Dallas dealings

Mark Loretta for Doug Mirabelli: I like it. Mirabelli deserves a shot as a starter, and it wasn't going to happen in Boston. Loretta, despite an injury-riddled 2005, is a great short-term solution at second base while Pedroia gets more seasoning. That, presumably, is the best course of action, unless the Sox trade...

Edgar Renteria for Adrian Marte: This doesn't make as much sense to me. Sure, Renteria had an off year, but moving him for a top prospect? The extended theory, that Marte will be packaged for Julio Lugo and Aubrey Huff, rings a little more true.

Also, so long to Kevin Millar. Maybe I was the last person in Boston who liked the guy, but he was a solid player who smoothed over a lot of tension in the clubhouse. That counts for something, even if your bat starts to fade.

It's all a bit unsettling, however. If these deals all go through, you're infield will feature four new players. That takes time to gel, and could blow up in the Sox's face. This many changes via free agency and trades reeks of recent MLB shopping sprees, like the Orioles in the late 1990's, Tampa Bay's attempt to buy relevancy with Grag Vaughn, Vinny Castilla, and Jose Canseco, and more recently the Steve Phillips Mets.