Outside Oberlin:

Rupert Murdoch: Only God can save you now

Everyone knew Major League Baseball's salary structure would go through the roof considering the abundance of big name free agents last year. It was understood that the have-nots would be at a competitive disadvantage with the haves in the contest to sign the likes of ace pitcher Kevin Brown and mercurial slugger Albert Belle. But no one could have prophesized the ripple effect that their ridiculously high salaries would produce.

When Brown signed with the Dodgers with a Monopoly-esque $105 million contract at $15 million per year, general managers and executives in smaller markets around the league cracked open new packs of Rolaids. As the trend would have it, none of those five select free agents (six if you count Mike Piazza) would end up signing with a small-market club. This may have been unsettling to those front office men, but to an attentive fan such as myself, this was not a surprise.

New contracts were being drawn up with silly provisions such as no-trade clauses and even a private jet to transport Brown's family to and from Dodgers games. But perhaps the biggest blunder was made by the Baltimore Orioles, who included a provision in Belle's contract that insisted that if he was not one of the three highest-paid players in the game, he could apply for free agency. In a salary war being waged by avaricious players and tight-fisted owners, the athletes were finally beginning to get their way.

These were all foreseeable products of the salary inequalities that have plagued our national pastime for years. Players were finally able to have the supreme upper hand in bargaining rights. The new collective bargaining agreement included such stipulations as the 10 and five rule (players that have been in the majors for 10 years and with one team for the last five could veto any potential trade) and the multi-year contract rule, which stated that if a player is traded in the middle of a multi-year contract he can then demand a trade after the season. This all aside, the frightening connotations of this offseason's moves will set precedents for years to come.

For those who are not up to date, there have already been two trades involving mega-stars with one year left on their contract. In addition, the most popular player in the game (Ken Griffey, Jr.) and his superstar teammate (Alex Rodriguez) are also slated to be moved in the near future by a Seattle organization that is quickly falling apart. But more on that later.

In a move that may determine the job security of Detroit GM Randy Smith, the Texas Rangers traded selfish All-Star Juan Gonzalez (who refused to play in the midsummer classic because he was not selected as a starter) to the Tigers for Gabe Kapler, Justin Thompson and two pitching starter) to the Tigers for Gabe Kapler, Justin Thompson and two pitching prospects.

Here is a prime example of a proven superstar whose contract expires in a year - making him trade bait. This way Texas can salvage some talent in the chance that the Puerto Rican rightfielder signs elsewhere. Luckily, the Rangers have Rafael Palmeiro to fall back on.

Suddenly the Toronto Blue Jays decided that Shawn Green was too expensive to handle. So they shipped him and a minor leaguer to the free-spending Dodgers for Raul Mondesi and lefty relief man Pedro Borbon. Green's new contract will pay him $14 million a year for six years. Funny thing is, Mondesi still has two years left at a hefty $9 million per.

Ken Griffey Jr., the entertainment and cultural icon for MLB, will likely don a new jersey before the millennium. He and Alex Rodriguez are both in the last years of their contract. Griffey wants to be closer to his family in Orlando, Florida. The logical choice would be the high-budget Atlanta Braves. But they are not looking for a center fielder. The current suitors appear to be the Mets, Astros, Cardinals and Reds. Never discount the Yankees when there is a blockbuster in the works, though.

Anyway, the implications of these trades point to a greater disparity between the big spenders and the penny pinchers. This also means that superstars can basically dictate where they want to go. This used to be the norm, with big-name free agents listening to offers from a variety of teams. But this new system of players demanding to be traded before they are free agents (or general managers realizing they cannot afford to keep such superstars and subsequently shopping them around in the offseason) only further reduces the number of teams able to woo such stars.

Why? Simply enough, teams like Seattle and Toronto want a fair share in return for these All-Stars. Junior is only 30 years old and he already has 400 dingers. A-Rod plays a skill position and just happens to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases a year. This type of talent does not come a dime a dozen.

What type of offers will Griffey draw? We can only speculate. But middle-market teams cannot afford to give away a current star plus prospects for someone that might jump ship after a year (let's see what Juan Gonzalez does in Detroit if they don't sign him). The few, elite money-spenders (Atlanta, the New York teams, Anaheim, L.A., etc.) just have the dough to shell out. It's that simple.

With salaries continuing to escalate, who knows what the future holds? Next year's class seems to be even scarier than last year's. Manny Ramirez, Mike Mussina, Craig Biggio, Carlos Delgado, Roger Clemens and other big names are up for renewal. Don't be surprised if the annual amount has risen to $20 or $25 million. Ah, the economics of sports is in full control, so buckle your safety helmets and divert the blows as much as possible.