It's not often that we link to a story that doesn't specifically deal with the Astros, but that's exactly what we'll do this morning.
In Gil LeBreton's column glorification of the Rangers' front office staff (which is admittedly deserved), compared to the soulless evil no-good Yankees, LeBreton makes some payroll numbers fit his purpose:
For the New York Yankees, starting pitcher A.J. Burnett: $16.5 million.
Lance Berkman, acquired at the trade deadline: $14.5 million.
Rangers catcher Bengie Molina: priceless...
...Actually, he was less than priceless because, as part of the July 1 trade, the Giants agreed to pick up Molina's remaining $2 million salary.
Hooray for the Rangers, who got a deadline acquisition to pay off for them! At what point should we note that Berkman was only due $4.8 million of his remaining salary, and the Astros took $4m of that. So...today's Yankees 1B1, thanks to Teixeira's hamstring injury, really cost the Yankees $800,000. But that's not good copy, is it?
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
