Does the baseball community not read the financial pages?

Does the baseball community not read the financial pages?

I find the disparity between the financial woes of the real world and Major League Baseball to be almost laughable. Here we are, less than a week into free agency and the contract numbers being reported make me shake my head:

- $140 million over six years being offered to C.C. Sabathia by the Yankees

- $52 million over four years to Canadian Ryan Dempster, who re-signed Tuesday with the Chicago Cubs.

- $80 million over five years to A.J Burnett, again from the Yankees.

The Burnett offer is strictly rumour, but in light of the Sabathia deal is not out of the realm of possibility. The report comes just a week after Burnett opted out of his deal with the Blue Jays, leaving behind two years and $24 million.

If true, it will likely bring an end to using Burnett and the Blue Jays in the same sentence ever again, especially with the Canadian dollar now hovering around the 81-cent mark. That's fine because I never thought the Jays had much of a shot to retain Burnett anyway, and as good as his stuff is the Yankees and their fans can cross their fingers every time he toes the rubber. And won't we all enjoy watching his personality play chess with the New York media all season long?

All these numbers beg the question how high can these contracts go? Manny Ramirez is looking for six years and $150 million. The Dodgers have only offered two and $45 million so far. Mark Teixeira has yet to get an offer but you'd have to think the Red Sox will be right in the thick of that. With the ruthless Scott Boras as his agent - as well as Ramirez's - we'll see where this goes. Mike Lowell's health is still up in the air, so the Red Sox moving Kevin Youkilis to third full-time and adding Teixeira at first would give Boston an absolutely ferocious lineup.

Before the start of the 2009 season, it appears that baseball players will be immune to the financial crisis that the rest of us have to endure. We should all be so lucky, eh?

THIS & THAT

- Clearly the Blue Jays don't have it in the budget to sign any of the top-tier free agents on the market, the type of players that make teams contenders. That means that GM J.P. Ricciardi is going to have to peddle some players on his current roster along with prospects to fill the holes, both in the rotation and offensively, something he's been reluctant to do in the past.

- No problem here with Red Sox spark-plug second baseman Dustin Pedroia picking up the American League MVP, but don't confuse him with being the best player in the A.L. in 2008. Of all the players I saw, Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton gets that title.

- New York's other team, the Mets, have been known to throw money around as well, with mixed success. This season they should only be looking to sign one guy: super closer Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez. Landing the 26-year old right-hander, whose Major League-record 62 saves were 20 more than any other A.L. closer last season, would go a long way to removing the bullpen problems that plagued the Metropolitans over the last two season.

- Don't be surprised if the Red Sox jump into the Burnett sweepstakes, not only to try to sign him, but to drive up the price for the Yankees.

- Sad to hear that the Blue Jays lost reliever Kelvin Jimenez - and his career 6.82 ERA - to the White Sox on waivers on Monday. Kelvin Who?