More trade winds

The potential deal to send Coco Crisp to Boston took a more definite shape Monday, The Plain Dealer reported.
It appears the Indians are prepared to part with a lot more that originally thought.
Whatever happens, the Phillies appear to be involved.
The Plain Dealer said the Indians and Red Sox have hammered out the parameters of a six-played trade that would send Crisp, David Riske and Josh Bard to Boston for Guillermo Mota, Andy Marte and possibly catcher Kelly Shoppach.
The Indians would then turn around and trade Arthur Rhodes to Philadelphia for Jason Michaels.
As with anything involving the Indians, money is a main factor.
Crisp, who made about $390,000 last year, is arbitration eligible. After hitting .300 last season, he is looking for a significant bump in pay, which he can probably get. Media reports have placed Crisp's worth at around $3 million next year.
Riske was recently signed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, but the longer he stays in the majors, the more he can demand to be paid.
Crisp and Riske are becoming the dreaded "v-word," as in "veteran." Veteran experience equals veteran salary equals too rich for the Tribe's blood, at least among players the Indians might not consider "core players."
Rhodes is 37 and due about $4 million next year, so it should come as no surprise that the Indians would like to jettison his salary. The Plain Dealer reported, however, that the Indians first offered Riske for Michaels, but the Phillies balked. They reportedly asked for Rafael Betancourt, which the Indians, in turn, balked at.
The Indians apparently would like to keep Mota over Rhodes, given the choice, since Mota is 32 and still in his prime baseball years. Even as a lefty, Rhodes might be staring retirement in the face in a couple of years.
If I were manager Eric Wedge, I'd be a bit concerned about losing an important, left-handed piece of my bullpen. But judging by the infrequent use of Scott Sauerbeck down the stretch last year, I am beginning to think Wedge doesn't think much of the lefty-righty matchup philosophy.
(Lefties hit well over .300 against Rhodes last year anyway.)
A healthy Mota would end the hand-wringing about Bob Howry's replacement as well.
So there you have it, at least for today. If everything goes down as scripted, Michaels would platoon in left field with lefty-hitting Todd Hollandsworth, Casey Blake would still man right field, Mota would be Bob Wickman's main set-up man, and Marte would likely open the season as the starting third baseman at Buffalo.
Offensively, the lineup from the sixth spot down would be a question mark next year, and the Indians would be relying heavily on Marte and Ryan Garko to arrive as the cavalry by 2007, meaning another year of "making do" and having no major moves at the July trade deadline. Marte and Garko do have the potential to be tremendous big league hitters, however.