Intrigue can't hide these big issues in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS -- The intrigue is like something from one of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux detective novels. Deep and Cajun-flavored. The re-tooling New York Yankees are being so secretive that owner George Steinbrenner has barred anybody from the organization from even attending baseball's annual winter meetings that begin here today.

So general manager Brian Cashman is home working the telephones, talking to executives from the other 29 clubs. All of whom are ... here, in one place, meeting and prowling in a hotel decked out with festive Christmas decorations. They whisper over in the corner. They hunker down at tables next to the Perks coffee shop in the hotel lobby. They speak while sweating in the workout room.

And there is a gumbo-sized bowl of issues to digest until these meetings break up Monday ...

1. The $200 million-plus trade

The Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers ownership groups continue to meet and discuss the Alex Rodriguez-for-Manny Ramirez trade. Both clubs want a resolution quickly, preferably by the time they leave New Orleans, because they need to get on with the business of setting up the rest of their rosters.

Talks continue to swirl over whether the Red Sox will be able to acquire Alex Rodriguez. (Getty Images)

Texas owner Tom Hicks continues to insist that Boston pick up the rest of Rodriguez's $252 million deal plus kick in some $5 million a year to boot, so the Rangers can go out and get some free-agent pitching. The Red Sox are balking.

"It may be that (Rodriguez) will be the Rangers shortstop," Scott Boras, the agent who brokered A-Rod's "partnership" with Texas, said Friday morning in the Marriott lobby here. "I don't know if he will be anybody else's shortstop. We haven't heard much about that lately."

Boras says he is not involved now and talks between the two ownership groups are ongoing.

"The status is, I assume the two owners are talking," Boras said. "They have been talking. I don't know much more than that ...

"There's a positive and negative side for both sides in this deal. Both teams have got to put a plan in place soon. The timetable has to be rapid."

Sources close to Hicks remain skeptical that the deal will get done because of the Rangers' financial demands on Boston. That might be true, but Red Sox officials privately remain very interested in Rodriguez. Everybody wants the deal to happen -- Boston, Texas and Rodriguez -- and now it's a matter of seeing how creative the Red Sox and Boras can be in re-structuring A-Rod's contract and deferring some money so that Boston isn't shelling out an average of $25 million a year.

That, however, is far more complicated than it sounds.

"There's an 'additional benefits rule' the union has in place," Boras said. "If a player does something with his contract (such as agree to defer money), there has to be additional benefits to the player."

2. The Nomar Garciaparra problem

The Red Sox will have to fix their relationship with Nomar Garciaparra if they keep him. (Getty Images)

Obviously, the Red Sox need a landing strip for Nomar Garciaparra in another city if they acquire A-Rod. This is a very sensitive situation, because if the A-Rod deal falls through, there is some serious repair work that must be done to the Boston-Garciaparra relationship before the 2004 season.

Likely, the only way that happens is by the Red Sox turning around and making a multiyear contract offer that will make Nomar smile and forget any hard feelings. But with agent Arn Tellem and owner John Henry trading insults this week, that's going to be awfully tricky to negotiate.

Anaheim and Los Angeles remain in play for Garciaparra, with the Dodgers possibly offering left-handed pitcher Odalis Perez and Anaheim perhaps offering lefty Jarrod Washburn. Angels sources say they are not actively pursuing a Garciaparra trade, but they certainly are listening when Boston calls. Who wouldn't?

3. The $30 million man march

With a few issues still to be ironed out, Kevin Brown is likely headed to the Yankees. (Getty Images)

Though the Dodgers-Yankees trade sending Kevin Brown to New York for right-hander Jeff Weaver, a couple of prospects and cash is essentially done (Brown gave his tentative approval for the deal Friday), it might not become final until next week. Boras and the Yankees are working on some final details surrounding the contract, and as of Friday morning, the physical examination Brown must undergo before the trade is done had not been scheduled.

Still, those final contract details are not expected to hold things up. Boras, Brown's agent, said the pitcher has agreed to waive his right to veto the trade and will not hold out for a buyout of the no-trade clause. The final contract deals are along the lines of a ticket package Brown had with the Dodgers for his family, and how to transfer that over to New York. The money stuff remains clean: The Yankees will inherit the $30 million owed Brown over the next two seasons.

Though some think the Dodgers will turn around and flip Weaver to another club in a deal, Los Angeles sources are indicating they likely will keep the right-hander.

4. Baltimore's Confederate money

Javy Lopez might come a little cheaper for the Orioles than NLCS MVP Ivan Rodriguez. (Getty Images)

No, the once-proud Orioles really are offering real greenbacks to free agents. But that term is difficult to resist since the Orioles have been unable to give their money away over the past couple of winters, so much so that one executive once said it was as if the Orioles were offering "Confederate money."

It could be the same this year. The Orioles are said to be holding extensive discussions with several free agents: catchers Javy Lopez and Ivan Rodriguez, outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and shortstop Miguel Tejada.

The top two on the O's wish list are Lopez and Guerrero. They had a long, slow dance with Pudge last winter but wound up spurned in the end. And Lopez figures to be cheaper than Pudge. At least for now.

5. These guns for hire: Maddux, Pudge, Vladdy, etc.

Most of the tremors this winter have been caused by trades. Curt Schilling to Boston. Javier Vazquez and Brown to the Yankees. Richie Sexson to Arizona. The possible A-Rod-to-Boston deal.

Vladimir Guerrero is the biggest free-agent prize, but where he lands is anyone's guess. (Getty Images)

The biggest free-agent deals have been Andy Pettitte fleeing the Bronx for Houston, Bartolo Colon signing with Anaheim and Gary Sheffield verbally agreeing to don Yankees pinstripes. As for what's next, the market continues to move slowly and look soft. Few big-money offers are out there.

Guerrero might be the most talented player on the market. Baltimore is very interested. Anaheim and Los Angeles both have expressed interest, though the Angels have signed Colon and Kelvim Escobar and don't have endless finances (even though new owner Arte Moreno sure seems to be a player).

There is some thought that Guerrero could wind up in Los Angeles because of his relationship with Dodgers manager Jim Tracy, a former Expos coach. The Dodgers already have failed in their efforts this winter to obtain Sexson and Derrek Lee (traded to the Cubs from Florida), and with the money freed up from trading Brown, they must do something to improve their wretched offense. They have inquired about free-agent first baseman Travis Lee.

St. Louis, according to sources, might have moved into the lead position to sign Maddux -- though that race remains fairly open for now. Los Angeles and San Francisco remain possibilities, too. San Diego once was interested, but now the Padres appear to be going in other, less expensive directions.

Pudge Rodriguez and Javy Lopez remain in play, with Baltimore tracking each.

6. Atlanta: Subtracting Maddux, Sheffield and Lopez

The Braves, whacking their payroll down to $80 million, need a right fielder to replace Sheffield and could go after Reggie Sanders, Jose Cruz Jr. or Juan Gonzalez. At this point, Guerrero appears too expensive.

Kevin Millwood, the free-agent right-hander, could return to Atlanta, though since Philadelphia offered him arbitration, he could decide to accept that and price himself out of the Braves' market for '04.

7. AL Central: Shrinking

Minnesota has traded catcher A.J. Pierzynski and starting pitcher Eric Milton and lost relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado to free agency. The White Sox suffered a big blow when Colon signed with Anaheim.

Both AL Central contenders must re-tool. Minnesota still could end up trading Jacque Jones, who's getting married Saturday, to Atlanta or San Diego. The Twins need pitching. The White Sox need pitching.

So do more than half of the other 28 clubs. And the biggest shopping weekend of the season is just beginning.