You can say that Rodriguez is just as likely or more to do like Drew and leave than he is to emulate Aramis and stay. But there is one gigantic difference that hasn't been mentioned yet.

If Rodriguez were to vacate his $252 million Texas contract and leave the Yankees after the 2007 season, the biggest winner would be Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who is paying about a third of A-Rod's current contract. Such a move would save Hicks about $29 million. Maybe someone overwhelms A-Rod to the point where Hicks' $29 million gift seems like chicken feed. But the much more likely scenario has Rodriguez and the Yankees figuring out how to make Hicks' money continue to work for them.

That means the smart money says Rodriguez stays where he is.

The peddling of Pavano?

	Carl Pavano has made a total of 17 starts for the Yankees since signing a four-year deal before the 2005 season. AP
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There were multiple benefits to the Yankees recently trotting out Carl Pavano for a media conference call. One is that it caused Pavano to finally have to do a little work for them (hey, they've got to get something for their 40 million semolis). A second benefit is that it may have short-circuited a run of negative Pavano stories this spring. Yet a third is that if the Yankees put him in a good enough light, maybe they can peddle him this spring.

The Rockies' offer for Pavano this winter had the Yankees paying close to $15 million of the $20 million that remains on his regrettable contract. But considering the steep increase in value for mediocre starters (thank you, Gil Meche), one competing executive said that if Pavano shows a semblance of his earlier form this spring, the Yankees might get someone to pay $12-13 million of the contract.

In the meantime, Pavano warmed up for spring with a few whoppers. Here's what he said on the conference call, and what's really the case:

Pavano: "I have a good enough relationship with my teammates where I'm going to go in and act like I'm getting ready for the season and I'm part of the team.'' (Reality: His teammates could not respect him any less.)

Pavano: "I don't think I rubbed anyone the wrong way or disrespected anyone in any way.'' (Reality: He rubbed nearly everyone the wrong way and disrespected the Yankee uniform.)

Pavano: "I've always word hard, but now I work smart.'' (Reality: That paunch he toted around the last two years didn't exactly suggest hard work.'')

Around the Majors

• After marveling here for weeks at the great job agents Greg Landry and Casey Close did to get notoriously average pitcher Meche that $55 million contract with Kansas City, I caught up with Landry on Tuesday to ask him how he did it. In what may be his first public words since doing what might be the deal of the winter, Landry actually credited the Royals for the deal, saying they scouted Meche extensively and understood his "stuff was better than anyone else available." Landry also noted that comfort was a key for Meche. And I can see that. Beyond Meche feeling comfortable in easygoing Kansas City, he's going to be quite comfortable on $11 million per annum (sorry, couldn't resist).

But Landry said the biggest reason the deal came together was that Meche was "totally impressed by the passion and commitment of [Royals GM] Dayton Moore.'' Landry said Meche told him after meeting with Moore, "You know what? I want to be part of that.'' Others have said the same about Moore. Though of course, the contract couldn't have hurt, either.

• An intriguing notation in Chase Utley's new $85 million, seven-year deal is the "Most Favored Nations'' status on his limited no-trade clause. Phillies assistant GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., explained it like this: "If we sign a player, not acquire but sign a player of ours and give a more favorable no-trade provision, [Utley] would be subject to that same provision.'' So in other words, if the Phillies, one of the few teams that's stuck to its guns about not giving out full no-trade provisions, should give Ryan Howard a no-trade provision, they'd then be obligated to give one to Utley, as well. It was a fair compromise that got a mutually beneficial deal done for a player who badly wants to stay where he is.

• Amaro didn't say when they'd sit down to discuss a multi-year megadeal with Howard, but Howard shouldn't take the delay as an insult. As Amaro pointed out, Howard's a year behind Utley in terms of service time. Seeing how agents Landry and Close got $55 million for Meche, the guess here is they get, say $550 million, for Howard (OK, just kidding).

• Until a few days ago, Curt Schilling was retiring. But now he is putting a deadline on the Red Sox to give him the same $13 million (plus incentives) for 2008 that he'll make in 2007. Schilling says if they don't extend him by the end of spring, he won't sign with them during the season and will instead become a free agent. This is one problem with representing oneself: a player retains the ability make an ass of himself.

Of course, some threats have more value than others. In the case of the man they aptly call Schill, well, he's been known to change his mind before.