PUT THE CHAIR DOWN, THEO: In the latest chapter in their century-long crusade to screw the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees today pulled off a three-way trade in which they both rid themselves of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez's excessive contract and prevented Bartolo Colon from landing in Boston. El Duque is the newest member of the Cuban defector community in Montreal, while Colon ended up with the Chicago White Sox (the Yanks got bullpen help in return, in addition to the payroll relief. Like they needed either).
If I were a Red Sox fan my first reaction would be "Casey Fossum BETTER win 20 games this year," because the heretofore not-so-mighty Casey was the one player new Sox GM Theo Epstein refused to give the Expos for Colon. The Sox ending up losing out on both of their pitching acquisition targets for the offseason (Colon and Cuban defector Jose Contreras) and adding insult to injury, apparently untrue rumors were planted in the New York papers (probably from Yankees sources) that Epstein had broken furniture upon hearing that Contreras had chosen to make his major league debut in pinstripes.
With the trade of Duque, the Yankees are now down to a measly seven (7) major league-level starting pitchers (Roger Clemens, David Wells, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettite, Jeff Weaver, Contreras, and Sterling Hitchcock), six of whom are former All-Stars. However, Clemens and Wells are both old, and Hitchcock is always injury-prone, so don't be surprised if the Yankees are in the hunt for more starting pitching at the trading deadline.
Since the White Sox have been as good as anyone at bungling things the past few years, I see them as virtually no threat at all to my Twins in the AL Central- and if Colon-to-the-Yankees rumors don't start popping up by the All-Star Break, I'll be shocked.