Yankees take news of trade in stride

NEW YORK -- Can Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz pitch? If not, I rather doubt the Yankees are too worried.

"This will all come down to who pitches the best over the last two months," Joe Torre was saying about an hour before his Yankees' 6-4 conquest of the Orioles yesterday.

And before the afternoon was over, he had a new pitcher and the Red Sox had two new bats. Them's the facts.

The Yankees dumped hugely disappointing Cuban defector Jose Contreras on the Chicago White Sox, in exchange for Esteban Loaiza, a righthanded pitcher who won 21 games last season and has been selected to the last two All-Star Games. "This makes us a better team," Torre said. "We picked up an experienced pitcher, and in August and September experience is very valuable."

The Yankees also signed veteran first baseman John Olerud, who was recently released by the Seattle Mariners. They are in obvious need of first base insurance, what with Jason Giambi's ongoing medical problems.

So much for Part A of today's Curse of the Bambino vs. Evil Empire news. Now for Part B.

"Nomar to the Cubs?" inquired Torre. "It's going to be a lot different when we play the Red Sox and don't see Nomar in a Boston uniform."

Torre took over the Yankees in 1996. Nomar broke in late that same year. They have each been a significant part of baseball's most insane rivalry.

But the Yankee skipper wasn't exactly gobsmacked when he heard the news, either. "It was rumored all winter long," he pointed out. "So I can't say it really surprises me."

Mariano Rivera echoed his manager's comments.

"They tried to trade him before," declared the nonpareil closer, who picked up his 37th save yesterday. "So it didn't surprise me at all."

Some, however, were surprised. Put ex-teammate Tom Gordon down as being a wee bit stunned by the concept of Nomar Garciaparra wearing a Cubs uniform.

"I am surprised, to be honest with you. I never would have thought the Red Sox would get rid of Nomar Garciaparra," said Gordon, who played with Nomar in Boston from 1996 through '99. "Maybe there were some things going on over there that you, I, and other people didn't know about, but I never suspected they ever would trade Nomar."

Now it just so happens that the other two-thirds of the American League's Holy Trinity of shortstops ("Until Miguel Tejada sneaked in there," noted Torre) are playing for the Yankees. They're both supposed to be friends of Nomar's, and one of them was intertwined in some heavy-duty headline stuff last winter. But somewhat true to form, Alex Rodriguez chose an unemotional form of reaction to the news that Nomar was now a National Leaguer, and no longer a direct rival.

"Nomar is an icon player and has been an icon player for a decade or so," said A-Rod, who, as we all know, moved to third base upon arriving in New York in deference to incumbent shortstop Derek Jeter. "He's going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. That's a good pickup for the Chicago Cubs. I hope he and his family are happy."

Asked to reflect on the whole winter flirtation with Boston, and the idea that now neither he nor Nomar will be playing for the Red Sox, A-Rod chose to pass. He was not going to get into that, no matter how the question was phrased.

OK, so what about the idea that when the Yankees next play the Red Sox, Nomar will be elsewhere?

"It's weird," admitted A-Rod, "because he did great things there for so many years. He's a class act, and a guy you don't want to see up when the game is on the line. He has the knack of getting the big hit."

Whatever A-Rod really thinks he will apparently keep to himself. Jeter was another matter. His eyes widened to the size of saucers when he was informed that "Nomah" was now a Cubbie.

"If that really happens," he said, "it's weird. I can't really picture him playing anywhere else. When I think of the Red Sox, the first thing I think about is Nomar."

Turns out this Yankee room was crawling with former teammates. "It's hard to imagine," said Tony Clark, who not only played with Nomar in 2002 but who also lockered next door. "You associate certain players with certain teams, and you associate Nomar with the Red Sox."

Clark said he enjoyed his relationship with Nomar. "It was fine," he said. "I had admired him from across the street, and it was enjoyable playing with him. I enjoyed getting to know him and his family."

John Flaherty has been around long enough to have seen just about everything. "It's very hard to imagine him playing somewhere other than Boston," said the Yankees' backup catcher, who began his career in the Red Sox organization. "But that's the way the business is. He was going to be a free agent. It's tough seeing him in a different uniform. But that's the business of baseball."

Flaherty understands Boston, and he is cognizant of Nomar's special relationship with the fans.

"Up there, they say that if you play hard the fans will appreciate you," Flaherty said, "and nobody could ever accuse Nomar of not playing hard. That was a nice fit."

One Yankee who can relate to what Nomar is about to experience is Mike Mussina. While with the Orioles, Mussina was about as synonymous as any individual player could be with one franchise, teammate Cal Ripken Jr. excepted. He left Baltimore behind to sign a free agent contract with the Yankees after the 2000 season. "Nomar traded?" he inquired. "Interesting. When you've been with a team as long as he's been with Boston, it will seem strange to see him in another uniform. But you just won't see players wearing one uniform in this era of baseball. That's very rare."

Perhaps some other day there would have been a deeper reaction to the plight of Nomar. But the Yankees are more worried about themselves than they are about the Red Sox, or anyone else. People here are more interested in the fact that they were able to rid themselves of Contreras, an expensive mistake, and replace him with Loaiza, who should make them a better team.

"We really feel we helped our ball club," said Torre. "I've got more options."

He got a pitcher. Boston didn't. Joe Torre is a happier man than he was 24 hours ago.

Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist. His e-mail address is ryan@globe.com.