Championship baseball teams are like jigsaw puzzles.

 

And it's up to the general managers to find the right pieces ? in their minor-league system, on other teams' rosters, or on the free-agent market ? and put them in the right places.

 

Sure, the best players cost the most money. Some of them cost more than they're worth. Most of them cost more than most teams can afford.

 

It all depends on how much somebody wants them and how much somebody wants to win.

 

The bottom line is simple: A player is worth whatever some GM (with the owner's blessing, of course) is willing to pay.

 

All of which explains how Carlos Beltran, a one-time All-Star who has never led the league in any offensive category, became the 10th $100-million player in major-league history.

 

The New York Mets wanted him. They needed him. They could afford him.

 

See you in Port St. Lucie, Carlos.

 

Same goes for Pedro Martinez, who, on the down side of a Hall-of-Fame career, convinced the Mets that he's worth $53 million across the next four years.

 

And the Mets aren't the only team writing big checks.

 

The GMs of the three other teams that conduct their spring training on the Treasure Coast ? the Los Angeles Dodgers (Vero Beach), Florida Marlins (Jupiter) and St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter) ? also have been busy buying and trading for the pieces they believe they need to assemble a championship roster.

 

The Dodgers lost Adrian Beltre to free agency and traded away Shawn Green, but signed three free agents who are expected to make an immediate impact: outfielder J.D. Drew (five years, $55 million); starting pitcher Derek Lowe (four years, $36 million); and Jeff Kent (two years, $17 million).

 

The Marlins lost starting pitcher Carl Pavano and closer Armando Benitez to free agency, but dipped into the free-agent market to bring back left-handed starter Al Leiter and sign power-hitting first baseman Carlos Delgado, who was given a four-year, $52 million deal to move to Miami.

 

And the Cardinals, the reigning National League champions, acquired an ace ? left-handed starter Mark Mulder ? from the Oakland A's, then signed free-agent shortstop David Eckstein to replace Edgar Renteria, who left for bigger bucks in Boston.

 

All four teams have a real chance to play meaningful baseball in September and, if they stay healthy, get to the playoffs.

 

But only if the new additions produce as expected.

 

Only if all the pieces come together.

 

New York Mets

 

The moment he signed his seven-year, $119 million contract, Beltran became the face of the franchise player, the team's leader ? and he'll need to play better than ever before to live up to the Mets' investment.

 

The 27-year-old outfielder is a five-tool guy, and he's coming off a season in which he hit 38 homers, drove in 104 runs, stole 42 bases ... and batted only .267. Those numbers won't be good enough this season. Not in New York. Not with all the expectations.

 

Martinez, on the other hand, joins a rotation led by Tom Glavine and simply needs to duplicate his 2004 numbers (16-9, 3.90 ERA, 227 strikeouts, 61 walks). The three-time Cy Young winner proved during the postseason that there's still magic in that right arm. But the Mets need to bolster their bullpen because Martinez is, at best, a seven-inning pitcher.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Drew, as injury-prone as he is talented, should be the key to the Dodgers' season.

 

If he stays healthy ? the 2004 season was the first in which he played more than 135 games ? he can be the offensive spark the team needs in the wake of Beltre's departure. He batted .305 with a career-high 31 homers and drove in 93 runs for the Atlanta Braves last season when he walked 118 times and scored 128 runs.

 

He also had 12 outfield assists. Lowe is a sinker-baller who was 14-12 with an alarming, 5.42 ERA for the Red Sox last season, but he should benefit from the move to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium and to a team with a deep, dependable bullpen. His real strength, though, is his durability: He's made at least 33 starts and pitched at least 200 innings each of the past three seasons.

 

Florida Marlins

 

Of all the new faces you'll see during spring training on the Treasure Coast, Delgado could have the greatest impact ? because the Marlins, whose lineup is dominated by right-handed hitters, desperately needed a left-handed bat with pop.

 

And that's exactly what Delgado provides.

 

A two-time All-Star who signed with the Marlins last month, he hit 336 home runs in 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and has reached the 30-homer, 100-RBI plateau in six of the past seven seasons.

 

But don't discount Leiter.

 

Shunned by the Mets after posting a 10-8 record and 3.21 ERA in 30 starts last season, Leiter, at age 39, is a crafty southpaw who lends his veteran presence to a young rotation that includes Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Dontrelle Willis.

 

St. Louis Cardinals

 

So which Mark Mulder are the Cardinals getting?

 

The Mark Mulder who became the major leagues' first 17-game winner and started the All-Star Game last season? Or the Mark Mulder who was 0-4 with a 7.27 ERA in his last seven starts?

 

If he's healthy ? and there were reasons to wonder last September ? he should be the ace of the St. Louis staff. Across the past five seasons, he has averaged a 16-8 record and 3.92 ERA. And he's an efficient, ground-ball pitcher, exactly the type Cardinals pitching guru Dave Duncan prefers.

 

Eckstein, meanwhile, gives Tony LaRussa a pesky leadoff hitter who is tough to strike out. Defensively, he made fewer errors than any shortstop in the majors.

Is it opening day yet? I cant wait for this team to take the field already, it is so great to see that people believe that this team is actully a contender.

Source?

The Art of Winning an Unfair Game