed their window to get a reliable starter at a fair price, and now they'll have to look to more reasonable alternatives to Pineiro (unless his demands come down). Maybe incentive-laden deals to the likes of Ben Sheets and Erik Bedard are in order, but I'm sure fans would prefer to see someone who comes into Spring Training with no recent surgeries from which to rehabilitate.

In joining the Mets, Bay comes full-circle. This may not be the final stop of his career, but for now he's back with one of two teams that had him before he first became known as a prospect in the Padres' system. As many have noted, Omar Minaya was the Expos' GM when Bay was in their organization, his first. Then Minaya traded him to the Mets, who sent him on to San Diego. It was with the Padres that his potential was revealed, and Kevin Towers used Bay -- and Oliver Perez -- as the key prospects in the deal to land Brian Giles. That's one of the few trades in the last decade in which Pittsburgh truly got the better end.

Keep an eye on those Red Sox

When the trade that would send Mike Lowell from the Red Sox to the Rangers came to light, one of my coworkers -- a big-time Yankee fan -- rejoiced. "They're going to get Adrian Beltre," he said with a dismissive laugh. "Enjoy that, suckers."

But then I teased him.

"You'll be sorry when they move Kevin Youkilis to third and trade for Adrian Gonzalez," I said.

"Never happen," was his reply.

Not so fast. It could happen. But it might not. At least not yet. It remains to be seen.

And though Lowell has yet to actually be traded, Beltre might not be the target after all

I'm just sayin' -- the Red Sox already brought in John Lackey, this year's CC Sabathia (as the top free-agent pitcher available), and though they won't be getting the top hitter on the market (Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, whichever you prefer), if they get Gonzalez, they may essentially have the kind of offseason the Yankees had last winter.

Final evaluation of the 2004 Beltran blockbuster

It has been 5 1/2 years since the Royals traded Carlos Beltran to the Astros in a three-team deal also involving the Oakland A's. Houston, of course, only had Beltran through the 2004 postseason (that amazing eight homer, 14-RBI, .400+ postseason) before he signed with the Mets. The A's got Octavio Dotel in the deal and used him to save 22 of the 45 games he pitched the rest of the way in 2004, but only got 15 games from in 2005 before he had Tommy John surgery. The following offseason, he signed with the Yankees.

And for dealing Beltran, the Royals got right-hander Mike Wood and third baseman Mark Teahen from the A's and catcher John Buck from the Astros. Wood went 11-19 with the Royals through 2006, then signed with the Rangers. After pitching in 21 games for Texas in '07, he's spent the rest of his time on the Rangers' and Marlins' Triple-A clubs. Teahen averaged 14 homers, 70 RBIs and a .749 OPS in his five seasons with the Royals before they traded him last month to the White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh Fields.

Now K.C. has lost the last remaining player from that deal after non-tendering John Buck last night (in favor of new backstop Jason Kendall, who signed a two-year deal) and watching him agree to a deal with the Blue Jays.

So despite having their haul from the deal for the shortest time, the Astros probably made out the best, nearly reaching the World Series with Beltran in 2004 (and perhaps building the momentum or belief for their run to the Fall Classic in 2005). The A's finished second in 2004 and 2005, the only years they had Dotel, but won the AL West in 2006. And the Royals never won more than 75 games or finished higher than fourth in the AL Central with the players the got in return for Beltran.

Not sure what to think about the Milledge deal

I'm confused by this deal. Two things are obvious, or seem so:

1.) Johnny Estrada will be flipped elsewhere.
2.) The Mets aren't getting Johan Santana.

Brian Schneider will team with Ramon Castro, perhaps as something close to a straight platoon, since they bat left and right, respectively. And since the Mets just signed Castro to a two-year deal, Estrada is the one out. He can also be non-tendered and become a free agent, which makes the deal to get him basically a Guillermo Mota contract dump. Nothing wrong with that, either.

As for Santana, I don't see how the Mets could land him if, as reports have said, the Twins aren't wild about the Mets' pitching prospects and now they've dealt one of their younger outfielders. Would Omar Minaya trade Carlos Gomez away now that Milledge is gone? I doubt it. It looks like Church and Gomez will team up to be the right-field platoon ... and then both will start the 40 games Moises Alou misses.

This does balance out the Mets, as Marty Noble points out, though Bill Ladson's source may be misguided if he thinks Church will be the everyday right fielder. I'm not so sure of that. Shawn Green is definitely gone now. Church is effectively Green, minus four years. In 14 more games, Church hit five more homers, drove in 24 more runs and hit .019 points lower (.291 to .272), which really isn't too bad. Church is a better defender, too.

It makes for an interesting dynamic in D.C. It's clear Milledge has talent at the plate, and his defensive shortcomings were one reason the Mets were willing to deal him. But he's also had attitude issues, and so putting him on a team with Wily Mo Pena and, perhaps more importantly, Dmitri Young will be interesting. To his credit, though, Young had a stellar season under the radar, causing no problems on or off the field. He really didn't have a history as a malcontent, but in the sports and entertainment worlds these days, one bad year can make or break your reputation. Plus, it's not a bad outfield -- on paper -- with Pena, Milledge and Austin Kearns around in right.

So now do the Nats go with Jesus Flores as their catcher (whom they plucked from the Mets in the Rule V draft in December 2006)? He was a very limited backup last year because the Nats had to keep him on the 25-man roster or offer him back to the Mets. I'm not even sure he reached Double-A in the Mets' system, so he could be ticketed for the minors for more seasoning. The options on the free-agent market are slim. There seem to be only three who would be worthy of regular (at least four or five games a week) No. 1 duty: Michael Barrett and perhaps Rod Barajas and Paul Lo Duca. But Lo Duca wants, I believe, a ridiculous four-year deal and has also said he wants to go to a team "committed to winning." I don't doubt that the Nats are committed to winning, but I'm sure Lo Duca really means "on the verge of winning." The Nats could be in that position by the end of a hypothetical four-year deal for Lo Duca, but unless their pitching takes immense leaps and bounds forward this year and next, that's unlikely.

I don't see this deal quite as one-sided as Keith Law does, in part because he's going on potential. Yes, Milledge has the potential to be the best player in the deal, but he's not. Yet. At the moment, it's an even trade that helps both teams. We'll wait to see how well Milledge develops before truly evaluating it. Ever since the Scott Kazmir deal, Mets fans are ready to leap off the ledge when a prospect is discussed in trade talks, but they're not all going to turn into stars. Alex Escobar was once the top prospect in the Mets system and seen as a five-tool guy, and his career hasn't gone anywhere.

Milledge's will go somewhere, but until it does, you can't kill the Mets for dealing from a position of strength (and outfield is probably their strongest area throughout the system) to fill two key -- and starting -- needs. Teams these days are holding onto their prospects because they're cheaper than free agents and established stars, not because they're becoming gun-shy. Boston gave up some pretty solid players in Anibal Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez to land Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, and they may do it again to land Santana. The Yankees won't discuss Joba Chamberlain, but that's really as simple a decision as it was to designate Derek Jeter the shortstop of the future from 1995 on. But if Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes remain to form the top three of the Yankees rotation in the new stadium in 2009, only then will there truly be a new way of thinking when it comes to dealing prospects.

Because the Mets are one of those teams where money isn't as much of an issue, they may be better off signing a marginal free-agent pitcher instead of betting the farm (system) on a trade. The Twins have better offers from the Red Sox and Yankees for Santana, and the loser of that sweepstakes (which could be both teams, should Minnesota back down) could still use the package for Oakland's Dan Haren. The O's will probably hold any team hostage before dealing Erik Bedard (the way the Marlins are in regards to Miguel Cabrera), so as a Mets fan, I'd rather see the team hold onto Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Mike Pelfrey, Phil Humber, Aaron Heilman, et. al. and take a chance on a Bartolo Colon, Carlos Silva or Livan Hernandez. Silva will cost a bit, but Colon should come cheaply with an incentive-laded contract that will pay him more if he stays healthy and pitches more. Hernandez would fill nicely Tom Glavine's 200 innings and should come at a rather reasonable price -- that is, cheaper than Silva.

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.

Is Beckett deal the beginning of the Marlins' end?

I think, on the eve of the 2008 season, as the Las Vegas franchise prepares for its first season after relocating from Miami, the retrospective columns will look back upon this Thanksgiving week as the beginning of the Marlins' quick downward spiral. Yesterday's trade that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston for shortstop Hanley Ramirez and two other prospects will be seen as the start of the series of events that sent the club on its westward journey. In two short years -- and 50 years after the Dodgers and Giants left New York -- we'll likely be talking about the Marlins' impending move during this holiday week.

As for the current team, Carlos Delgado will be the next to go, probably Juan Pierre after that (to one of the teams that loses out on Johnny Damon). That may be enough of a payroll cut for this season. They won't trade Dontrelle Willis or Miguel Cabrera because they're not owned by the other 29 owners and if Jeffrey Loria decides to sell, he'll need some superstars to keep the value at a decent level. Either that, or he'll need the star power to convince Las Vegas -- or Charlotte or Mexico City or perhaps even Portland, Oregon -- to build a ballpark for him.

At least Loria won't have to worry about spending too much on top free agents -- after this off-season, there won't be many players who want to come to South Florida.

Can the Mets get Delgado? The fact that the teams are in the same division shouldn't matter, as Murray Chass points out. It's not like the Marlins will be competitive enough to be in a "rivalry" with the Mets the next two or three years. Besides, they've done it before, agreeing to pay a good chunk of Mike Hampton's salary when they acquired him from the Rockies and then sent him on to the Braves.

I think, in the end, the Mets will make the move for Delgado. Chass notes that Manny Ramirez can veto any trade now that he's a 10-and-5 player, so despite Ramirez's superior numbers, there are several reasons why Delgado may be a better buy: He's cheaper (per season), he's left-handed, he plays a position of need in New York and the Mets won't have to convince him to play right field, as they will have to do with Cliff Floyd or Ramirez (provided Floyd isn't dealt to Boston in order to get Manny).

It would probably take Yusmerio Petit to get Delgado, but he might be the only big chip or top prospect they'd have to deal. Add in Steve Trachsel (at, I believe, just $2.5 million next year) and you give Florida a solid veteran replacement for Beckett. Considering the apparent depth of pitching prospects the Mets have (Matt Peterson, Brian Bannister, Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey if he signs), not to mention the emergence of Jae Seo and Aaron Heilman last season and a relatively young Kris Benson, dealing Petit shouldn't deplete them too much. I don't know that he's even the most major-league ready of all the prospects.

In spring training 2004, the Mets wouldn't deal Jose Reyes or Scott Kazmir for Alfonso Soriano, and it appears that stance will hold up as a good assessment of the players' abilities. (Though somewhere between March and July of that year, they somehow decided that while Soriano wasn't worth Kazmir, Victor Zambrano was. Which brings up another idea: Throw in Zambrano for Delgado.) And there was no way they were dealing David Wright, either. (The best assessment of them all.)

But for Carlos Delgado, I'll take the chance that Petit could become Scott Kazmir. At least Delgado has proven himself as a major-league slugger during the past 10 seasons, whereas Zambrano proved that he was an underachieving arm who couldn't catch up to his potential, even if that potential was blown out of proportion.

Why not Thome to the Bronx?

I'm a little surprised that no one talked about a trade of Jim Thome to the Yankees. It's very likely that someone has and I've missed it, but to me it seems obvious enough for one of the teams to at least consider it, though both probably should. The Yankees can take on Thome's salary without any problems, and the Phillies might still be willing to pay some portion of it just to open the spot for Ryan Howard at first base. New York, of course, can use a first baseman to put Jason Giambi at DH now that they've declined the option on Tino Martinez's contract.

The Yankees have never been afraid of big contracts and have been willing to give questionable guys a second chance. Granted, those questions in the past were drugs and other off-the-field indiscretions (Steve Howe, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden), but if George Steinbrenner can forgive various illegal actions for a guy with ability and potential, why can't he do the same for a guy with the same ability and potential whose questions are physical health rather than mental.

Should he stay or should he go?

I generally don't see the point in firing a manager when his team's just playing out the string to get to the end of the season. I see no reason for the Phillies to go ahead and send Larry Bowa to the curb just to name someone "interim" manager for the rest of the season. I said "generally." If the Phillies were considering bench coach Gary Varsho as their next manager and wanted to give him a four-week trial run from here to the end of the season, that would certainly be worth the hassle.

Chances are Bowa's done in Philly, and I doubt Ed Wade will be turning to someone in the organization as his first choice to take the reins in 2005. Otherwise, he might very well have already changed the locks on the manager's office in Citizens Bank Park. The team will probably wait until the offseason to see who's available -- and which coaches on other teams they can get permission to talk to -- and hire someone just before Christmas. The division was the Phillies' to lose this year, and they sure did it with flair. During Bowa's tenure, Philadelphia has a winning record before the all-star break, but can't crack .500 down the stretch. They have a history of blowing their wad too soon.

But there is one case in which I'd like to see a change made today: the Mets'. Clearly, Art Howe is not the man for New York. (I think the main problem is the Wilpon family and their idiotic decisions over the past four or five years, but they're not about to fire themselves or sell the team.) He's too soft, too quiet, and he's clearly lost control of the team. The losing streak is currently at nine games and the Mets have won once in their last 14 attempts. There's no heart, no pride, no sense of any desire to win from the team as a whole.

It's hard to overlook all that the Wilpons have done to get them to this point since the end of the 2000 season:

• They didn't even give Steve Phillips a chance to sign Alex Rodriguez and had the GM come up with some ridiculously lame excuse that he was asking for too much (a luxury box for his family, a private jet, etc.).

• They wouldn't give the Mariners Aaron Heilman for Lou Pinella. As a Notre Dame grad and a Mets fan, I would love nothing more than to see Heilman have a decent career in New York. So far, he hasn't shown he can stay at the big-league level, and certainly hindsight shows this as a stupid mistake on the Mets' part. But at the time, as much as I wanted to see Aaron make his major-league debut in blue and orange (and I went to Shea last summer for the game, against Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins), I thought it might be worth it to send an unproven minor-league pitcher to Seattle for a sure-thing to manage the club.

• They wouldn't trade Scott Kazmir for Alfonso Soriano. Who knows how seriously the Mets pursued Soriano, but some talks during spring training got far enough for one of the Wilpons -- father/owner Fred, I believe -- to go on the record in the New York Times and say that Kazmir was one of the few untouchable prospects in the Mets' organization (David Wright was another). The Rangers rumors probably were Jose Reyes and Kazmir for Soriano, but even with Soriano's less-than-Yankee-like season in Texas, giving up an injury-prone Reyes with little power and Kazmir for Soriano doesn't look like such a bad move for the Mets now. That they could then decide that Victor Zambrano was worth letting go of Kazmir is unfathomable to me. I could take not getting Soriano for Kazmir had they kept Kazmir. But this? God.

The Wilpons are clearly falling into the abyss that George Steinbrenner dragged the Yankees into in the 80s. During his height as "The Boss," George couldn't resist meddling in the day-to-day operations of the team and guided the Yanks into their worst stretch in their history. When he was suspended, then backed off, the farm system signed, drafted and developed the likes of Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte. Then they went out and won four of five World Series and have made it to two more since then.

The Wilpons aren't letting their baseball people do their jobs. They've got pitching coach Rick Peterson advising Jeff Wilpon on trades, they're sending Jim Duquette out there to clean up the mess of the Zambrano trade and injury and they're making bad moves at the wrong time. If the Kris Benson and Zambrano trades were made for the future (figuring they could sign Benson quite easily and knowing they have Zambrano locked up for three more years), that's one thing. But you get the sense that the trades were made also as a fading hope at making a postseason run this year, which is ridiculous. If that's the case, the moves should've been made in early July, when the Mets were in the thick of an NL East race that had the Mets, Braves and Phillies all within two games of one another. But July 30, it was way too late.

Art Howe isn't going to get the team anywhere. These players -- when they're healthy -- might be enough, but clearly the pitching staff lost its magic since having the best ERA in the majors when the Subway Series started at Yankee Stadium in late June. Wilpon criticized the Mets for not continuing to win despite injuries, saying good teams overcome them, but the Mets aren't equipped to overcome injuries to Mike Piazza, Mike Cameron, Jose Reyes and Kaz Matsui with the likes of Jason Phillips, Gerald Williams, Joe McEwing and Wilson Delgado. Those players are OK as bench players, pinch hitters, late-inning defensive replacements, pinch runners and day-game-after-a-night-game spot starters, but in no way can you send two, three or four of them out there day after day and expect to beat the likes of the Padres, Phillies or Braves.

A report in the New York Daily News said that should Bowa get fired, the Mets would consider him as a bench coach. Good God, no. Not unless that means Howe is gone and Don Baylor is promoted to manager. What could the Mets get out of having Howe as the manager and Bowa as the bench coach (with Baylor either gone to manage some other team, or sticking around as the Mets' hitting coach)? Howe and Bowa on the bench would be a good cop-bad cop routine every night, every inning. And Baylor -- perhaps the best manager of the bunch -- would be doing the least managing.

It's taken me a while to admit this, but the Mets, clearly, are a mess.

There's little hope for the near future in Flushing.

Baseball's cranky old man

We have a neighbor we call the Cranky Old Man. He's a thin, little man who shuffles around his driveway and front yard and is always giving advice to children playing too close to the street, or to Casey and me about parking our cars in our shared driveway or mixing recyclables with the regular trash. He's a stickler for the town laws, reminding us not to shovel snow into the road when the plow has already come by, yet he'll put his trash out before 6 p.m. the night before pickup and -- while this technically follows the law, it's still annoying -- fires up his lawn mower at the stroke of 8 a.m. on Saturdays.

In baseball, it's clear who's become the Cranky Old Man. Randy Johnson has been complaining about the losing in Arizona the way retirees in the surrounding Paradise Valley complain about the snow in Chicago before buying that second home in the desert. To his credit, he hasn't been tanking his starts to force a trade -- and don't believe he doesn't have it in him. Look at his stats in Seattle in 1998 before the trade to Houston, then look at his numbers as an Astro. It's not like he's holding the Diamondbacks hostage, but he's sure not making things pleasant around the clubhouse. This week's story in Sports Illustrated compares the team's locker room to a dentist's office, only more quiet. Johnson's agent reportedly told Arizona GM Joe Garagiola Jr. that if he didn't trade the Big Unit, he'd have one unhappy pitcher on his team. Garagiola responded along the lines of, "How is that different than what we have now?"

From a fan's perspective, it's frustrating to have a player like Johnson dictate which team he will or won't play for. He's certainly not the only one doing it this season -- Steve Finley apparently will only accept a trade to one of the teams near his Southern California home: San Diego, Anaheim or L.A. Carlos Delgado has told Toronto that he won't waive his no-trade clause, which likely would have landed him in L.A. Last year, Rafael Palmeiro didn't want to leave the heat and the losing in Texas to go to a contender (I forget which one now) and Juan Gonzalez -- perhaps the biggest (literally and figuratively) softie in the game today -- wouldn't let the Rangers trade him to Kansas City or the NL. So in the offseason he signed with the Royals. And he's currently hurt again.

The economics of the game and the owners' willingness to hand out no-trade clauses like bobblehead dolls before a game against the Expos has taken the fun and excitement out of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The speculation still provides some enjoyment, but with trade talks more limited, the sources used by the likes of Gammons, Stark, Verducci, et. al. have less to share, and even the speculation is diluted.

But when you have someone like Randy Johnson -- the sexiest of possible trade pieces -- wanting out, yet limiting it to a team guaranteed to "win," you're getting awfully close to the inmates running the asylum. (Granted, it seems whoever's calling the shots in the sport fits that description.) Randy doesn't want to be the piece that hopefully gets a team into the postseason, he wants to join a postseason-ready rotation. He wants to be a part of the gluttony. As much as it pains me to admit it, the Yankees have a need for Johnson. Were the team to acquire Bret Boone or Jeff Kent to play second, that would be gluttony -- all-stars at every position, a lineup better than many fantasy teams, a top-of-the-line replacement for a second baseman (Miguel Cairo) who has played -- and hit at -- the position more than adequately. But while Johnson would only make the rotation older, the Yankees have no healthy reliable starters. Mike Mussina and Kevin Brown, both of whom can be counted on for quality starts every time out, are on the DL. Jon Lieber and Jose Contreras are far from reliable and Orlando Hernandez is coming off of injury and inactivity and tweaked his hamstring in his last start. Throw out what's happened in the regular season, and in a playoff series, the Red Sox have the edge in starting pitching in a matchup against the Yankees. And considering New York's bullpen overuse, Boston could have the edge there with a healthy Scott Williamson.

But Randy will only accept a trade to the Yankees. He won't go to Boston, he won't go to Anaheim (the team with the best prospects to offer Arizona), he won't go to Chicago. He apparently wouldn't even go to St. Louis, which now has a bigger lead in its division than the Yankees. But the Cardinals were dropped from the discussion early, probably because the team is getting along just fine with its current starters and didn't want to take on the $22 million Randy will make the rest of this season and next. I even heard Peter Gammons talking this morning about a potential three-way deal that would've landed Randy in Oakland, but the A's backed out of those discussions. But Johnson no doubt would've vetoed that change of address, even though the A's are the best second-half club in the game and just took over the division lead from Texas with yesterday's win.

True, it's tough to sit here and criticize a guy for not wanting to leave his home and his family. Arizona is Johnson's home, and the Diamondbacks' spring training site in Tucson keeps him close to home through March too. A trade to the east would put him in Florida in mid-February next year. There aren't many careers that allow employees to be bought and sold and traded like professional sports.

Yet, that's part of the job description. Athletes know that's part of the game -- the business -- when they sign their first multimillion dollar contract. But by their second, they seem to have forgotten it. Randy Johnson is set for life. He's set to make almost more between now and the end of next season than Ricky Williams earned in his weird, five-year career (cited at $27 million). He gets three and a half full months off every year -- just like teachers, even more than most, who make in a year what Johnson does in a start -- and when he retires, after next season or whenever, he'll have every waking moment of every day to spend with his wife and four kids.

Randy says it's all about "wanting to win." I see it as wanting to win on his terms.

It looks like he'll at least get to sleep in his own bed every night.

My take on the Carlos Beltran trade

I sat here on the couch last night watching the Astros-Pirates game on my MLB Extra Innings package when the play-by-play man made the announcement:

"The Astros have acquired Carlos Beltran in a two-team deal with the Kansas City Royals."

He said it with all the enthusiasm of announcing the daily lottery numbers. That surprised me. I would've expected more excitement at acquiring the A-Rod of the outfield.

You know, C-Belt.

(And seriously, what is it with the Astros and their "Killer Bs"? Biggio, Bagwell, Berkman, now Beltran? They used to have David Bell in that mix. They traded catching prospect John Buck in the deal, who very well could've become another one. If they were in the American League, they'd probably get Barry Bonds in another year.)

For about an hour, I fretted. I own Octavio Dotel in my primary fantasy league. I kicked myself at not acting on my urge a month ago to try to acquire setup man Brad Lidge, a player I covet not only for his ability, but because he was drafted out of Notre Dame as the Astros' first-round pick in 1998. I searched the rosters, considering possible trades, coming back to some deals I considered proposing weeks ago. Dotel in Kansas City wouldn't have been that bad. He wasn't getting too many save chances with the 37-34 Astros; or at least they were sporadic. I read an analysis earlier in the season that proved that better teams -- winning teams -- do not necessarily get more save opportunities than bad ones. But I just didn't feel as comfortable with Octavio Dotel, Royals closer as I did with Octavio Dotel, Astros closer.

Then, just after Houston GM Gerry Hunsicker left the booth, the announcer came back with the same low-key monotone:

"Octavio Dotel is now an Athletic. The Royals have turned around and traded him to Oakland for third-base prospect Mark Teahen and pitcher Mike Wood."

Whew. Now I feel better. Octavio Dotel, A's closer. That's better. Oakland has done well with closers during their successful run these past few years. There's a winning attitude around that clubhouse, and with a reliable pitcher at the back of the bullpen, they've thrived. Arthur Rhodes is not a reliable pitcher at the back of the bullpen, that's been their problem this year. The only problem I could foresee is that Oakland no longer has pitching coach Rick Peterson -- he's in New York now, helping the Mets to the best ERA in the majors.

But as for the Astros, they made out well in this deal. They gave up one young closer who has struggled just a bit this year, but certainly looks like he's on his way to being a reliable stopper. They traded a catching prospect who likely would've replaced Brad Ausmus next year, but he's not a sure thing. And they got a five-tool player, even if it's only for three months. In dealing Richard Hidalgo for David Weathers last week, Houston got itself another reliable setup man who can step into the seventh/eighth inning role vacated by Lidge now that he's coming on in the ninth.

What makes it such a great move for the Astros is perhaps more than any team outside Boston, they're built to win Now. You hear that a lot, but no where is it more true than Minute Maid Park. Bagwell and Biggio are not getting any younger, faster or healthier. Who knows if Robot Roger Clemens will return next season -- or if he'll have the same amazing success? Their pitching staff, outside Clemens and Weathers, is on the young side, and when Clemens does retire, Andy Pettitte can assume the experienced veteran leader role. Taylor Buchholz, acquired in the Billy Wagner trade, could very well become a No. 3/4 starter someday. But the bulk of the offense is aging, and replacing Bagwell, Biggio, Ausmus and Jeff Kent will be the more pressing needs in the coming seasons.

If Houston is going to win its first playoff series -- ever -- it will need to make a run with this team.

29 and 1

I'm going to lay my allegiances out here now.

Well, at least a partial view.

For some reasons that are widely repeated, and not for others that are often discussed, the way I see major league baseball right now is not as 30 teams divided into two leagues. It's more 29 and 1.

And no, the one is not the Expos, owned by major league baseball and the other 29 team owners.

It's the Yankees. They're clearly playing under a different set of rules -- some of which is to their credit, some of which is further proof that Bud Selig is a spineless moron easily influenced not by the masses or his favorite fallback, "the best interests of baseball," but instead by something as small and simple as a dollar sign (and the number of decimal places that follow it).

What else would you expect from a car salesman?

It's been 29 and 1 for a while now. During the discussions that averted a strike in 2002, George Steinbrenner took exception to some of the proposals that seemed directed at restricting his ability to run his team the way he wanted. Big George seemed to cut back last season, and it resulted in another World Series loss. He clearly doesn't want that to happen again, even if his luxury tax figure next offseason will be as big as the Milwaukee payroll. (Which brings up the point that "29 and 1" can refer to at least different teams as the 1 -- Yankees, Expos, Brewers -- but for now, I'm just focusing on the Yankees.)

This doesn't just stem from the Alex Rodriguez trade. That does play a part, but not for the reasons you might think. The truth is, several teams could have had A-Rod, but they didn't want to be as foolish as the Rangers and invest so much money in one guy. The Red Sox could have -- should have -- had him in December, but in the end they couldn't pick up something like an extra $14 million. The union wouldn't agree to devaluing his contract any further, and the deal died -- though everyone from Peter Gammons on down insisted that the trade would happen and, indeed, had to happen for the Rangers, for the Red Sox, for A-Rod, for baseball.

But what really steams me about the trade that did happen -- Soriano for A-Rod -- is what Texas threw in: $67 million. Why the hell did the Rangers have to pay the Yankees to take the game's greatest all-around player (better fielder than Pujols, better -- and younger -- posterboy than Bonds) off their hands?? If the Yankees want to put together MLB's version of a real-life fantasy team, they should have to pay for it. If they want an all-star at every single position (including pitchers three or four times a week), they should have to pay for that and not get any help. The Yankees are easily the most valuable and lucrative franchise in professional sports -- with marketing and development agreements with two of the most popular franchises around the world, the Yomiuri Giants and Manchester United. No one can match the Yankees' revenue from the highest ticket in the game for a stadium with more than 40,000 seats, the unending string of merchandise (Pink caps with the "NY" logo? C'mon. The only thing more insulting than manufacturing them is that they actuall sell.) and the ownership of a network that not only shows 140 of their 162 games each season, but also those of the New Jersey Nets and Devils. Certainly, A-Rod's contract is unique and will likely never be seen in the game again. Even Pujols only got seven years at just over $100 million. (And a side note on that -- man, there are a lot of parenthetical asides today, aren't there? -- is that, should he leave the Cardinals as a free agent after the deal, he'll still only be 31! Just barely past his peak and still in his prime. You know, it pains me to think what records Barry Bonds might hold when he's all done, and I particularly don't want him to get Hank Aaron's 755 home runs. But Pujols just might hit 800, he's done so much so young.) But enough digression. I could have handled it if the Rangers picked up A-Rod's contract for this year and, maybe, part of next season. Let the Yankees have the last five years to themselves. But $67 million covers nearly three years of the average salary.

But the rules aren't different just for the Yankees in North America. Though this was only the second time major league baseball took two regular season games away from the fans in America and sent them to a country that doesn't need games that count to spark interest in the game, they did it differently for the Yankees than for the Mets, the Cubs and the Devil Rays. When the Mets and Cubs went over in 2000, each team lost a home game. The Mets were the home team for one of the games in Tokyo, the Cubs for the other. Each played only 80 home games that season. Furthermore, they came back from Japan with only three days off before resuming the regular season in New York and Chicago. But the Yankees didn't have to give up any home games -- both Tokyo games this week featured the Devil Rays as the home team. In their road spring training uniforms. The Yankees wore pinstripes, because that's what the Japanese fans would want to see, and the Devil Rays got last licks.

Take the Yankees out of the equation for a second. The Devil Rays deserved those two home games, because against any other major league team, they would've drawn about 13,000 fans (last year's average) in Tropicana Field. For a Yankees game at The Trop, they might get 27,000, so they even nearly doubled that the 55,000 per game they drew in Tokyo.

But I don't believe for a second that the Devil Rays got the home team share of the receipts and the Yankees merely got a visitors' share. First, the Tokyo Dome and other Japanese outlets must've gotten a piece. And the Yankees were clearly the draw, moreso than major league baseball itself coming to Japan, and were just as inconvenienced than Tampa Bay. I just have a hunch that major league baseball planned on the "home-and-home" split of the two games between the teams, until George came along and said, "I'm not letting the Yankees go over there if I'm going to lose a home game in the Bronx." Sure, it's a shrewd business move -- the Yankees, who averaged 42,000 fans last season, only drew more than 40,000 hosting the Devil Rays three times, once at 47,000 for the first home weekend game of the season and two more at 40,800 for two weekend games in July. But it's flat-out unfair if it came about like that.

There doesn't seem to be a foreseeable end to this business as we know it. Things will change if the Red Sox manage to beat the Yankees this year -- or if they manage to keep their free agents and build something of a minor dynasty to annually compete with the Yankees through the decade. But players get older and Steinbrenner can't run the team forever. By the time A-Rod's contract expires, Derek Jeter may very well be the only one still playing with him. In terms of prospects, the Yankees have absolutely no minor-league system to speak of and that's going to catch up with them eventually. Sure, they've developed Jeter, Posada, Bernie and Rivera, but now they don't have the Brandon Claussens and Eric Miltons to go out and make the trades they used to make. Everything is cyclical, and someday the Yankees will see this run end.

Unfortunately, they'll probably find some way to build themselves right back up.