It's the End of the World As We Know It, and They Feel Fine in Pittsburgh

In the last week, the Yankees secured a spare part of no particular value (the remnants of Ichiro) to further overpopulate their outfield, the Dodgers traded a promising pitcher (Nathan Eovaldi) for a high-priced malcontent who can no longer handle short or third or slug like he used to (Hanley Ramirez), and the Pirates -- the Pirates! -- swapped a trio of farmhands for a veteran mid-rotation hurler (Wandy Rodriguez), while the Astros acquired three more prospects for a 30-something pitcher (aforementioned Wandy) who's got to be tired of hurling in vain.

And the Marlins cashed it in, 95 games after mortgaging the franchise with a trio of free agent leaps.

Holy Upside-Down Day, Batman! What's going on here?

The usually-adept Yankees have a long history of plugging last-gasp veterans into limited roles, but it's hard to fathom Ichiro. His .261/.288/.353, 16 of 18 steals and banishment from center field are indicative of his declining skills. I guess the Bombers are expecting a 65-game rebound from him to cushion the loss of Brett Gardner.

The rejuvenated Dodgers are banking on a change in scenery for Ramirez, who was aggrieved by the signing of Jose Reyes that displaced him at short and left him scuffling like it was 2011. Still just 28, he has spent 180 games hitting .245 and losing 200 points of OPS from his '06-'10 peak. A $30 million L.A. gamble, he's tumbled from cost-controlled, five-tool superstar to below-average, multi-millionaire position-filler. Although he displaces Dee Gordon, an empty uniform at short or Juan Uribe, a sub-replacement lead weight at third, replacing replacement-level performance is hardly worth the trouble.

Meanwhile, Houston and Pittsburgh, two of the saddest sack franchises in baseball, orchestrated a deal that not only benefits both, but is tailor-made for both of them. The Astros had the easy part, converting a quality 33-year-old pitcher of no value to them into a trio of potential future assets. 

In Pittsburgh, the "Welcome Back To Relevance" banner now hangs in PNC Park. A bumper crop on the farm has allowed the team to bolster its rotation for a -- gulp -- playoff run, and two more seasons beyond, with little damage to the future. The 'Stros pick up nearly half the $30 million tab for the Wandy-man, leaving Pittsburgh plenty of room in 2013 to obtain more strategic assets. For Houston, now occupying the Pirates' old position in the pecking order, it's about plowing under this year's crop to prepare the soil for future growth. 

And then there is Miami, which needed all of four months to scuttle its expensive but ill-conceived four-year plan. I wonder how that gaudy new stadium is going to look empty. Well, we'll soon find out.

New York is still World Series favorites, the Dodgers are still a fraud, but now a poorer one, the Marlins are still a mess, but without the daily reminder. The Pirates and Astros are each something new: a contender and a wise investor. It's nice to see.

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