Big teams still have moves to make (cont.)

Four teams benefit from megadeal

Cliff Lee was the Phillies best pitcher after coming over from Cleveland last July, and went 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in the postseason. AP

The three-way trade that is sending Halladay and prospects to Philadelphia, Lee to Seattle, and prospects to the Blue Jays seems to benefit all three teams, but a team that wasn't involved directly in the biggest trade of the offseason is a winner, too.

Phillies

GM Ruben Amaro appears to have made magic here. He quickly determined via conversations at the Winter Meetings that he wasn't going to be able to lock up Lee long term (Amaro and Darek Braunecker, Lee's agent, didn't discuss actual figures but the Phillies got the distinct and clear impression there would be no hometown discount, which is no surprise considering Lee is already set for life, is only a year from free agency and is from Arkansas, not Philadelphia). That solidified the idea in his mind that he would try again for Halladay, the first target before he settled for Lee last summer. Halladay had a no-trade clause and a keen interest in going to the Phillies or Yankees, the two perennial winners that train within minutes of his winter home in Oldsmar, Fla., and they figured they could lock him up So Amaro arranged the three-way trade to send three prospects to Toronto and get three from Seattle while switching out Lee for Halladay, who was so thrilled Amaro and his agents got him to his favored Philly that he agreed to come for a very fair and reasonable $60 million over three years on an extension, plus a vesting option for a fourth year. So the Phillies will have Halladay for four instead of Lee for one, lengthening their window for winning. Phillies people figured they recovered comparable prospects, though some say Philippe Aumont is "erratic'' and not quite a comparable for Kyle Drabek. And to top it off, Amaro got the Jays to kick in $6 million.

Mariners

GM Jack Zduriencik is batting about 1.000 in trades since his hiring a little more than a year ago, and this has to be the most popular move. It gives the Mariners a one-two punch that's the best in the game with Felix Heranndez. Lee was spectacular in the postseason last year (4-0, 1.56, and he was even more dominant than that) and makes them the favorites in the AL West.

Blue Jays

Drabek was their biggest target a year ago, and by getting Brett Wallace from Oakland (yes, there were actually four teams involved) for the Phillies' athletic outfield prospect Michael Taylor, they added a big-time hitting prospect, as well. The Yankees were disappointed to have lost out on Halladay with what they considered a better offer. But while they were willing to part with Jesus Montero as the main piece in a package, they declined to include Toronto targets Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes. In the end, Toronto was happy with its deal and its fans were happier to see Halladay go to the NL.

A's

They love Taylor's athleticism and had enough first-base options. While one other team said they saw Taylor as a "fourth outfielder,'' Oakland, which has a keen eye, sees him as a five-tool player.

Around the majors

• The Astros are telling teams Lance Berkman is unavailable. The Red Sox are one team to have inquired.

• The Yankees' talks with Johnny Damon appears to be going slow. He doesn't believe he should have to take a pay cut from the $13 million he made last year after having a terrific season. The Braves, Mariners, Giants and Nationals are seen as possibilities in the even the sides can't work it out.

• The Yankees like Ben Sheets very much but believe Sheets will wait weeks to sign, after he has had a chance to hold a tryout for interested team. So far he's asking for $10-million plus, a price that would only work after he shows he can regain his ace stuff.

• Of Igarashi, the Japanese reliever who's about to go to the Mets, one Japanese scout said, "I've seen him great but he wasn't great last year.''

• Rangers owner Tom Hicks picked the team of Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan to sell the franchise to. Greenberg seems like a nice fellow (I met him briefly at the Winter Meetings) and helped his caused by promising a role to Hicks and a bigger role to Ryan (who is treated like a deity in Texas by the media and constituency) in the new regime. Greenberg now gets a negotiating window to try to close the deal. MLB and several high-ranking executives within the game wanted longtime baseball agent and executive Dennis Gilbert to get the team. Of the three who sought the Rangers, Texan Jim Crane is thought to have the most money, but his approval would have ultimately been jeopardized by his spotty rep among baseball owners by pulling out of an Astros deal.

• Bud Selig's idea to form a marquee committee to suggest on-field improvements isn't a bad one at all. Rather than just assume they are doing everything right, it's better to take a good hard look at the game and enlist the expertise of folks like Tony La Russa, Joe Torre and John Schuerholz to help with the issues of scheduling, umpiring and pace of game. This season's postseason had to put scheduling (Mike Scioscia was right that there were too many off days) and umpiring (that issue is obvious) at the forefront of Selig's thinking. Good call.