Congrats Phillies!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, I am a HUGE baseball fan. It's my favorite sport. When it's played well - when it is played at the pinnacle, it is by far the most entertaining.

But, let's be honest here, most of us were praying to everything that is holy in this world that baseball only had 3 1/2 innings left in this season. The Rays were a terrific story and the Phillies were a gritty, gutty team that started this climb three years ago. Baseball wise, it was a great scene. HOWEVER, for 28 other teams the only thing we need to do right now is get on with the hot stove.

But there will be plenty of time for that. For now, hey, the Phillies are the world champs and it got me thinking about a couple of different things:

*You have to give the Phillies a lot of credit for building a team almost completely from the inside out. There were no BIG TIME free agents on this club. There were no superstar additions that made the team their own. The Phillies didn't win this world series by increasing their payroll by $200 million in one year. They didn't try to "buy" anything. They have three OUTSTANDING homegrown kids in Rollins, Howard, Utley, and Hamels, as well as some well above average guys in Victorino, Burrell, Werth, Myers, and Madson. I am not one to go all Mad Dog Russo on people about payroll and whatnot, but you have to respect a team that is standing at the top of the mountain with a group of guys they watched come through their system. Good for them.

*Joe Maddon is the no doubt manager of the year..............but he screwed the pooch in this series, culminated by his decision tonight to go back to the easily hittable Grant Balfour in the beginning of this game. Why not just start David Price? I know, he is essentially your closer now, but this was a MUST game and Price IS a starter by trade. Why wouldn't you put him out there to give you perhaps two innings, keep the game close or get a lead, get this game, and then worry about game 6 when you get there? Maddon's bullpen was always teetering on the edge, it really was. Price was really the only sure thing and you can't wait and save something for tomorrow when you HAVE to win tonight.

It doesn't take anything away from how wonderful a job the man did leading this team to the big show, but let's be honest, his world series managing wasn't exactly making people forget about Casey Stengal.

*Can we PLEASE stop with the dire talk about ratings when it comes to the World Series? Sports talking heads need to come to grips with the fact that Football is truly the only national sport. Baseball has been and always will be a regional sport. Go ask a Yankee fan, Red Sox fan, Cardinals fan, or even a Twins fan about their team and they can tell you who the top rated prospect at the teams AA affiliate is believed to be. They live and breath their team and they KNOW the best players in the game. But, when this time of year comes around and their teams are out of it, they aint watching. No ifs, ands, or buts. What does that mean? Nothing. Nothing at all.

Baseball attendance is through the roof almost everywhere in the country. People are following the sport as passionately as ever and baseball is truly the ONLY one of the big, major sports that is followed year round. As I said before, any baseball fan not in Tampa tonight wanted this game to end so that the hot stove could finally, and legitimately start to heat up. The popularity of the sport is fine, even if the ratings are low. Get over it. Ratings are down for any event. It doesn't tell you one thing about how popular baseball is around the country.

*Memo to Bob Costas and Chris Russo and Tim McCarver and all the idiot Yankee haters out there who LOVE to spread the rumor that the only way to win in baseball is to expand your payroll up into the stratosphere. Since the Yankees last won a world series in 2000, let's see which teams made the championship round: Diamondbacks, Angels, Giants, Marlins, Yankees (2), Red Sox (2), Cardinals (2), White Sox, Astros, Tigers, Rockies, Rays, Phillies. By my count, 13 DIFFERENT teams have made the series since 2001, with only the Red Sox, Yankees, and Cardinals making it multiple times. What is the definition of parity again? Is it different teams having a chance to win each and every year? How can any rational, right minded person argue that baseball is inherently unfair when nearly HALF the teams in the league have made an appearance in the world series in the last eight years?

Parity is here my friends. Each year now we, as baseball fans, can legitimately look and ask "who is gonna be that surprise team?" Would you have picked the Rays before this year? Would you have picked the Rockies before last year? Next year, perhaps it's the A's. Perhaps it's the Twins. Perhaps it's the Reds. Right now, they might be long shots, but does anyone doubt that, given the maturity of a few young players and, perhaps, the addition of a couple of nice, veteran players, and any one of those teams could be standing on a podium, accepting the trophy from Bud Selig?

In my opinion, baseball is the ONLY sport that has not compromised its regular season, or its product on the field, in an attempt to produce parity.

*Can CC Sabathia sign with the Yankees tonight or does he have to wait 24 hours before he can put his signature on a deal?

*Watching Brad Lidge finish off the Rays tonight, and seeing how well, and how durable, Kerry Wood seemed to be as the closer for the Cubs, is it so outlandish to believe that Mark Prior could be a terrific closer who could actually stay healthy if he wasn't straining his body through 170 innings per year? Reclamation projects have worked for a lot of other teams, and Lidge was about as big a project as one could take on. Now, Lidge has always been a closer and his short stints on the DL are nothing compared to Prior's continued injury history, but what, exactly, could be the harm?

Prior has terrific stuff when healthy, and asking him to pitch one or two innings every few days would allow him to really let his stuff loose without fear of tiring. Plus, he has big game, big moment experience, so you have to believe he wouldn't be rattled under the spot light. Finally, if Prior were to take to his new bullpen role and stay healthy, he could conceivably be the heir apparent to Mariano when the great one decides to ultimately step aside. Prior has that bulldog mentality, but the demeanor of a Rivera, showing little to no emotion on the mound. Wouldn't he be a nice addition to the Yanks young, inexperienced yet highly talented pen? It wouldn't cost anything. It would simply be a no risk all reward move, and Prior is still under 30.

*I have decided to become an NBA fan this year but, I have to admit, it is difficult rooting for the Nets when they play in New Jersey. My Nets fandom was based on their move to Brooklyn and signing Lebron. Is any of that gonna happen now? Can I hang on and wait that long?

Nine more years of A-Rod..........here's what needs to happen

For some reason I was thinking a lot about Alex Rodriguez this weekend, in a purely sports related, non-homosexual way (though his hair and sunbathing tendencies do peak even the most staunch heterosexual's interest). First, there was the whole Madonna, Guy Ritchie divorce that shockingly looks like it will be mean and messy (no way Madonna is a mean, vindictive b*tch, right?). Of course, the reports still insist that A-Rod and the Queen of class herself are an item, although no one has gone on record confirming such rumors.

Then, there was Manny Ramirez's proclamation that he was "going to the highest bidder," which is not exactly taken out of the "always say the right, if obviously false, thing to the media to avoid controversy" play book. And finally, there was the report that Derek Jeter joined Roger Clemens on the sidelines of yesterday's Texas game - the first indication that Clemens was, in fact, alive and that someone was willing to be within three counties of the right hander.

Why did all of this get me thinking about A-Rod?

Because I am 30 year's old right now and, by the time Alex is finally ready to retire, I will probably be about 38 or 39. That's my entire 30s as a fan right there. That's a decade of watching games and whether you love A-Rod or hate him, there is no question that he will remain one of the most important pieces of the Yankee offensive machine for that length of time.

So, how does A-Rod shed his choking tendencies and become a force in big games and big situations?

He has to embrace his inner asshole.

What do I mean by inner asshole, you may ask.

That's simple. See, I am of the belief that A-Rod is truly just a prick of a person, maybe not as bad as a Barry Bonds or a Gary Sheffield, but in that discussion. Let's face it, he did cheat on his wife, evidently while she was pregnant, with Madonna; he opted out of his contract in the middle of a World Series game to try and capture as much attention for himself as possible; he blamed all of his bad PR on his agent, Scott Boras, after having been complicite in all of his actions; and he has already establish a reputation as a "team of one" that is disconnected from the rest of the Yankees. He just doesn't seem like the sweetest guy in the world.

Yet every action A-Rod takes seems to be deliberate, a if he has a little note card in his locker that says "what would Jeter do?" and he adhers to it's principles each time. A-Rod tries desperately to always say the right thing. He has stock answers for questions, and none of them ever really seem to be sincere. He is utterly obsessed with making sure that each movement he makes on the field is for effect, and that HAS to hurt when you're up at the plate, with two outs, 9th inning, bases loaded, down by a run.

So instead of trying to pretend he is something he isn't why not just embrace his true self, his true asshole self, and go with it? Look at Manny. Manny is a jerk. He's a scumbag who openly gave up on Boston, purposely dogged it to get out of town, and even made a few jokes out of his deliberate tanking along the way. Why? Because Manny doesn't try and pretend, he just walks out there and performs. He isn't worried about the headlines for tomorrow or what talk radio is saying about him. Hell, he might not even know talk radio exists. Instead, he does what he wants, says what he thinks, and performs at the highest of levels because he isn't encumbered by anything other than hitting a baseball as high and as far as possible. Yes, it means we see what a true asshole he is, and when he comes out and blatantly says that he will go to the highest bidder as a free agent, we know he means it. But, on the field, it seems to work for him.

On the flip side, look at Jeter. Now, Jeter is Mr. Professional, a man of infinite cliches who never lets too much out of the bag. Yet Jeter, far from being an asshole it would seem, is obviously comfortable in his own skin. Buster Olney of ESPN pointed out that there are "several image conscious players" who wouldn't have been caught dead with Clemens on Saturday afternoon. Was it the right thing to do or the wrong thing to show up with Roger the Law Dodger? I have no idea but what we do know is that Jeter didn't care a bit. Why? Because like it or not Jeter and Clemens are friends and Jeter obviously didn't care much about image when he went to that ball game on Saturday. Think A-Rod would have ignored the possible tabloid headlines and gone to the game? Hard to imagine, isn't it.

Look, A-Rod's calculated response to every thing makes him difficult to root for. I, personally, would find it far easier to cheer the guy on if he were just himself. Talk some trash to the other team. Acknowledge that you're freakin better than the players on the other side of the field because, hell, we know you believe that and you're probably right. Go out with some not-too-pure looking women. Stand at home plate and admire your shot. Have an ego that is blasted away because some obese, semi-retarded know-it-all (Mike Francesa) is gonna get on you about it the next day. Just be yourself, even if that means you're not the most likeable guy in the world. Guess what buddy, you're trying your hardest to be the most likeable guy in the world and everyone hates you. Embrace that.

I don't know about you but I happen to believe that such openness would relax the guy a little bit. If you don't care what EVERYONE else is saying then you will just play your game and, if the dick does that, no one, not Manny, not anyone, can match his talent.

Please, for the love of GOD, someone end this horror

Couple of random sports thoughts:

*If the Rays lose game 7 against the Red Sox it will be devastating for several reasons. First, because the Red Sox are made up of a bunch of douchebag morons (hello Papelbon) who would be well on their way to a THIRD championship in 5 years, making their team one for the ages. Right now, they are the Florida Marlins with two championships. Good for them. A third gives a group of whiny little pricks a third championship. That isn't good for baseball or for history. Second, you can't lose a game, let alone a series, when you have a 7-0 lead in game 5. You just can't. That is historic choking, pure and simple. Finally, while the Sox could lose and field a big team again next year and the year after that, only the most pie-in-the-sky fan could believe the Rays can make it back to this level again. The Sox will be good again. The Yanks are gonna retool. The Blue Jays are always a good and dangerous team. Everything came together perfectly for Tampa this year. What are the chances the stars align once again like that?
*Peter Gammons wrote an article about the "ghosts of Fenway" coming out for that game 5. The ghosts of Fenway? Did someone die off that 2004 team cause those are the only "ghosts" around. Before that, all the ghosts in Fenway knew how to do was bend over and lube up.
Don't you just love how Red Sox fans now like to try and re-write history? Suddenly, no one remembers the 86 years of futility and choke artistry that defined Beantown for two generations. That didn't exist. The complete ineptitude and inability to come up with a big win for decades is swept under the rug. Suddenly, Fenway has ghosts? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! And exactly when can we put Peter Gammons out to pasture? Has he had one interesting or informative thing to offer in the last 10 years? His gyrations over the Red Sox are all he has to offer now. Oh, and note to ESPN, if you're gonna have columnists, could you PLEASE try and find someone who isn't jerking off in a corner to lurid pictures of Kevin Youkalis and Jonathan Papelbon in the shower? Bill Simmons? Does he write about anything other than Boston sports? Peter Gammons? Rob Neyer? All these guys do is try to one up each other over whose chubby gets bigger when someone mentions Dustin Pedroia. It is to the point where you can't even read a column by one of these guys if you're not a rabid Bostonite.
*Is it me or is Jake Peavy's complete refusal to play for an AL team enough of a reason not to explore a trade for him? Oh no, those big, mean, nasty AL teams don't give a pitcher three automatic outs with a no hit infielder, no hit catcher, and can barely stand at the plate pitcher each game. How can one be expected to perform?
You know what then nancy, stay in the NL. Have fun getting big outs against the pitcher, or fielding the 200 bunts per game because each lineup only has three or four guys who can hit. I'll take Sabathia, who won a Cy Young in the AL, and even AJ Burnett, who has faced down the AL East meat grinder each year for the past several years over a guy who is peeing his pants at the prospect of coming to a real league.
*Is it me or does it seem somewhat strange to anyone else that the rise of this Red Sox team has coincided with the demise of Western civilization as we know it? Back in 2000, when all was right with the world, the Yankees were winning. Now? Stocks crashing, wars raging, unemployment rising, and all the while those pit stains are winning ballgames. Sorry, I think a blind man could see a trend there.
*Why is it that, even now, Tom Coughlin's team can still allow themselves to read their own headlines and believe them, to the point where they HAVE to have a let-down game? This drill sargeant, task master coach lets his team spit the bit at least once a season, losing to a team they have no business even being in a game with. Granted, the Browns are a better team than their record, but still?
*Just a question but does anyone still read Mike Lupica anymore? Does he know he isn't a political commentator? Hell, he's barely a sports columnist.
Why is it so hard for people to understand that we don't give a shit about their political views? I don't want or care to hear it. Lupica has spent his life stewing over how to eloquently question why a coach decided to punt on fourth down instead of going for it. Does he honestly believe I take his political ruminations seriously?
*I have decided to be an NBA fan from the beginning of the season now and I was going to adopt the New Jersey Nets as my favorite team. First, I have the YES network, meaning I could follow the team all year long. Second, I think Rod Thorn is about as good a GM in basketball and I am sure he is gonna rebuild his team to be exciting. Third, it seems the general consensus is that LeBron James, who counts himself a friend of Nets part owner Jay Z, and a big Yankee fan, may end up playing for the Nets in 2o1o when his contract ends with Cleveland and I LOVE LeBron, I really do.
Of course, all of this is contingent upon them moving to Brooklyn in the next few years. Now, I heard some rumor that the move to Brooklyn might be off. Is that true? If so, I don't think I could root for the Jersey team because their facility and their fans are, shall we say, freakin BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's like watching a game at Tropicana Field. It is depressing, it really is. But a move to a gorgeous arena in Brooklyn, the inevitable jazzing up of the jerseys and the logo, and the addition of Bron Bron would be too much for me to pass up.
So I am jumping on the Nets bandwagon this year, with Devin Harris poised for a break out year, Josh Boone, my boy from Uconn, getting better each year, Brook Lopez playing nasty defense in the middle, and Vince Carter actually trying a little bit, and they could be a fun team to root for. So I might as well start now. GO NETS!!!!!!!!!!

Postseason/offseason musings...........

A couple of things that have been on my mind the last few days:

*Why would the Mets allow what happened in Boston with Manny Ramirez to effect their decision to pursue the slugger in the offseason? I don't know how many columns I have read this weekend, including little Mikey Lupica, who hasn't written an insightful column in about 22 years. The jist of each writer's point is that Manny gave up on the Red Sox because they refused to committ to letting him out of his two option years and was willing to put the Sox playoff hopes at risk to get what he wanted.

All of that is absolutely true. Manny Ramirez will never win a Derek Jeter Hustle award on his life. He isn't a very likeable guy or a guy who is easy to root for. In fact, he is pretty easy to root against.

Having said that, Manny being Manny has been around for a LONG period of time. Manny's antics, his selfish way of playing the game, never once hurt the Red Sox when it came to them winning a World Series. Don't kid yourself: one of the most important players on the championship teams for the Sox was Manny. His bat in the middle of the order gave that team a surreal 1-2 combo in he and Ortiz that made it virtually impossible to navigate through the lineup effectively. And while he certainly quit on the Sox this year and forced the team's hand, it came after at least 3 years of Manny legitimately wanting out of Beantown.

Manny if at the end of his career (in that this next contract will most likely be his last). He is not only an effective hitter, he is an absolute menace in the middle of any order. His right handed bat would be devastating in Queens.

Think of a lineup that features Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Manny Ramirez and David Wright. That is as good a five as anyone in baseball, with a terrific mix of right and left, young and old. It also provides the Mets with a bona fide clutch hitter, the one that was so obviously missed down the stretch.

*I am having a hard time understanding the Yanks supposed fascination with AJ Burnett. To me, he seems to be a much more talented version of the disaster on two legs himself, Carl Pavano; oft injured, only seems to step up in contract years, mediocre against much of the league, and a questionable personality, which doesn't seem to really play all that well in the rough and tumble of New York. I understand the Yanks looking at Burnett in conjunction with CC Sabathia. If you get the big lefty, and you believe he will stay healthy and durable for you, then you can take a flier on Burnett, hope he stays healthy and motivated, but have enough of a pitching cushion to still be okay if he is not. If Burnett ends up being the Yanks centerpiece pitching move, I think it would be a real mistake, one the Yanks have already made with the likes of Pavano, Jarret Wright, Randy Johnson, etc... I mean, didn't Cashman demand more control, and more emphasis on the minors because he felt "forced" into making those types of moves? Perhaps it was less about being forced into something and more about being a terrible judge of talent.

An offseason that sees the Yanks land both Sabathia and Burnett would be big. An offseason that sees the Yanks land Burnett and Derek Lowe, at 35 and out of the AL for the last 4 years, would seem to just be more of the same.

*If someone can explain to me what Joel Sherman was injecting when he wrote about the Yankees potential plans for center field in his most recent column I would greatly appreciate it.

While I obviously agree with him on the Burnett point, the names he listed as potential center field options just doesn't make a lot of sense. In particular, this line just doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense: "The willingness of the Yanks to include Hughes and/or Robinson Cano in conjunction with a surplus reliever or two should open many doors."

Now, if the Yanks were talking about, say, the Pirates Nate McClouth, who Sherman points out will be nearly unattainable this offseason, then I could see potentially DISCUSSING either Hughes or Cano. But for the names he lists as potential Yankee targets (Andre Either, Jayson Werth, Shin Choo Soo, Franklin Guiterrez, or Jeremy Hermedia) Hughes and/or Cano shouldn't even be on the radar.

Hermida and Either are very interesting as they are young, talented players that have not lived up to expectations as of yet. However, neither has proven to be consistent major leaguers, certainly not worth a blue-chip pitching prospect like Hughes or a guy one year removed from a .300 20 100 season at second base like Cano (who will probably be a much better offensive player overall than any of the center fielders listed). Shin-Choo Soo had a very, very good year and is a decent defensive player, but still, in my opinion, not worth a Hughes/Cano price tag. In fact, if the Yanks were interested in ANY of those players I have to believe both Cano and Hughes would be off the table and the Yanks would be discussing Ian Kennedy, Chase Wright, etc....

*Why does Nick Johnson still fascinate me? Seriously, Johnson is ALWAYS injured, has a career high of 147 games two years ago, missed the ENTIRE 2007 season and almost all the 2008 season because of a wrist injury. Yet, he is a walking machine and, if healthy, is perfectly capable of playing great defense, hitting 20+ homers, batting .300, and drawing 100 walks. Is he worth the risk? Let's say the Yanks get BOTH Sabathia and Burnett and trade for, say, Andre Either in a trade. Would you take a chance that Johnson could stay healthy for the season and plug him in at first base? Sadly, I would. No question. I like to look on the bright side of life and, in my mind, the Yanks would get a good season out of Johnson and somehow keep the man healthy.

So, how about this lineup: Damon, LF, Jeter, SS, Johnson, 1B, A-Rod, 3B, Matsui, DH, Posada, C, Ethier, CF, Cano, 2b. Or you could entrust the #3 spot to Matsui and move Johnson down in the order. You could also move Cano up, depending on how well he does and if he shows he is taking a step back to being an elite offensive player.

*Another one of my man crushes is on Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the 23-year-old catching prospect for the Rangers. Salty was the prized piece of the Mark Teixiera trade between the Braves and the Rangers a few years ago, however the youngster has not lived up to expectations and there were rumors the Rangers could look to trade him.

Considering Salty couldn't stay with the big team this year, I can't imagine it would take a whole heck of a lot to get him in a trade and since the Yanks have a good amount of pitching, would it be worth the Yanks trading Chase Wright for Salty? I love the idea simply because I still believe he is a potentially devastating catcher and, with Posada getting older by the day, the Yanks are gonna need a catching replacement sooner rather than later. Salty can play a little first (perhaps spelling the Yanks new first baseman, Nick Johnson:) and learn under Posada, catching a day here and there during the season.

He certainly isn't the sure thing he was believed to be only a few years ago, and he is now a risk, but I think it is worth the risk.

*In writing this column, I have decided that the Yanks need to grab Andre Ethier, Nick Johnson and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and sign Sabathia and Burnett. That's my team.

Yea or Nay on a few trade rumors

Let the hot stove begin baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

We aren't even half way through the ALCS or NLCS and yet the trade rumors have already begun to heat up, especially in New York where both stadiums in the Bronx and Queens are quiet for the first time since 1994. Things will really start to get interesting in the next few weeks when the games officially end, but for now let's look at two trade rumors that are out there and whether they would be right or wrong for the Bombers.

Carlos Beltran for Robinson Cano, Ian Kennedy and a minor leaguer:

Before we look at how viable this trade is, let's look at the merits. The Yankees, in this type of trade, would get one of the best center fielders in the game; a very good defensive player who hits for power and has shown the ability to play in big games in New York. Just look at Beltran and his numbers in Sept. for the Mets the last two years. As everyone else was faltering, Beltran was thriving, and in the last game ever at Shea this year, Beltran had the ONLY big hit for the Amazins - a two run homer that, at the time, tied the game.

Since Beltran is only 31 and signed for the next 5 years, at what now looks to be a somewhat reasonable contract, he would most likely be a mainstay in the New Yankee Stadium for years and would provide another switch hitter to the Yanks lineup. Beltran could easily take over as the Yanks third place hitter, sliding into Bobby Abreu's old slot and giving the Yanks more speed and power out of that spot in the lineup, and a good OBP in front of A-Rod.

The Mets would get Robinson Cano who has shown the ability to be an elite offensive player who may just be coming into his own. Cano is coming off a down year, but 2007 showed Cano capable of a .300 20 100 year batting at the bottom of the Yankee order. There are few second basemen who can duplicate those types of numbers and Cano may eventually be even better than a Chase Utley. Cano is also very athletic around second base and has the opportunity to be a gold-glove caliber second baseman. While it is unclear whether Cano would ever reach the power numbers of a Beltran, he could surpass him in terms of average, equal him in terms of RBI, and provide the Mets with a younger, elite offensive player that provides such offensive explosion from an unlikely source - second base.

Also included in the deal would be Kennedy, supposedly. Kennedy's year with the Yanks could not have gone any worse. His stuff looked pedestrain at best. His attitude was a question mark. He picthed horribly, got injured, went back to the minors, pitched brilliantly, got called back up in the middle of a pennant race, pitched horribly again, seemed to not really care, got sent back down and was never heard from in September. It's hard to imagine that kind of resume fetching a lot on the market.

However, Kennedy is a first round draft pick and was, as of last year, one of the more coveted pitching prospects in the majors. Kennedy dominated the minors and his soft stuff may translate much better to the NL than to the rough and tumble AL East. Kennedy is also only 22, meaning that his failures this year may not be indicative of anything other than immaturity, easily correctable with time. If Kennedy were to fix his problems, both mechanically and mentally, and become a good, if not outstanding major league pitcher, it would give the Mets one of the better, younger rotations in the league, with Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, and Kennedy all holding down jobs for the next several years. Hard to imagine a lot of long losing streaks surviving that kind of rotation.

So, would this deal ever get done?

First, when is the last time the Mets and Yanks got together for a deal? I believe it was for the venerable Mike Stanton and a Yankee minor leaguer, not exactly a game changer right there. The Yanks and Mets fight for fans, coverage, back page spots. Do you honestly believe either one of them would take the chance on such a deal? Imagine if the Mets trade Beltran to the Yanks for Cano and Kennedy and Cano remains a .270 hitter with only marginal power and a disturbing lack of passion for the game. Now imagine that Kennedy doesn't "learn" how to harness an 87 MPH fastball and make that work in the bigs and either doesn't make the MLB team or only produces on a Darrell Rasner level. The Mets would be absolutely crucified. They would be run out of their new building. Omar Minaya would be shipped off to Baghdad, whether he joined the army or not. It would be devastating.

Now, flip it around. Imagine the Yanks make the deal, Beltran comes over, plays his Bobby Abreu style baseball, where passion is limited and mistakes multiple, and Cano blossoms into Robby Alomar and Kennedy turns into a viable #3 pitcher? You think there would be a sign or two at the new Stadium expressing the Yankee fan's distress?

Plus, why would the Mets trade Beltran off another terrific season for Cano and Kennedy, both of whom are coming off of terrible years? While Cano's offense is solid for a second baseman, even on a down year, a second baseman is always easier to replace than a big time center fielder. Beltran's stats are more valuable at his position than Cano, even though Cano could become one of the most impactful players at his position. Perhaps the deal makes sense if the Mets were convinced Cano could duplicate Beltran's numbers, considering he is 6 years younger, but how could anyone in Queens be convinced of that off of this past year? Beltran would simply have to have his "normal" year to help the Yanks while Cano would have to take a quantum leap back towards prominence. And you can like Kennedy all you want, nothing in his arsenal suggests he will ever be anything other than a marginal pitcher in the bigs.

This deal WON"T happen. No chance. Zero.

Which probably means they are working out the finer points as we speak.

The other rumor out there right now is Jake Peavy to the Yanks for a package.

Peavy's stats make him one of the best young pitchers in the game, with a lifetime 3.25 ERA, a history of durability (no major injuries, just minor trips to the DL) and a bulldog type of mentality that is so cherished by teams these days. This past season Peavy only pitched 174 innings and won 10 games for a horrible Padres team, but his ERA was under 3, he had only 59 walks in nearly 180 innings, and while his strike outs per 9 were down a little, it was still an impressive ratio. Plus, his ERA in July, August and September was 2.98, and it was only that high because of two bad outings where he gave up 5 runs twice.

In order to get Peavy, the Yanks would almost assuredly have to give up Phil Hughes. Now, Cashman and the Yanks were reticent about giving up Hughes last year for Johan Santana, so it is hard to believe that the Yankee brass would be more willing to talk about such a deal in regards to Peavy, but let's look at why they may consider such a trade. First, a lot of people, including Hank Steinbrenner, have publically questioned whether the non-move for Santana was the right thing to do, with most believing it was not. If Hughes were the main sticking point in a deal for Peavy, would Cashman and other Hughes supporters be able to fend off Hank and his Tampa contingent this time around? It seems unlikely.

Also, Hughes has shown a disturbing trend towards injury, and while his youth makes such a trend less of a concern, the Yanks don't want to end up with their own personal Mark Prior. Money also plays a factor in these decisions. Cashman has insisted that the price tag for Santana, in terms of talent and money, was just too high. With Peavy, the 27-year-old former CY Young award winner is signed through 2012 for an incredibly reasonable price. Peavy will be owed $11 million next year, $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011 and $17 million in 2012. Think about that. One of the best pitchers in baseball would essentially cost the Yanks what would amount to a Carl Pavano-esque contract. Peavy would also certainly come cheaper than say AJ Burnett, who is reportedly looking for a 5-year deal averaging about $15 million per year.

Trading for Peavy would also provide the Yanks with enough financial flexibility to still pursue their free agent targets. $52 million over 4 years, with a $22 million option for 2013, wouldn't be an obstacle if the yanks wanted to pursue CC Sabathia. Imagine the Yanks walking into next season with Sabathia, Peavy, Wang, Chamberlain and Pettitte as their starting five? You would be hard pressed to find one better in all the majors, and the team's top four would all be under 30. Not too shabby.

Now, why would the Yanks and Padres NOT do this deal?

First, it is unclear what the Padres would want in return for Peavy. You would assume Hughes would be a must, but the Padres have good some good arms, including Chris Young. What the team seems to desperately need is position players and potential impact offensive talent. The only player the Yanks have in the system that seems to fit that profile is Austin Jackson, and it is hard to imagine the Yanks giving both he and Hughes up in the same package.

Also, while Peavy is certainly one of the premier pitchers in the game, you COULD make the case that, given a little maturity and seasoning, Hughes could attain Peavy status. Santana (and Sabathia for that matter) were unique in that they are young, power pitching lefty handers with playoff experience and Cy Young awards to back them up. Plus, both spent the majority of their careers in the AL, so the East wouldn't be a shock to the system. Hughes showed renewed stuff at the end of the season this year, throwing harder with a sharper curve and a very good cutter that seemed to keep hitters off balance. If he stays healthy, the Yanks could make the case that Hughes and Peavy are very similar, and Peavy's lack of AL experience is a huge factor to overcome. The Yanks have been burned by former NL pitchers coming to the AL before and have been reluctant to go down that road.

Finally, while the Yanks certainly must address pitching, it is obvious they need significant help on the field as well. It is hard to imagine the Yanks having enough faith in Brett Gardner to hand him center field next year and Brian Cashman has already gone on record stating that he wants a first baseman that can play the position every day, which would seem to end the Jason Giambi era. The Yanks will certainly make a play for Mark Teixiera, trying to fill that void using only money, but if they can't, it would seem the Yanks will be forced to use some prospects to address either center or first with a big bat. Would it make more sense to throw money at Sabathia, Burnett and Derek Lowe and hope to land two of the three, keeping all their prospects in tact to deal for a bat? That's a possibilty.

In the end, I have a feeling the Yanks are still committed to Hughes for the long term and are looking to fill most of their holes with some big contract offers. I could see Sabathia and Burnett coming, the Yanks making a trade for a solid yet unemarkable first baseman, and handing center over to Brett Gardner with the hope that, if he doesn't succeed, outfield prospect Austin Jackson could be ready for promotion at some point in 09. I think big trades involving big prospects will pretty much be out of the question, but I believe the Peavy rumors are worth keeping an eye on. If the Yanks are going to be willing to trade Hughes for anyone, it might just be for Peavy given his age and contract status.