First Shot Across the Bow

ESPN is now reporting that Carlos "El Caballo" Lee has been dealt to Texas.

Lee was probably the second best position player on the market to Alfonso Soriano, excluding a potential trade of Miguel Tejada or Julio Lugo, two players who rank higher than Lee in VORP. Lee has a VORP of 27.4, good for 44th among position players.

Soriano ranks fifteenth.

The price paid for Lee and minor-league OF Nelson Cruz: RP Francisco Cordero, OF Kevin Mench and OF Laynce Nix.

That's not a ton for Brewers GM Doug Melvin to get, as Mench was a bench player for Texas, Nix was in the minors, and Aki Otsuka had supplanted Cordero's live arm in the closer role.

But, that said, Derrick Turnbow is no longer closing for Milwaukee and Nix and Mench will share time as extra outfielders for the Brew Crew, joining legends like Gabe Gross, Corey Hart and Tony Gwynn, Jr.

Here's to a busy weekend.

Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.