By TRACY RINGOLSBY, Scripps Howard News Service

With Ian Stewart ready for his big-league opportunity, the Colorado Rockies have what could be a key bargaining chip for a major offseason deal with incumbent third baseman Garrett Atkins.

The New York Yankees made the biggest splash at the winter meetings, increasing their offer to seven years and $161 million to make left-handed free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia decide the Bronx is a palatable place to pitch.
But the New York Mets made the biggest move.

In recent weeks, several agents have downplayed the possible impact of the nation's financial problems on baseball.

From the boorish behavior of Manny Ramirez to the empty-headed world of Roger Clemens, baseball had its share of moments to forget in 2008, and what better time to recognize the turkeys than Thanksgiving weekend?

Two years ago, St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols, fresh off helping his team win the World Series, was upset that he finished runner-up in Most Valuable Player voting to Ryan Howard of Philadelphia, which finished second in the National League East."Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't deserve to win the MVP," said Pujols.

The worst part of sports is the way business butts in.And that reality hit Colorado Rockies fans in the face this week.Slugger Matt Holliday was dealt to Oakland.There is an initial emotional response from fans that feel cheated. The debate: Whether the Rockies are cheap or Holliday is greedy.The answer: neither.Both made business decisions.

A year ago, the National League West was the talk of baseball and getting consideration as a division ready to dominate.So much for that idea.Now, the NL West is a division in transition, a division that needed the Dodgers' September surge to get one team to .500.

The Colorado Rockies expect to have an old face in a new lineup in 2009.First baseman Todd Helton, recovering from surgery to clean up a bulging disk in his lower back, has begun an offseason rehabilitation program that gives the Rockies reason to feel he will be full strength by spring training.

For a franchise that hadn't lost fewer than 92 games or finished higher than fourth place -- and that was only once -- in its first 10 years of existence, Tampa Bay has plenty of reason to be proud, even if it came up short in the World Series.But the Rays also need to consider themselves warned.It doesn't get any easier from here. In fact, it gets tougher.