In the “old days,” Bay might have fetched two advanced “prospects” such as Reid Brignac and Jeff Neimann from the Rays; and Johan Santana might have commanded both Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester from the Red Sox. Not so this year.

It’s probably telling that Oakland’s Billy Beane went from the sell to the buy side in the past year; first trading Haren (and one other player) for six prospects, then “re-trading” two of those prospects plus worn out Huston Street for Matt Holliday.

The As probably took advantage of the young/cheap thing.

Maybe Swisher was a case of jettisoning a guy perceived as a square peg to make room for the sticker shock.

Dempster might be the only case of a “home town discount” in recorded history. Just like Beane though, it was a FO managing risk.

Affeldt is a debatable issue. You like him a whole lot more than others might.

The Olsen/Willingham and Crisp deals were really more meh than bell weather transactions.

I’m not sure it’s a buyer’s market rather than a market where FO’s are lining up at the river’s edge waiting for the first wildebeest to jump into the crocodile hoard…

Then again with the economy imploding (season ticket sales can’t be expected to be all that rosey) and the emphasis being placed on youth, maybe we will see a jaw-jarring market correction.

Will you be penning articles about the bargains represented by the Sheets and CC signings? That would be something!