the new season...

has begun and already, the lack of a Commissioner of Baseball is being deeply felt and noticed. The  Boston Red Sox get one of the top 5 hitters in the National League, Adrain Gonzalez-  arguably in the top three all- around players in the NL...for three prospects, headlined by a pitcher with a 5+ era in the minors last season. If he had been a top prospect it is a case of arrested development, his tools project possibly middle of the order---at best, more realistically, he will never be in anyone's rotation for very long.  It is a case of ownership apparently colluding:  picking winners from among friends and colleagues-- a sweetheart deal for Boston, a situation of disillusionment for the fans of San Diego Padres baseball. 

This trade would have been stopped by a real commissioner, would have ordered more value in the trade at least one major league player rated in the top 100 by some objective measure along with elite prospects- Fay Vincent, Bart Giammatti, Bowie Kuhn.  Owners must compete too, otherwise the on-field competition becomes a sham.  Adrian Gonzalez to Boston for three players that will probably never become established regulars nor even regularly on a major league roster...except for a team hopelessly out of competition because of poor talent levels---which is where the Padres seem to be headed.

  What would I have gotten for Adrian Gonzalez? - a prospect like Jesus Montero, one that should have been in the league last year but was owned by a first place team full of high priced veterans. Montero projects to be a superior hitter, he was on in AAA and a broad consensus is in on that part of  his game. .300 +, 20+ HR, lots of RBI.  A pitching prospect like Ivan Nova...who had a 2+ era, a record like 12-4 or so, a fastball in the mid 90 range, and impressed the heck out of us in a call up during a pennant race in the AL east against three of the top offenses in the game- Toronto, Boston, and Tampa. And I'm not done I would also have gotten an experienced player like Brett Gardner who has speed to burn, game changing speed and an incredible upside- if he can learn to bunt and hit slow rollers, improve on the swings that make little flares and the the  gap drives for power. That is what the Yankees would have given for Gonzalez and they don't need a defensive all-star at 1B, they would have to put him in 1B,DH and LF.
Ahh for the days when owners competed with each other and we not satisfied just to bitch about the Yankees while taking their hard earned money... the game needs a commissioner, and no not the pretender and old boy buddy of the anti-Yankee mob- Mr. Selig...we need a real commissioner.