June 29

That Bartolo Colon went to Montreal stunned some, and one Boston talk-show host even concocted a conspiracy theory that would have made James Garrison chuckle.

"I had said all along that if we were at .500 at the All-Star break we would try to improve this club," said Expos GM Omar Minaya. "By last weekend, it was obvious we could have somewhere between 45 and 48 wins by the break, so we wanted to go for it as long as it could work financially. That's what we did, which for once and for all should leave no doubt that we have the ability and the freedom to make moves."

	It remains to be seen whether Jim Thome will be part of the rebuilding project in Cleveland or gets traded away.

No place were people more stunned than in Cleveland, where other than journeyman Lee Stevens -- whose inclusion in the deal was simply to make the salaries wash for the rest of this season -- fans have been used to the big names of Albert Belle and Robby Alomar and Jim Thome and had never heard of Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee or Grady Sizemore (the three minor-league players acquired along with Stevens for Colon).

"(Detroit president and GM) Dave Dombrowski called me after (the trade) was announced," said Indians GM Mark Shapiro. "He knew the players, because he was talking to Omar (about Jeff Weaver). He knows about making deals like this because of his Florida experience. He told me, 'You just have to accept the fact that the public won't like it,' and I knew that. But there are times when business decisions have to be made, and we made a speculatory deal based on our attempts to be on the way back up and contending in 2004."

In 2004, Colon was not going to be an Indian, and while he is one of the handful of best and most durable front-of-the-rotation starters in the game, he was probably not going to get the Indians into the playoffs this season, not with the injuries the team has sustained.

Cleveland ownership is seeing attendance drop from 3.3 million last year to 2.5 million this season, and is willing to sustain another drop under 2 million next season to get the team set for the long -- not short and popular -- haul. Jim Thome may, or may not, be around in 2004.

"I want to be, and I am absolutely willing to shoulder the responsibility of being there to help build those young players into winners," Thome said Thursday. On Friday, Thome sat down with Shapiro and told him he wanted to play out the season in Cleveland -- partly because he genuinely loves Cleveland and partly because of his wife's pregnancy. In turn, Shapiro told Thome that once he hits the market at season's end and determines his value, the Indians would like a last shot, to which Thome replied, "That's what I want."

These are not and cannot be the Indians of the 1995-98 run that got to two World Series (in '95 and '97) and won their only five postseason series (two in '95, two in '97 and one in '98) since 1948. The farm system was drained by years of trading Brian Giles, Richie Sexson and Jeromy Burnitz for pieces to the playoff puzzle. What made things worse was that after trading Robby Alomar because he would have been gone after 2002, Alex Escobar tore up his knee in spring training and Matt Lawton's shoulder is so bad that he can barely lift his arm above his head. Then Travis Fryman hit the wall, Ricky Gutierrez was a bust, Milton Bradley got hurt ... and each night fans didn't even want to know who was playing in the field once patrolled by Belle, Kenny Lofton and Manny Ramirez.

"I thought Mark made a tremendous trade," says Atlanta GM John Schuerholz. "We love Brandon Philips and think he's going to be a star middle infielder." One NL club's Double-A Eastern League scout has Lee as the best pitching prospect in that league, and likely ready to step into the big leagues next spring. "For what Mark has to do building for 2004, he made a brilliant trade," says Oakland GM Billy Beane. "He got the right players."

"Obviously, I've researched these trades, and know they are huge risks," says Shapiro. "The two best were the Randy Johnson trade, when the Mariners got Carlos Guillen, Freddy Garcia and John Halama, who all contributed the next season. That was an amazing deal. The Chuck Knoblauch deal (before the '98 season) was another good one (Cristian Guzman, Eric Milton, Brian Buchanan); Terry Ryan went and got Guzman out of A-ball when no one had heard of him. But look at the Pedro Martinez deal (Nov., 1997). Tony Armas is pitching well, but Carl Pavano's in the minors, and it's five years later."

	“	Leadership is making tough, difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. Hopefully, the tough decisions we have made were the right decisions. And hopefully we'll find enough creativity to keep Jim Thome. ”
		— Mark Shapiro, Indians GM

The Colon trade is different than the forced fire sales in Florida (Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Gary Sheffield/Mike Piazza, Robb Nen, Matt Mantei, Livan Hernandez and Moises Alou, for which the Marlins now have Brad Penny, A.J. Burnett, Preston Wilson, Derrek Lee and Vladmir Nunez), San Diego (which netted Trevor Hoffman, Andy Ashby and Brad Ausmus for Sheffield, Fred McGriff, Bruce Hurst and Greg Harris) or Montreal (John Wetteland, Marquis Grissom and John Wetteland were given away after the 1994 strike).

Shapiro had a window of a year until Colon's free agency was staring him in the face, but as Minaya says, "Bartolo was worth more to us now because we have him for next season."

By 2004, the Indians hope to have Phillips at second base and Omar Vizquel at shortstop, with defensive master John McDonald -- who Red Sox manager Grady Little and Indians hitting coach Eddie Murray believe will hit -- as a third middle infielder. They have a promising defensive catcher in Josh Bard and a switch-hitting offensive catcher named Victor Martinez, both of whom should be in Cleveland in two years. They will have Lawton, Escobar, Ben Broussard, Ryan Church and Bradley in the outfield. Corey Smith will also be knocking on the door at third in two years.

And as Shapiro searches for more position players in deals, there should be a good young staff in place by 2004: C.C. Sabathia, Danys Baez, Ryan Drese are all on the big-league staff now; add to that Lee, minor-league lefties Brian Tallet, Billy Traber and Alex Herrera, first-round pick Jeremy Guthrie ... with all the pitchers they signed from last year's draft now in Double-A.

"Leadership," says Shapiro, "is making tough, difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. Hopefully, the tough decisions we have made were the right decisions. And hopefully we'll find enough creativity to keep Jim Thome." In a market entirely driven by ballpark revenues, one closer to 20th in market size than many appreciate, tough decisions will be the norm.

Then there's the Montreal side. "One of our radio guys said on the air that after this trade and the way we've played, if the fans don't turn out, no one will feel sorry for Montreal when the Expos leave," says Minaya. "There is a small core of some very loyal fans. Maybe now it will catch on. I'm not saying this team is yet as good as the one in '94 (which was the best in the business), but it's where that team was in '93." If they're contracted, there's a lot of talent to go to the remaining teams. If they're sold and move, which is more likely, a contending, talent-laden team is going to bring the 29 owners of the Expos a lot more cash.

And Minaya isn't stopping there. "He's going to make a couple of other deals, probably with Detroit and Texas," says a GM. "Omar's moving."

"I don't know if we can catch Atlanta or the wild card," says Minaya. "But we'd be crazy not to try. Remember, we got a late start, so it took us until almost May to get our team in the right place. (Manager) Frank Robinson and the staff have done an incredible job."

"I look at their talent and the way they play at home on the turf and the addition of Colon makes them very tough," says Braves manager Bobby Cox. That pitching is pretty darned good. They've got two legitimate No. 1 starters in Javier Vazquez and Colon. Few teams can say that."

Who are the top starters in innings pitched per start in the majors? Vazquez, Randy Johnson, Colon and Curt Schilling. Armas is a solid No. 3 starter.

And "Tomo Ohka," says Minaya, "has been our best, most consistent starter."

Scott Stewart (nine saves) and T.J. Tucker (four saves) have been solid in closing games. Vladimir Guerrero, Jose Vidro, Orlando Cabrera and Michael Barrett are All-Star level players. And Fernando Tatis has been in the past while Brad Wilkerson is a blossoming, disciplined hitter. For now, Robinson plans to use Andres Galarraga, Wil Cordero and perhaps even Wilkerson at first base.

That Montreal is now a buyer and in the postseason picture, that the Twins are in first place and the Oakland Athletics are on a charge doesn't do much for the owners' hopeless theories. "I think it's a good message that the Commissioner's Office is behind them," says Braves player representative Mike Remlinger.

It would be fascinating to fast-forward to June 29, 2004 and see where the Indians and Expos are. This may be regarded as a watershed trade for both franchises, or it could turn out to be a dogpaddle against the tide.