Boston finally made a good move and it wasn’t getting Coco Crisp. Former Florida Marlins shortstop Alex Gonzalez will patrol the middle of the diamond in Boston. This should have happened a month ago, but the lure of possibly getting Miguel Tejada held that up.

Defensively, the Red Sox are a lot better with the signing of Gonzalez, who is still gold glove caliber. Newly acquired Mike Lowell also has a nice a glove at third, while J.T. Snow is still as good as it gets across the diamond.

Good move signing Gonzalez, which comes while the ink is still drying on last week’ deal with Cleveland. The Indians sent Crisp, reliever David Riske and backup catcher Josh Bard to Boston in exchange for setup man Guillermo Mota and prospects Andy Marte and Kelly Shoppach.

Crisp is a nice player, but was he worth parting with two prospects? Some in the Indians’ organization believe Marte is one of the top prospects in the game and Shoppach has nice upside behind the plate. Granted Shoppach didn’t figure to get a chance right away, with Jason Varitek around for the foreseeable future.

This looks more like a reaction then a good move.

While Boston got Crisp to fill the void left by departure of Johnny Damon, Cleveland acquired Jason Michaels, from Philadelphia to replace Crisp in left. Michaels will put up some good numbers, playing everyday in that lineup.

In return, the Phillies got lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes. Good deal for both sides.

The Phillies now have Rhodes and Tom Gordon to work the eighth and ninth innings. Considering the money they saved by not bringing back Billy Wagner, this is a great deal (The Mets overpaid for another player).

But while that deal makes sense the Jim Thome for Aaron Rowand deal is still a head-scratcher. Defensively, the Phills are now solid up the middle with Jimmy Rollins (SS), Chase Utley (2B) and Rowand.

And they got Rowand for Thome whom they would have dealt for a box of baseballs. After signing the big deal with the Phills, Thome got a little soft, especially when it came to junk food.

Look for Shane Victorino to make a splash this year in Philly. The 25-year old prospect should make the team out of spring training. He can hit.

The Phills are playoff team in 2006.

BUYING TIME IN L.A.

Dealing for Vicente Padilla was a good move by the Texas Rangers, but signing Kevin Millwood for five years at 11 Million-plus is a little questionable. Millwood did lead the American League in E.R.A. in 2005, but can be a rotation’s top gun? Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland and now the Rangers are hoping that he can be. But did they overpay? Yes.

When Johnny Damon signed with the Yankees, Boston suddenly had some money to spend and the potential target was Millwood. 9 Million per would have been a little pricey, but he would look pretty good as Boston’s No. 3 or No. 4, behind the likes of Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling. Again, that was still a sizeable number when you consider that Boston let Pedro Martinez walk for similar money.

But the Rangers desperately need pitching and the addition of Millwood makes them a more viable contender in the A.L. West. Hopefully this signing will work out better than Chan Ho Park.

The Florida Marlins haven’t limited their fire sale to American soil. The fish sent infielder Joe Dillon to the Yomiuri Giants for cash.

Nice move by Minnesota, picking up Rondell White. Last year the Twins were unable to keep pace with the Chicago White Sox because their offense wasn’t producing. They did lose Jacque Jones (signed with the Cubs), but the addition of White and Tony Batista give the Twins a little more punch in the middle of the lineup. And they acquired Luis Castillo to fill the hole at second base.

It’s hard for San Francisco Giant fans to watch the hated Dodgers continue to make moves, most notably, the signing of Brett Tomko. You just know that Tomko will beat the Giants in a big game this season.

What’s most difficult for Giant fans is that the architect of the new-look Dodgers is one of their own. Brian Sabean’s right-hand man Ned Colletti took over in L.A. and arguably knows Tomko better than any other GM. Imagine Theo Epstein resurfacing in the Bronx.

Tomko, who has the stuff to be a No. 2, but has lacked consistency, will round out the Dodgers rotation. That’s depth!

Beyond Tomko, Colletti has brought in the likes of Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra, Kenny Lofton and Bill Mueller, while dealing away the headache that is Milton Bradley.

Colletti’s goal is to plug the holes and let the younger talent develop. Names like Andy LaRoche are still a year or two away from being able to contribute at the major league level so signing veterans for short-term deals will give the youth more time.

And it’s not like the Dodgers are bringing in dead weight. Furcal is still an All-Star. Garciaparra hit well after his return to the Cubs lineup and Mueller and Lofton are still tough outs.

And in case you missed it… Former Montreal Expo, Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox closer Jeff Reardon was arrested for apparently trying to rob a jewelry store. Do you think this will hinder his already slim hopes of getting a call from Cooperstown?

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for ex-Red Sox with beards.

ABBREVIATED ROCKET LAUNCH?

This coming Tuesday could present teams with a number of additional options. Dec. 20 is the deadline offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players. There aren’t any franchise-changing players out there, but there is one intriguing name.

The much-maligned Corey Patterson could be out there for anyone to sign. The acquisition of Juan Pierre from the Marlins, ended Patterson’s days in centerfield. Now it remains to be seen if it ended his days in Chicago.

Patterson came up with a world of talent and he still has a lot of potential, but his high-strikeout numbers have many in the Windy City soured on the former prized prospect. The Cubs would love to deal him before Tuesday.

Other intriguing potential non-tenders include Jason Phillips (Dodgers) and Gil Meche (Mariners). Phillips did a really job behind the plate for the Dodgers last season, after being a part-time player with the Mets. If the Mariners sign Jarrod Washburn, Meche could become expendable. He, much like former Giants pitcher Brett Tomko, should get interest from more than a few teams.

Here’s an interesting thought…

Roger Clemens' agent Randy Hendricks told the Boston Globe that Clemens is considering the idea of playing a partial season to balance family demands in Texas. How about a scenario where Clemens shows up in Boston after the All-Star break?

Think about that. In each of the last two seasons Clemens has had mind-boggling numbers in the first half of the season. The second halves have been impressive, but not as dominating. And he’s not getting any younger.

With his workout regiment, there is no question that he would arrive ready to go. An abbreviated spring training in June/July and then off to Boston for final two-plus months of the season?

Talk about a power staff. Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Clemens? That would be scary in October.

ARMS RACE

The Texas Rangers let one arm go, but acquired another.

Not long after Kenny Rogers signed with the Detroit Tigers, Texas announced the deal, which brought Vicente Padilla from the Philadelphia Phillies. Padilla started slow last season and there was speculation that he would be dealt to a contender before the July 31 trading deadline. But the Phillies remained a contender themselves and Padilla started to pitch much better, after the All-Star break. Nevertheless, he was sent packing.

A change of scenery and reuniting with Buck Showalter and pitching coach Mark Connor might be just what the 28-year old right-hander needs.

A change of venue is exactly what Kenny Rogers needed. Despite making the American League All-Star team, the left-hander could not escape the highly publicized run in (or run over) with a television cameraman.

Back to the city of Brotherly Love, where there is talk of a deal between the Phills and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Los Angeles Times reported that the Dodgers are interested in third baseman David Bell, and the teams have discussed a deal involving reliever Duaner Sanchez and prospects.

Unfortunately, David Bell’s best days are behind him. He signed a multi-year deal with Philly after helping San Francisco to the World Series in 2002, but according to one source, “his body has broken down.”

The Phillies would love to move Bell, but it wasn’t believed that there would be a lot interest. It’s all about needs and the Dodgers need a third basemen. Thus the reason that Bill Mueller’s name has surfaced recently. Getting a young arm like Sanchez and “prospects” would be a steal for Philly.

TRADING PLACES

After making some “off-the-radar” moves to sure up the bullpen, the San Francisco Giants have signed coveted free agent pitcher Matt Morris. The Giants, who were intent on adding another arm to the rotation, were looking hard at both Morris and the Angels’ Jarrod Washburn. The reported multi-year deal is worth about 27 Million.

Morris essentially replaces Brett Tomko, who was not offered arbitration by the Giants, and figures to be a No. 3 starter behind Jason Schmidt and lefty Noah Lowry (and No. 4 starter Matt Cain) When the Giants met the Cardinals in the 2002 National League Championship Series, Morris was the Cardinals ace and he pitched a gem in the eventual game-five clincher. He joins another former Cardinal in San Francisco, catcher Mike Matheny.