Busy off-season yields few big-name deals, sets uncertain stage for 2003

With a mere two weeks before pitchers and catchers report to their Spring Training camps beginning on Feb. 13, teams around the Major Leagues are busy wrapping up their off-season business endeavors. The winter of 2002-2003 has seen enough trades, free agent transactions, and management shakeups to make even the most seasoned baseball fan's head spin. Winter instability aside, 2003 could turn the tables for many of last year's champs and chumps alike.

Coming off of a Cinderella season in which they won the National League pennant for the first time in 13 seasons, the San Francisco Giants have almost completely dismantled their dominant squad. Manager Dusty Baker left the team in November to manage the Chicago Cubs and has been replaced by former Montreal skipper Felipe Alou. Solid second baseman Jeff Kent signed a 2 year, $18 million deal with the Houston Astros and outfielders Reggie Sanders' and Kenny Lofton's contracts were not renewed.

On the mound, the Giants' bullpen remains intact and starting pitchers Jason Schmidt, Kirk Rueter and Livan Hernandez will return as well.

As for the infield, San Francisco will use either utility infielder Edgardo Alfonzo or the underachieving Neifi Perez at second and Pedro Feliz or Alfonzo at third. Veterans Marquis Grissom and Marvin Benard will compete for the right field spot and Ray Durham will now play center.

San Francisco's line-up and managerial overhaul is slightly reminiscent of the Florida Marlins' dump-the-expenses-and-plummet-in-the-standings tactic put into play after their 1997 championship season.

Despite the numerous changes, the Giants still have first baseman J.T. Snow, journeyman catcher Benito Santiago, and omnipresent powerhouse and single-season homerun record-holder Barry Bonds as proven producers in an otherwise questionable lineup. With these key players and the relatively unchanged pitching staff, the Giants hope to avoid Florida's infamous fate.

In other winter transactions, the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies tried to reconfigure their rosters to put themselves in playoff contention in 2003.

Boston's new general manager, Theo Epstein, unloaded underachievers Cliff Floyd and Tony Clark along with closer Ugueth Urbina, stolen base record-holder Rickey Henderson and the sure-handed Rey Sanchez. Epstein's number-conscious philosophy is similar to that of Oakland GM Billy Beane. The A's won the AL West in 2002 and Boston hopes to take a similar path under Epstein's sabermetric management.

In order to help their cause, the Boston Red Sox picked up outfielder Jeremy Giambi for power and second baseman Todd Walker for bench depth. With these additions and a solid remaining core, Boston could push the New York Yankees off their American League East division pedestal.

New York, however, has no intentions of giving up its stranglehold on the AL East. Re-signing starting pitchers Andy Pettitte and future hall-of-famer Roger Clemens, along with the acquisitions of Jose Contreras and Hideki Matsui guarantees that the perennial Yankee juggernaut will march into 2003 in search of its fifth trip to the World Series in the past six years.

Philadelphia acquired former All-Star first baseman Jim Thome from the Cleveland Indians on Dec. 3. The Phillies also picked up right-handed pitchers Josh Hancock from the Red Sox and Kevin Millwood from the Atlanta Braves. Outfielder Rickey Ledee's contract was renewed and manager Larry Bowa's agreement was extended into 2004.

Like Boston, the Phillies would love nothing more than to steal the top spot in their division from a perennial authority. If all goes as planned in Philadelphia and the Braves' dependable, yet aging, pitching staff falters, a new National League East division champ could emerge this year.

Even though trades and other acquisitions have been abundant since November, big names have been hard to come by on the open market. Aside from Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez's move from the Rangers to the Marlins, and Tom Glavine leaving his longtime Atlanta home for the New York Mets, few stars will find themselves in new locations this coming spring.

As with every season, hope springs eternal when players and coaches begin reporting to camp next month. Judging by last season's improbable World Series participants and unlikely stars, the 2003 season could have many similar surprises waiting in the wings.