MAILBAG: Aug. 20

Q: After a strong first couple of months, Chris Carpenter's performance has deteriorated as he has lost his last seven decisions. Do you think he will eventually rebound and become the 18-game winner and dominant pitcher that yourself and so many others have predicted? As well, do you think he'll be a Blue Jay in the future after five years of marginal improvement? -- Robbie Goldberg, Thornhill, Ontario
Peter Gammons: I have begun to wonder, although I still hope that he can consistently recover the sink on his fastball and his breaking ball. He's been through a couple of rough years and has clearly lost confidence, but he still has a good arm. Maybe he becomes a Shane Reynolds -- a good, but not great, character starter.

Q: Who is your dark horse for winning the whole thing? -- Patrick Hayes, Camilla, Ga.
PWG: The Houston Astros. Their bullpen is so deep, and their young starters have so much life. If the team can just hit the good right-handed pitchers, they are scary.

Q: I remember you mentioned (in a previous article) that Stephen Karp and Joseph O'Donnell would be an excellent group to take over ownership of the the Red Sox. Do you believe they would be the best group? This appears to be a decision that will have a major impact on the teams future. Do you have any thoughts? -- Julio, Colchester, Conn.
PWG: I'm not in a position to say they are clearly better than anyone, because Tom Werner and Les Otten are terrific people. But I do think that O'Donnell and Karp are extremely well-suited, because they are gentlemen, have no egos, have vast political and real estate experience in Boston and, as one prominent business community friend once told me, "They are the only two businessmen in Boston who have no enemies."

Q: The Red Sox are slumping right now and playing terrible baseball. What is going wrong? What adjustments do they need to make heading down the stretch? -- Greg Palladino, Litchfield, N.H.
PWG: I have maintained for two months now that the decline of Jose Offerman as a leadoff, on-base guy has badly hurt this team, because the offense never functions after him. Then, too, the lack of consistent starting pitching without Pedro Martinez is a huge problem, because they are 3-4-5 starters without innings. Without David Cone, this team might have fled.

Q: If you were the GM of the Yankees, which of these options would you choose:
1. Acquire Jason Giambi through free agency and use Nick Johnson as a piece to another trade, maybe for a corner outfielder.
2. Re-sign Tino Martinez and wait for Johnson, and hope Tino doesn't impede his progress.
3. Re-sign Tino for 3-5 years and trade Johnson.
4. Make the future now; bring Johnson up and hope he is the real deal.
Do you think he is everything everybody says he is? -- Jon Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y.
PWG: This is a very tough call., You play Tino out because he's having a good year and is an integral part of the team's fiber. But at the end of this season, they are going to need an impact slugger, whether it's Giambi or someone else. Johnson is going to be a terrific hitter -- a Sean Casey in my mind -- but if the Yankees don't go all the way, then someone up top will not be happy. Guess who?

Q: The St. Louis Cardinals, although recently making a strong run, seems to be underachieving this year. With a power-packed batting order and a more solid pitching staff than last year's LCS team, what do you think is the biggest reason for their under-performance through the middle part of the season? -- Chris Kolb, Washington, D.C.
PWG: Let's face it: They went a long run without McGwire and J.D. Drew, and Jim Edmonds had his first slump in St. Louis. But they also needed to clear out bodies, like Ray Lankford, and get a more stable team. To me, their spring training ended about three weeks ago.

Q: Will the Chicago Cubs be able to sign Mark Prior and could he be available for the Cubs in September? -- Jeremy Parris, Spartanburg, S.C.
PWG: Yes. It was my understanding back on Thursday that he had the structure of a five-year, $10-10.5 million deal done, with details to be worked out. Put it this way -- his father thought that.

Q: When the Cubs beat the Astros on Aug. 14, it occurred to me that this might be the latest in a season that the Cubs have won a game to take over first place in my lifetime (I am 48). As I recall, in both 1984 and 1989, they took the division lead prior to August and were never overtaken the rest of the year. Am I right here? When is the last time the Cubs took the league or division lead in August or later? -- David Roussel, Baton Rouge, La.
PWG: In 1989, they surged past the Cardinals and played great and, except for Will Clark and misfortune, would have been in the World Series.

Q: Don't you think that Sammy Sosa deserves to be mentioned as a contender for MVP this year? This year he is the only player on Cubs uniform that is consistent with his bat. I think that without Sammy, the Cubs' chances to win would be difficult. -- Jose Nunez, Springfield, Ill.
PWG: I absolutely do believe Sammy is in the running, with Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez. He has actually become a little underrated, because his walks have increased every year and his plate coverage and ability to hit good pitchers have constantly improved. He's a wonderful player.

Q: Will the Philadelphia Phillies trade Scott Rolen? Do you think Rolen will choose to stay instead of being traded if the Phillies make the playoffs? And if he is traded, what could the Phillies get for him? -- Mike, Manchester, Pa.
PWG: If the Phillies beat the Braves and make the playoffs, I believe that they will play it out next year and try to repair bridges and re-sign him. If there is a fall in September, I think a trade would be 50-50. The Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Mariners, Orioles, Rockies, Twins and many other teams will be lined up if he is available.

Q: What's the deal with Quilvio Veras? The Dodgers seem to desperately need a leadoff hitter/middle infielder, and he's a low-cost, low-risk pickup. Is he still hurt, or is there something else afoot that's scaring teams away from Veras? -- Roy B., Austin, Texas
PWG: His injuries have slowed him. Boston signed him on Sunday.