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As recently as 2003, Boston was 27th in Baseball America's rankings, and the Yankees were 27th in 2004.
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"It makes it difficult," said Oakland president and GM Billy Beane, whose club made a serious charge at the Yankees and Red Sox in the early 2000s but now is entering yet another rebuilding phase. "It used to be a situation where the Oaklands and Minnesotas could take players who weren't higher priced, and the bigger market teams would wait until they'd get high-priced.
"But now, if they're taking the high-priced players and the low-priced players, they can X you out of the equation."
Detroit, which projects as one of the game's superpowers this summer in large part because owner Mike Ilitch has significantly increased his spending, opened its wallet for Porcello and recently has mined its rich farm system for short-term benefit as well: Dombrowski, seeing a window of opportunity to win now after his Tigers reached the 2006 World Series, has been aggressive in trading prospects.
In acquiring Gary Sheffield from the Yankees before the 2007 season, he sent three youngsters to the Bronx, including big pitcher Humberto Sanchez, who had started the Futures' Game two Julys ago. Sanchez was part of Cashman's blueprint to stockpile young pitching, but the pitcher sat out last season following Tommy John ligament transfer surgery.
Then, Dombrowski dealt five prospects to Florida -- including prized pitcher Andrew Miller and center fielder Cameron Maybin -- for Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in December.
One-time superpower Baltimore, meanwhile, is on the opposite end. The Orioles, almost certainly headed for an 11th consecutive losing season, are light years behind the Red Sox and Yankees because of spending recklessly and carelessly in the free-agent market for too long while allowing the farm system to wither.
New Orioles boss Andy MacPhail received 10 prospects in trade this winter for shortstop Miguel Tejada and ace Erik Bedard, seven of them pitchers, "because we know that to win in our division, we have to have really good pitching 1-through-11, or 1-through-12," he says.
Of course, no matter how highly touted they are, prospects still come with an inherent risk. One-time Yankees phenom Ricky Ledee became a journeyman outfielder. Pitcher Brandon Claussen was the key player for Cincinnati when the Yankees acquired Aaron Boone, and he flamed out.
And remember third baseman Drew Henson? He bombed so badly as a baseball player that there are still folks who swear the only reason the Yankees drafted him and paid him a huge signing bonus was to steal him away from the University of Michigan, where he was about to become the starting quarterback. Owner George Steinbrenner, an Ohio native, is an Ohio State fan.
"I certainly think it's a winnable battle. I wouldn't call it a scary proposition," Coonelly said. "There's still a lot of pressure in those markets to acquire major league talent and move prospects. Look at the Santana trade to the Mets."
But the trickle-down effect when the Yankees or Red Sox -- or, heaven forbid, both -- operate with a sound plan is two-fold: When they scout, evaluate and develop players so well, not only does it help make them stronger at the big league level, it also creates a tougher environment for everyone else.
"For us to create deals, we start trading young players even sooner than we used to now," Beane says. "A case in point is Dan Haren and Nick Swisher."
The A's traded Haren, 27, to Arizona over the winter despite the fact that he started the All-Star Game last summer. They dealt Swisher, also 27, to the Chicago White Sox.
"It forces you to start working the margins more," Beane said.
He paused, grinned widely and chuckled heartily, the blank canvas of a fresh, new season before him.
"Then," he continued, "when it gets to the point where we have no chance, I'll be in St. Bart's."
