The Futility Infielder

Like a father hinting his children that he didn't need ANOTHER tie this Christmas, Joe Torre recently spoke out in favor of the Yanks paring their crowded rotation. But Torre finds himself now swimming in plaids and (pin)stripes, as the Yanks have purchased yet another expensive accessory to add to his collection: Cuban defector Jose Contreras agreed to a 4-year/$32 million contract last week.

The move leaves the Yanks with six starters under contract, one slated for arbitration, and one on the verge of re-signing. It's also left the Yankees' chief rivals in the AL East and in the Contreras pursuit, the Boston Red Sox, bawling like babies. Sox president Larry Lucchino called the Yankees signing "ludicrous," adding this tart assessment: " The evil empire extends its tentacles even into Latin America."

On the surface, Lucchino's sour-grapes whines might hint at an organization that's reeling. The Sox have bypassed, either by choice or necessity, several big-name free-agents this winter, including Jim Thome, Jeff Kent, Tom Glavine, Edgardo Alfonzo, and their own Cliff Floyd. Their "marquee" signings are bullpen fodder with names like Timlin, Embree, Fox, and perhaps Ramiro Mendoza. A Sox-hater might imagine them muttering who they have to **** to get a star to sign with them. They were reportedly ready to match the Yanks dollar-for-dollar and year-for-year on Contreras, and even made subtle overtures such as hiring former Cuban pitching star Euclides Rojas as bullpen coach and using Cuban legend Luis Tiant as a recruiter. But in the end, the Yanks' allure (and perhaps King George's do-or-die mandate to his front-office troops) won out, and Contreras will wear pinstripes.

Is this a sign that Boston's boy-wonder GM Theo Epstein doesn't carry the clout to close a deal? It's tempting to bash away, but also misguided. Lucchino's embarrasing conduct aside, the Sox are working to position themselves among the more enlightened organizations in the game, hiring sabermetric guru Bill James as an advisor, promoting the savvy Epstein despite his youth, and from owner John Henry on down, talking the kind of clear-headed, analytical talk that makes statheads dewy. They've also exhibited a very definite plan this off-season, and have stuck to it thus far. In the face of insurance companies' unwillingness to back contracts of over three years, the Sox have shied away from long-term deals, which helps not only by keeping payroll down but by avoiding contracts which will becoming albatrosses down the road.

As for the petulance of Lucchino, let's remember a couple of things. First off, the Red Sox were one of twenty-nine teams to ratify the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (the Yankees were the lone dissenter). That CBA includes a mechanism to penalize spend-happy teams in the form of a luxury tax to be phased in over the course of four years. In 2003, payroll over a threshold of $117 million will be taxed at a rate of 17.5 percent; the Yanks current $158 million payroll would mean a tax of $7.2 million. In 2004, the threshold will rise, and the tax will be steeper (22.5 percent, with 30 percent for repeat offenders), and so on. So the corrective mechanism is in place with or without the scolding of schoolmarm Lucchino. The method to King George's madness, if there is one, is that beyond 2003, the Yanks only have Mussina, Contreras, and Weaver signed from among their starters.

Which still doesn't explain what the hell they're doing right now. With a deal to Roger Clemens reportedly imminent, the Yanks will have Clemens, Contreras, Orlando Hernandez, Sterling Hitchcock, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Weaver, and David Wells on their roster. Figure El Duque is as good as gone, because twenty-nine other teams view him as a front-line starter and hey, how many Cuban defectors does a rotation need? Figure Hitchcock will be moved with the Yanks eating most of the salary, because in the end, even saving $2 million will seem attractive to Brian Cashman and company. That still leaves a surplus, and unlike the last offseason, everybody in this puzzle looks to be pretty healthy. Here are a few options:

Peddle Pettitte? The Phillies had been interested early in the offseason, but the addition of Kevin Millwood for a sack of doorknobs has quelled that need. Still, Dandy Andy may be moved if the Yanks can't sign him to a longer deal whose average salary is lower than his current one. Given the Yankee brass' attachment to Pettitte, not a likely possiblity and not a happy day in the Bronx if it happens, but a viable alternative.

Move Moose? No Yankee official or mainstream publication has even uttered those words, but given the long-term money they've got tied up in him and Mussina's erratic performance last season, the thought should cross somebody's mind. Undoubtedly, the Yanks would have to eat a good chunk of that contract, since few other teams could afford him, and they'd have to admit they erred just two winters ago when they made him their marquee pickup. Not bloody likely.

Wait on Weaver? At $4 million, he'd be a bargain in the rotation but an expensive playmate for Steve Karsay down in the bullpen -- more expensive than Mendoza, who he'd essentially replace. A waste of talent and relatively inexpensive youth, but not beyond the pale.

Resist Rocket? The Yanks clearly don't need him at this juncture, just as they didn't need Wells last winter with their rotation seemingly set. But Steinbrenner's sentiment is carrying the day, despite his edict to cut costs. These 40-year-old warhorses are luxuries, and George stands to pay a luxury tax for the privelege of stabling them.

What the Contreras signing does, more likely than not, is get the Yankee front office off the hook in their quest to cut payroll. They've got their work cut out for them just trying to move dead-weight contracts such as Hitchcock, Raul Mondesi, and Rondell White, without Uncle Georgie lavishing Cuban cigars and other expensive imports on them. Any forward progress in reducing payroll will now be a bonus. And given the king's ransom other rotation alternatives looked to cost the Yanks -- cheap talent with bright futures in the form of Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera -- this is still a preferable alternative. It's only money, and if Steinbrenner wants to spend it, by George, let Larry cry a river about that.