I've had about enough of the Johan Santana rumor mill.

It's becoming increasingly obvious that he'll be there opening day with the Twins and will remain with them till at least the trade deadline.

Why?

Because it's becoming increasinly obvious that there is a lot of chatter from all sides, but no action.  Usually, the more rumors that are passed around about a player, the more unlikely it's going to happen.  It's like talking the whole night how you're going to go after the prettiest girl in the room, but at the end of the night, you're going back home to nothing but a hard drive full of porn and a full box of kleenex.

Sorry for the visual analogy, but that's what it's become in the Santana Sweepstakes, which have become nothing more than just a lot of shock jock fodder and a whole lot of New York centric media opinions (oh god, the New York media opionions!  Newsday has become unreadable!)  I swear to god, if I hear one more Hank Steinbrenner quote, I'll go up to Yankee Stadium myself and stuff his father's turtleneck in his piehole, just so he'd shut up!

BTW, is it just me, or is Steinbrenner the Younger seeming to enjoy the limelight that comes with his new job.  I think he's likely to follow in his father's footsteps, which means that the Yankees will be sucking in about five to eight years, thanks to Hank trading away the farm and signing the various Mel Hall and Danny Tartabull types on a whim.

The fact is, a trade should have already happened, as Boston, New York and New York should have pulled the trigger on a deal.

And spare me the talk about how Santana would require a huge contract extension that makes him unaffordable.  All three of these teams would be lining up to get into a money fight for Santana if he hits the market next winter.

And the Yankees are the last one's to be preaching fiscal responsibility.  Didn't they just spend $275 million on Alex Rodriguez?  They can easily afford to extend Santana, who fills a need and has more upside to any Yankee prospect with the exception of Joba.  They have $58.3 million coming off the books anyway, not counting the sunk costs of $6.95 million for paying Giambi and Pavano to go away.

Don't snicker Red Sox fans.  You all aren't any better.  You have about the same amount of money leaving the books, with Manny and Varitek's contracts coming off the books.  And you have the farm system depth to fill the holes as well. 

The Twins too also have to be reasonable.  You aren't going to get a team to completely gut their system for Santana.   It's unrealistic.  You need to get teams to agree to a reasonable set of demands and flip as soon as the best deal comes up. 

Financial reasons aside, here is what the Twins should reasonably expect to get for their ace:

• 1 High Quality Pitching Prospect
• 1 High Quality Positional Prospect
• 1 Above Average Pitching Prospect
• 1 Average Prospect Or Young Player

Here are the offers for each team:

Boston - Jon Lester (LHP), Jed Lowrie (SS/2B), Justin Masterson (RHP), Coco Crisp (CF)

I honestly don't know why the Twins haven't agreed to this deal, as it matches up with my qualifications perfectly.  I think the Twins are hoping that Boston will toss in Clay Buchholz, which won't happen.  Lester is an above average lefty who could be a number two starter.  Lowrie could start for Minnesota now and be the best second baseman they've had since Chuck Knoblauch.  Masterson has the potential to be a good pitcher in this league and Crisp helps give Minnesota a solid outfield for the first time in years.

New York (AL) - Phil Hughes (RHP), Melky Cabrera (CF), Jeff Marquez (RHP), Mitch Hillgross

This is insulting, actually.  While Hughes is very good and I like Marquez to be a solid innings eater in the NATIONAL league, the rest is just ####.  Cabrera is a average regular, not a star and I don't blame the Twins for shooing away fhe Yankees with this offer.  If you want to give me something to think about, here is what I would ask for:

Phil Hughes (RHP), Melky Cabrera (CF), Ian Kennedy (RHP), Alan Horne (RHP)

And before Yankee Fans jump on me, consider this.  Kennedy has been highly overrated since he was drafted and has been made to be a lot better than he is by the Yankee spin machine.  He is, at best, a average pitcher with excellent command and is at best a Number Three pitcher, nothing more.  He's not the second coming of Mike Mussia, who had better stuff than Kennedy at the beginning of his career.  Horne has good stuff, but is injury prone and likely a bullpen guy in the end.  Cabrera is an average regular, not a star. 

New York (NL) - Carlos Gomez (CF), Delouis Guerra (RHP), Phil Humber (RHP), Kevin Mulvey (RHP)

A good offer, it's better than what the Yankees are offering and it sends Santana to the NL, where he wouldn't haunt the Twins.  However, I would ask for Fernando Martinez, who has a chance to be a star, instead of Gomez.  That would trump the Red Sox offer and if I had that deal on the table, I'd take it and run with it.  Guerra has a chance to be a solid Number Two pitcher, Humber an inninsg eater, and Mulvey a solid 3.  That's not a bad return.

Oh, and by the way, Omar Minaya is a fool for not agreeing to trade Gomez back in November for Matt Garza, who had a chance to be the best pitcher on the Mets' roster.  The Twins should thank him, as they got Delmon Young in the deal, who is a lot better.

Unfortunately, it looks like we'll be inundated with more of the Santana claptrap, with more rantings for Hank Steinbrenner, more of us seeing Theo Epstein's Fraiser Crane impersonation with him saying "I'm listening", and more pleas from Omar Minaya for the Twins to accept his good, but not great offer. 

So sorry folks, we'll be listening to three more months of the same #### till Spring Training ends.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled program...

On The Block – Miguel Cabrera

Just to address the other sexy name on the block.

The Why:  A farm system with some depth, but with a lot of graduations, an ownership unwilling to invest more than what they get in the luxury tax, and a assortment of problems at the ownership level results in the Marlins being unable to afford their superstar third baseman and potential MVP candidate.  The Marlins recognize they have holes in their team that they weren’t able to fill in the fire sale two years ago and are going to try and jettison their most attractive piece in order to fill them.

The Rumored Asking Price:  The Marlins are demanding FOUR players with 0-3 years in service time and all have to be studs.  Ouch.  That’s hard enough for any team to handle and the Marlins have already made it clear who they want from each team, no if’s, ands, or buts about it.

Can A Trade Be Done:  Iffy.  The Marlins have acquired a lot of talent as well as a reputation for being difficult to negotiate with.  They are going to demand the very best players for Cabrera and mean to get him, but what they’re asking for is going to scare off a lot of people.

The Good:  Cabrera has drawn many comparisons to Manny Ramirez in terms of hitting ability and power.  He could be a potential Hall Of Famer if he continues to improve and is already better than several superstar players were at his age, including Saint Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

Potential Hang-ups:

• Prospects – The amount and quality of prospects that Florida is going to want makes a trade very prohibitive for many teams, even those with the prospect depth to do so.
• Health – People are wondering if Cabrera’s weight issues will continue to be a problem, limiting his long-term value.
• Money – Any team that is looking to acquire Cabrera would want a negotiating window to extend him beyond his two remaining years.  The problem is, the Marlins have no intention of granting one, meaning it’s a buyer beware proposition.

Potential Suitors – In Alphabetical Order

• Chicago White Sox – The White Sox were aggressively going after Cabrera, offering a package of 3B Josh Fields, CF Jerry Owens, LHP Gio Gonzalez and reportedly LHP Jon Danks.  That probably won’t cut it, as the Marlins seem to be going after superstar prospects and nothing less.
• Los Angeles Angels – The Angels already look like they’re gearing up for a Cabrera trade, filling a rotation hole by the recent addition of Jon Garland.  They can now offer Florida a package that includes Ervin Santana, who fits the service time requirements.  However, the Angels would also need to add in 2B Howie Kendrick, top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart, OF Reggie Willits or one of Mike Napoli or Jeff Mathis catching tandem.  Reportedly, Adenhart and Kendrick are the sticking points, as the Angels are willing to give up one, but not both.  Also, the Marlins aren't too high on Santana. 
• Los Angeles Dodgers – The Dodgers also can offer a good package, maybe even better than the Angels.  Top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw would have to be included in the deal, as well as 3B prospect Andy LaRoche, RHP Jonathan Broxton and one of either 1B James Loney or RF Matt Kemp.  That’s a hell of a price to pay with Kershaw alone, let alone the rest of the young talent on the Roster.  The Dodgers look like they’re all about it, but to be quite honest, I think I would rather pass.
• New York Yankees – Yup, the Yankees apparently are still in it, looking to move Cabrera to first base.  A package would have to be centered around CF Melky Cabrera, RHP Phil Hughes, and 2B Robinson Cano, which the Yankees would balk at, then state publicly that they’re waiting for the market to go down, all the while wondering why the Marlins are simply giving Cabrera to them.
• San Francisco Giants – The Giants looked into getting Cabrera early in the off-season, but they lacked positional players to send back to Florida.  Even then, would it really be worth sacrificing \either Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum?
• Texas Rangers – The Rangers have the talent to make a trade, but the Marlins would insist on RHP Eric Hurley, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 2B German Duran and SS Joaquin Arias (allowing them to move Hanley Ramirez to centerfield.)  That is a VERY high price to pay and the Rangers have made it known that they’re rebuilding, not looking to gut the farm.  This really is only out there to shut up those emails about whether or not the Rangers have a shot at Cabrera. 

If I Had To Pick A Deal Right Now…Traded To The Los Angeles Angels For RHP Ervin Santana, RHP Nick Adenhart, OF Reggie Willits, 2B Howie Kendrick.

Will A Deal Ultimately Happen – Yes.  The Angels are up to something and that something is likely Cabrera, as all of their moves this off-season look more and more like their gearing up to trade parts to gain him.  However, the Marlins also need to realize that they can’t keep doing this, trading talent away for more prospects because they’re getting expensive.  Ultimately, this is a symptom of a cancer at the top and Jeffrey Loria needs to address it with one of two solutions:  move the team or sell it to someone willing to put money into it.  Because, quite honestly, this can’t work for much longer.  

This is a quick update to Tuesday's On The Block.  Today's On The Block will be posted shortly...

On The Block - Johan Santana (again...)

Well, the trade acquistions of Delmon Young and Brendan Harris have changed what exactly the Twinkies will want in return for Santana and, subsequently, changes the amount of bidders available.  The Twins will now likely look for a centerfielder as well as near ready starting pitching, and positional players.  Harris is merely a stopgap shortstop and would actually be better at third base, assuming that the Twins go with Alexi Casilla and not the awful Nick Punto and second.

Here's who is going to likely not have a match:

• Texas Rangers – Not that Texas was ever really in it, but this kinda kills any offer the Rangers could send.  A package could be built around Hurley and Salty, but Kinsler wouldn't be as attractive. 
• New York Mets - The Mets now have no shot to even interest the Twins.  The best thing they could do would be to try and acquire one of the Twins' lesser arms for an outfielder, but there isn't anything the Mets have that could interest Minnesota in any way.

That leaves four teams that realistically could trade for Santana, three of them the same from Tuesday, one of them new....

Potential Suitors – In Alphabetical Order

• Boston Red Sox – Boston actually now would make the most sense, as they could send the Twins a good looking package of Jed Lowrie, a shortstop, Jon Lester, a ready made pitcher, Coco Crisp, a centerfielder, and likely a fourth prospect, possbly Brandon Moss, another outfielder, which could DH for the Twins, or something else.
• Los Angeles Angels – Artie Moreno and Co. look like their willing to go all in this offseason, with the acquisitions of Garland and Hunter.  It would be tough to see who Santana would replace, though it would likely come at the expense of Jered Weaver, a pitcher who is nowhere near as good as he's made out to be.  The Angels could offer Minnesota a package of Reggie Willits, who could man center and bat leadoff, Brandon Wood or Erick Aybar, both of whom can play shortstop, Weaver, who could slot in right away, and likely a fourth prospect, maybe Mark Sweeney, a power hitting first baseman in the lower minors.
• Los Angeles Dodgers – The Dodgers MIGHT be able to make a deal now.  Since the outfield is now out of player, the Dodgers would likely have to center a deal around Andy LaRoche, their top third base prospect, Chin-Lung Hu, their top shortstop prospect, as well as Clayton Kershaw and one more player.  That would be too rich for me. 
• New York Yankees – The one team that the Young trade screws over the most is the Yankees, who now not only have to include Melky Cabrera in a trade, but would also have to include Robinson Cano, along with Kennedy and Hughes for a deal to work.  And before the Yankee hate mail comes it, there aren't ANY positional prospects in the Yankees' minors aside from Austin Jackson, thanks to a lot of pitching centered drafts.

If I Had To Pick A Deal Right Now...Traded To The Boston Red Sox for SS Jed Lowrie, LHP Jon Lester, OF Brandon Wood and CF Coco Crisp.

Will A Trade Happen - Yes.  The Twins are nowhere near close to competing in a very stiff AL Central and the window with this current nucleus closed about two years ago, making a rebuilding effort long delayed.  At the very least, the trades of Santana and Joe Nathan would allow the Twins to get enough young pieces that the farm has failed to produce to put together a nice, young talent core to mount a challenge to the Indians and Tigers in two years.

Alright, just a quick rundown on the Santana Sweepstakes.

On The Block – Johan Santana

The reason for this?  Why not?

The Why:  Santana is entering his walk year and the Twins have already made it known that they won’t give him Barry Zito’s deal to keep him, mostly because of owner Carl Pohland, who one of the cheapest owners in sports, and they may want to see if they can acquire talent for him to help the club in the long run, as the system is starting to run a little dry thanks to some over-conservative drafting.

The Rumored Asking Price:  Three to four good prospects, that are either ready to start immediately or are close to.

Can A Trade Be Done:  Yes, provided that a window for a contract extension is granted to the acquiring team.  Otherwise, no team is going to give up a top of low cost talent in exchange for a one year rental.

The Good:  Santana is perhaps the best pitcher in baseball and could be the ace of ANY rotation.  He’s dominant, has proven to be healthy, and can pitch in the AL and has done so in many of the best hitters parks in the league.

Potential Hang-ups:

• Money – It’s going to be costly to extend Santana, who could be baseball’s first $20 million pitcher.  That’s a LOT of money and many couldn’t afford him. 
• Prospects – The Twins want high ceiling talent and a lot of it, which is going to make things difficult, as many teams simply don’t have farm systems that deep to send the necessary talent back.  So, that limits the amount of people that are legitimate suitors even further. 

Potential Suitors – In Alphabetical Order

• Boston Red Sox – Ummm, Boston apparently would be interested in Santana (but it makes no sense really, as they have a solid rotation already that is very cost effective), but they would likely offer the Twins a package of Jon Lester, Coco Crisp and probably infield prospect Jed Lowrie, plus a player to be mutually decided on.  The problem is that they would only give up Lester and would balk if asked for Ellsbury or Buchholz. 
• Los Angeles Dodgers – The Dodgers certainly have the ammunition to try and make a deal, with them offering a package that would include Andy LaRoche, their top third base prospect, Andre Ethier, who could start in left field, Matt Kemp, who would start in right, and likely Chad Billingsley, the top lefty prospect in the minors.  That is a hell of a package and would give the Twins immediate bonuses to three of their lineup spots while giving them a stud pitching prospect as well.  The problem is that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt might not like the price tag it would take to extend Santana. 
• New York Mets – Omar Minaya seems determined to make a huge splash, and has said he’s saving his trade chips for a front of the rotation pitcher.  There’s just one problem:  most of the Mets’ prospects suck.  Philip Humber and Mike Pelfrey have had their stocks take hits and they lack many other positional players to send back to Minnesota.  The best thing they COULD do would be to see if the Twins still want to do that Matt Garza-Carlos Gomez swap.  I’d be all over that in a second.
• New York Yankees – The Yankees are sure to be in on Santana, and apprently, after the Game 4 loss to the Indians, they immediately called the Twins asking what it would take to build a package around Chein Ming Wang to get Santana.  This was purely rumor, but any deal involving Santana would likely involve New York.  Wang wouldn’t be attractive to the Twins as he’s going to be getting expensive short and he really isn’t what they’re looking for.  They’d likely ask for a package centered around Melky Cabrera and one of the Phil Hughes/Joba Chamberlain duet, with Robinson Cano thrown in for good measure.  The Yankees would likely balk and try to see if Ian Kennedy would get the job done, after which they’re promptly be laughed at and hung up on.  That’s really how it would go down, as New York is so protective even of their worst prospects that it’s hard to get a deal done.  However, with Hank Steinbrenner spilling the beans about the negotiations to get him, this deal may have legs after all.
• Texas Rangers – Texas certainly has the ammunition to make a deal, with a package likely having to center around Eric Hurley, their top pitching prospect, Ian Kinsler, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, which would allow them to use Mauer at DH more often.  It would be a good trade package, but wouldn’t be enough to compare with what other teams may offer. 

If I Had To Pick A Deal Right Now...Traded To The New York Yankees For RHP Phil Hughes, RHP Ian Kennedy, CF Melky Cabrera and OF Austin Jackson

Will A Deal Ultimately Happen – Yes.  Frankly, the Twins could see themselves as being able to bounce back in contention with the return of Francisco Liriano, but let’s be reasonable.  The Twins also have a lot of holes and their owners’ reluctance to spend money means they can’t buy themselves the necessary fixes to help remedy the problem.  As a result, they’ve got to move him now to be able to at least reload with their current nucleus.

On The Block

Mark Buerhle To The Red Sox

I read on SI's Truth And Rumors section that the Red Sox may be the favorites to go after Mark Buerhle, for two reasons:

1. It Would Give The Red Sox another Star Quality Pitcher In The Rotation, Pushing Wakefield and Doug Mirabelli's terrible bat to the bench.
2. It would keep Buerhle away from the Mets and Yankees, two teams that are also kicking the tires on him.

White Sox GM Kenny Williams says publically that he is not eager to move Buerhle and, if push comes to shove, he'll allow Buerhle to walk, allowing him to reap the draft picks that would come his way if Buerhle is signed.

I don't buy it and judging from the rumors, neither does the rest of baseball.

The White Sox system is one of the worst in baseball, thanks to a strategy of conservative drafts and a great deal of trades that have sapped the Sox of many of their top talents.  Most of the team is either in decline or is going to be a free agent.

If things remain the same and none of the impending free agents are re-signed and those players who have options held on them do not get their options exercised, the White Sox will have holes in two of the three outfield positions, the entire middle infield, and will be missing a starter in the rotation.

And, judging from the system, the White Sox can't replenish most, if not any, of them internally.

Which is why, in this case, a trade with the Red Sox makes the most sense.

Boston can offer the White Sox the most pieces to fill in their holes for next year.

Williams will likely as for, and won't get, centerfield prospect Jacoby Ellsbury and top pitching prospect Clay Buchholz.  Both are too highly regarded and are close to the majors for Boston to allow to leave via trade.  Had Buerhle had one more year on his deal, it would be plausable for one, but not in this case.  Ditto for Jon Lester.

However, the Red Sox do have centerfielder Coco Crisp, who needs to leave Boston as I think that unreasonable expectations in light of Johnny Damon's departure, as well as Wily Mo Pena, who has dazzling potential, but is roadblocked for playing time thanks to Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew.  Both players would start for the White Sox and fill two immediate holes for the future.

The Red Sox could offer a pitching prospect, likely RHP Michael Bowden, who isn't as good as Buchholz, but is dominating the Calfornia League at the tender age of 20 and could grow into a middle of the rotation beast for the White Sox if given time. 

Kenny Williams might try to push for another prospect or could hold out for Lester, but that's as good of an offer as he might be able to get.  If he would try to hold out for the Yankees and Mets to get involved, the offer isn't going to be as tempting. 

• Mets Offer - OF Lastings Milledge, RHP Phillip Humber, OF Carlos Gomez.  The Mets are flush with outfielders and Milledge is on bad terms with the Mets' management due to his numerous antics that he's done.  Humber is a solid prospect, but his upside is far below that of Bowden, though Humber is closer to the majors.  It's really a trade off there.  Gomez is also looking like a solid player, if given the chance.  The real problem is that neither player has Pena's power potential and Humber, while good, doesn't have Bowden's upside.
• Yankees Offer - OF Melky Cabrera, RHP Ian Kennedy, 1B Eric Duncan. And that's about it.  Kennedy is a solid pitcher, but he doesn't really blow anyone away.  He's more of the command and control type of player, something the White Sox already have in prospects Kyle McCulloch and Lance Broadway.  Cabrera is a meh prospect, though he is an excellent defender.  And Duncan is, well, Duncan.  Either way, the Yankees have made it clear they don't plan to offer much in regards for rent a players and this may be about the extent they'd go. 

Are there other options?  Maybe.  The Dodgers are reportedly interested, but are looking for a power bat to add to the lineup, as the pitching is quite solid.  Looking at the other contenders, there's really not anyone that you can point to and say there is a need there and there are prospects there to suit that need.

Adding Pena and Crisp would fill into two of the outfield spots with younger players with some control left on their deals, as well as add a solid pitching prospect to their system, as it's becoming apparent that Williams' attempts to had high cieling pitching has failed, for the most part. 

Should the White Sox pull the trigger on this trade, here is how their lineup would look, come 2008:

• Coco Crisp (CF)
• Danny Richar (2B) - Acquired From Diamondbacks
• Paul Konerko (1B)
• Jim Thome (DH)
• Joe Crede (3B)
• Josh Fields (LF)
• Wily Mo Pena (RF)
• A.J. Pierzynski (C)
• Free Agent Shortstop (SS)

All in all, that's a lot more promising, and a lot less expensive than what the White Sox are currently runnng out there.  It should also be noted that Crede could be moved in the off-season for a shortstop, allowing the White Sox to use Fields at third base and promote top outfield prospect Ryan Sweeney to take over left field.

Would it solve all of the White Sox problems?  No.  There still is a hole in the rotation to fill, but it's possible that Gavin Floyd could eventually be a viable alternative as a Number Five.  It wouldn't hurt to at least give him a shot.  The White Sox could even try to trade for Blog Favorite Matt Murton, who could be had for some relief help.

All in all, there are several trade options available, some that might even be better or worse than what I've suggested.  But, that's the best offer I've come up with that could not only fill the holes for the short term, but possibly long term as well.

Parity Does Exist In Baseball, When Exactly The Yankees Went To Hell and Why They Won't Win Another World Series For A While, Free Agency Rumblings And Grumblings, and Matt Cain's Face On A Tortilla.  Yup.  A Tortilla.

Baseball, Not Football, Is Now The Most Fair Sport

Say what you want about Football and it's parity, but the fact is that Baseball is now the most fair amongst the sports.

Baseball, since it's institution of a revenue sharing system (somewhat) has managed to keep things competitive and different in their post-seasons.  True, while there are the big money teams that buy their way into the playoffs (Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and to a certain extent, the Braves) there have also been several teams that have managed to make it into the show while keeping their books balanced.  As much as I despise Billy Beane, I've got to give him credit for keeping Oakland competitive for most of the decade.  Minnesota has done more with less, thanks to smart drafts and trades (Pierzynski for Nathan, Liriano, and Bonzer anyone).  Florida, ater deciding that they couldn't afford their expensive team, sold off most of their pieces of their team and nearly posted the same record this season and may challenge the Mets for the NL East Crown next season.

Sure, people may point out the Royals, the Devil Rays, the Pirates and the Rockies as examples of why Baseball is unfair, but the fact is that for a great period of time, these franchises were run with little direction, clue, or drive by their respective owners and management.  But even then, there is reason to hope.  The Royals now appear to be on the right track thanks to new General Manager Drayton Moore, who sold off most of the ill fitting pieces that had no place on his vision of the future, and the Devil Rays are now starting to come into their own now that ownership appears to be willing to spend money and make things work.  The Rockies, after trying for years to buy talent to help them compete, has taken advantage of numerous high draft picks to build one of the deepest farm systems in baseball.  As for Pittsburgh, well....they did finish ahead of the Cubs, who spent a fortune for a last place team. 

Does credit have to go to Bud Selig?  To a certain extent.  Selig's attempts to crack on teams that try to spend their way to a championship has worked to a certain extent.   One of the things that Bud's predecessor, Fay Vincent, was accused of (and to whom I credit most of the blame of the steroid era to), was that Vincent was too much in favor of the big market teams. And while Selig's changes haven't stopped teams from goings nuts as far as payroll (I.e. both New York Teams, The Angels, Both Chicago Teams), the fact is that Bud has done a lot of good in implementing his changes to give everyone a shot. 

If you want the ultimate justification, take a look at the number of teams that win the championship of each league, since Bud took charge in 1992.

NFL - (11).  Washington (1992), Dallas (1993-94), San Francisco (1995), Dallas (1996), Green Bay (1997), Denver (1998-99), St. Louis (2000),  Baltimore (2001), New England (2002), Tampa Bay (2003), New England (2004-05), Pittsburgh (2006)

NBA -(6).   Chicago (1992-93), Houston (1994-95), Chicago (1996-98), San Antonio (1999), LA Lakers (2000-02), San Antonio (2003), Detroit (2004), San Antonio (2005), Miami (2006)

MLB - (9).  Toronto (1992-93), Atlanta (1995), New York Yankees (1996), Florida (1997), New York Yankees (1998-2000), Arizona (2001), Anaheim (2002), Florida (2003), Boston (2004), Chicago White Sox (2005), Mets/Tigers/Athletics/Cardinals (2006).

Football has the most division winners among the sample, but that sample is slightly tainted because of the mini-dynasties of San Francisco and Washington that can be traced farther back beyond this sample. Plus, the Rams made the Super Bowl in 2002 and New England was the loser in the 1997 Super Bowl.   Baseketball, despite it's claim of it being all inclusive thanks to the fact that half the damn league gets into the playoffs, has had only six different teams win the title in this 14 year period.  As for Baseball, the Yankee Dynasty tends to skew the overall balance, plus the lost 1994 World Series.  Baseball also has fewer teams that have managed to extend their runs of dominance over a significant period of time.  Before the Yankees won four in five years from 1996 to 2000, the last multiple win World Series team was the Oakland Athletics, who did it from 1972 to 1974. 

So while baseball may have it's problems, one thing is certain.

There is parity in the sport.  It's not as obvious as football, where 8-8 can get you into the playoffs, but it exists.  You just have to look closely to find it.

Where The Yankees Went To Hell...

Speaking of New York, Bobby V on The V Show with ESPN had a great point on when the Yankees began to tank.

When Matsui and Sheffield went down, the Yankees were forced to shake things up in their clubhouse by having to depend on a new face (Melky Cabrera) and an old favorite (Bernie Williams).  Cabrera borught a breath of fresh air to a largely stale Yankee lineup and Williams, who was given up for dead, stepped up as the DH/Part Time Outfielder and did a good job doing it.  Combined with the shakeup that brought in Bobby Abreu and the Yankees were transformed into a livelier and more productive lineup. 

But the Yankees reverted back to form when Torre decided he had to put Matsui and Sheffield into the lineup.  Gone went Cabrera, who more than earned the starting left field job, and gone wnet Williams, who can still destroy lefty pitching.  And true, the change probably should have been made considering Matsui's and Sheffield's accomplishments, but I can't help but agree that a little bit of life left that lineup when Cabrera and Williams were pulled.

Why The Yankees Won't Win For A While

If the Yankees expect to make a return to the post-season, they need to depend on the farm for help, not free agency.  The Yankees won their championships thanks to having three incredible front line pitchers.  Roger Clemens and David Cone, two bonafide aces, headed the rotation while Andy Pettitte, a number one on most teams, ran the middle of the rotation.  Plus, they had a bunch of players that, while not All-Stars, at least meshed well with each other.  Paul O'Neill isn't Manny Ramirez, but in that team, he was extraordinary.   

Since the Dynasty years, the Yankees haven't had that same dominance that they were known for.  I chalk this up to not only a lack of pitching on the market, but also a lack of players on the inside.

Let's start with pitching.  There aren't a lot of aces for sale on the market.  Most are either aging and close to retiring (John Smoltz, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens), locked up for the near future (Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren, Bartolo Colon, Carlos Zambrano, Johan Santana, Jake Peavy, Dontrelle Willis, Roy Halliday), or are incredibly young and will be controlled by their respective teams for the distant future (Justin Verlander, Francisco Liriano, Felix Hernandez). 

Now a days, if you want to have a legitimate ace to head up your rotation, you need to home grow them.  This has been the one thing that Yankees have been unable to do for sometime, but this may be changing with Philip Hughes going to Triple A next season.

The other thing that the Yankees need to do is bring in more position players from the farm system.  The Yankees have a good young core to build around with Cano, Cabrera, Wang and Proctor, but they need more.  The problem with free agents is that you tend to get a lot of mercenary players, which is what the Yankees have done in the past few years by bringing in players such as Sheffield, Giambi, Rodriguez, Johnson, and others.  These guys a lot of the time have no link to the team and at times can be lifeless and dispassionate.

Are all free agents like that?  No.  You have guys that genuine love playing the game and whose personalities reflect that, such as Johnny Damon.  However, the lack of chemistry that has been evident in the Yankees is harmful, as at the end of the day, you can't rely on those players to come through for you when things are bleak.  What you have now is New York is a collection of stars unwilling to stand up to one another, resulting in a buildup of tensions that boils over, such as the Sports Illustrated Alex Rodriguez article, along with the numerous rumors (which the Yankees have been quick to try and deny) of fist fights between Rodriguez and Jeter and Johnson and Posada, among others.

The Yankees need to get back to the strategy of bringing up players that not only have the fire that makes young players so much fun to watch, but also are willing to listen to the leaders of the clubhouse when the right jolt is needed.

All of this can only be solved in the draft, which the Yankees have a huge advantage over.  So many picks fall because of signability reasons (Scott Boras).  The Yankees can draft these young players and deal with their agents (Scott Boras) to try and get them to forgo college to join the minors.  The Yankees have more than enough money to pay above slot and, to be honest, how many players would jump at the chance of playing for the Yankees and forgoing college instead of putting up a stellar college career and wind up in Kansas City or Tampa.

I'll be the first to say it.  The Yankees won't win the World Series as long as this team is together.  But the sooner that the Yankees start building their future around promising youngsters and stop going after overpriced nightmares like Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, and the Big No Show, the sooner that New Yorkers can start hoping for their pinstriped heroes to take their latest trip down the Canyon of Heroes amid a rain of falling confetti.

Free Agency Rumblings And Grumblings

One last Yankee tidbit:  The Yankees are expected to decline the options of Sheffield and Mussina, making them free agents, and exercising a injury induced buyout clause on Jaret Wright, freeing up almost $30 million in cash.  While the Yankees are expected to bring back Mussina, it's highly unlikely we'll see New York make a splash in the free agent market unless it's for the soon to be posted Daisuka Matsuzaka.

Lou Pinella was reportedly hoping that the Texas Rangers would have offered him their position of manager, as he viewed the Rangers as the closest of the teams seeking a manager to contention.

Expect Hank Blalock to have lots of suitors this off-season.  While Blalock's put up career worst numbers in home runs, RBI's and everything else, he's still got quite a bit of upside in that he's still young and his contract is relatively affordable.  While this would force the Rangers to have to bring back Mark DeRosa as the regular third baseman, trading Blalock with another prospect would be a great way to acquire another starting pitcher with more than one year of service time left.

Expect Seattle to become a major player in the free agency market.  With Ichiro nearing the end of his contract and becoming disheartened with the performance of Seattle in recent years, Seattle has got to do something to help improve the team.  They do have some trade chips in RP Rafael Soriano and 1st Baseman Ritchie Sexton, but the player that may draw the most value may be Adrian Beltre, who proved that he might not be a free agent bust after all.

Boston is expected to shop Manny Ramirez again this off-season, but their chance to get the maximum value for the slugger is gone.  Ramirez, who missed time because of injury and possiby because of attitude, will find far less takers this off-season.  Plus, Ramirez , as a 10-5 player, must approve of any deal.  As a result, Boston, who wanted SP Ervin Santana, 2nd Baseman Howie Kendrick, Utilitydude Chone Figgins, and SS Brandon Wood (a rip off of epic proportions) will have to settle for much less.  I suspect that the Red Sox could pull off a trade to the Angels for just Figgins and maybe SS Erick Aybar, but again, Ramirez could complicate things by insisting that a pair of options be exercised in the process.  In my opinion, Ramirez and Boston are likely stuck wtih each other.

Matt Cain's Face On A Tortilla

Nothing to do with baseball, I just thought you might enjoy this story out of Frisco.

Have a good weekend.  The Rangers Report will be back on Monday, with a by weekly run from now until Spring Training.