So in case you haven't heard, the Philadelphia Phillies pulled off quite the ruse late Monday night snagging marquee free agent starting pitcher Cliff Lee away from the clutches of the New York Yankees. The Texas Rangers were also involved in courting Mr. Lee, but Rangers and 'clutches' just didn't seem to go together.

So by my count, that makes a rotation of- in no particular order- Lee, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay,and Roy Oswalt. I'm sorry, the other team is supposed to actually hit?

Everyone knows paper in December and January doesn't always mean rings in October. Hell, ask any Mets fan. However it's hard to fathom any other outcome looking at the rotation. The word on the street is that the Phils are actively shopping Joe Blanton, so that means the fifth starter is up for grabs.

Does anyone care?

Oh, and by the way, that also means that one of those four will probably head to the bullpen if (when) the Phillies advance to the NLCS and do as most teams do- employ a three-man rotation. I'm sure manager Charlie Manuel is complaining about having that to deal with.

That was sarcasm if you weren't paying attention.

Pitching is important to every team, obviously, especially starting pitching. However it's more important to the Phillies because their ball park is more hitter friendly than a freshman coed at a frat party. Quality starting pitching is absolutely essential for the 81 games played at Citizens Bank Park, or as most hitters call it: paradise.

This whole deal has just totally shifted the landscape of Major League Baseball franchises. I mean, when was the last time you heard of someone taking less money to not go to the Yankees? How worse could this offseason go for General Manager Brian Cashman? I mean, I know the team's in different hands now, but if this is a sign of how things are going to go for the new leaders of the Yankees, it seems we're in for quite the train wreck.

So far, the Yankees have re-signed Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, the latter's situation almost mangled into a legitimate PR disaster. Their big signing so far: catcher Russell Martin. Martin's a fine player, but for a team who at least on paper is still counting on Phillip Hughes and A.J. Burnett, losing out on Lee is reminiscent of the 80s when free agents used to only talk to the Yankees to run the price up before signing elsewhere. Except that this deal was for less money and prestige- simply because it wasn't the Yankees.

Throw into the mix the fact that Philadelphia sent Lee packing last offseason in the three team deal that sent Roy Halladay to the Phillies and one has to wonder just what is in that Kool-Aid Ruben Amaro, Jr. is serving.

It must be pretty potent stuff to render the almighty Yankees impotent- now and next season when the recently improved Boston Red Sox look put the nail in the coffin of an impressive era of Yankee dominance dating back to 1996.

Being a Met fan, I'll watch from the sidelines and enjoy the impending disaster.