WINTER ACTION

Although Small Ball slumbers while the days are short, major league baseball never sleeps. I read today about some exciting and alarming trade deals.

The Giants have already released Brett Tomko (I think I predicted that way back in the spring) and aging star first-baseman J.T. Snow. I didn't think the Giants had the courage to let go one of their most popular players, a dugout boon and all around solid player. But J.T. Snow isn't at the top of his game anymore, and with the Giants in Suckville, they can't afford to coddle ol' Snow. I'll miss him tremendously. He was a terrific public personality as well as a very reliable player. I'd almost rather he retire than go to some lesser organization, but that's up to him, now, isn't it?

The Nationals -- shockingly -- traded away my favorite of their team-members: Brad Wilkerson. I asked my dad for a #7 jersey for Christmas because I'm so fond of Wilkerson. What do they do? They trade him, along with Termel Sledge and a minor-league pitcher, for Alfonso Soriano of the Rangers. Since I never followed the Rangers, I can't really comment on the hype that surrounds Soriano's descent on the nation's capital. But after disappointing performances last year from Junior Spivey and, more importantly, Preston Wilson, each of whom was supposed to bring some needed power to the lineup, I don't have much faith in this thin trade. The Nationals need to fill the hole left by pitcher Esteban Loaiza. And they need to get out from under the thumb of MLB-ownership by finding a permanent GM and figuring out how to proceed with Frank Robinson (whose contract expired on Halloween).

Great news over in Chicago. The Cubs released Nomar Garciappara (sniffle!) and Jeromy Burnitz (who appears in Small Ball's very masthead in his pre-Cubs life -- sniffle!). That's not the great news. The great news is that they got Juan Pierre from the Marlins as their lead-off hitter. I'm no Marlins fan, but I recognize a formidable, dangerous, valuable player when I see one. Pierre is going to bring a lot of smackdown oomph to the Cubs. With this trade alone, 2006 will be an interesting test of whether it's time for the Cubs, like the last two years of Curse Breakers, to shine in the sun.