TAMPA, Fla. - The New York Yankees wheeled out their newest acquisitions as if Legends Field were Sotheby's and they held all the credit cards. Hideki Matsui, formerly the best player in Japan, yanked a 100-mph line-drive home run to right field in the fourth inning. It left the yard faster than George Steinbrenner's cash.

Matsui's nickname is "Godzilla." Only the Yankees could buy Godzilla. All he cost was $21 million for three years. They also acquired Cuba's best pitcher, Jose Contreras. Contreras pitched two innings and gave up five earned runs. New York is paying him $8 million a year for four years. Eight million doesn't buy what it used to.

New, bad labor deal

If the luxury tax portion of the new labor deal ever started hurting the Yankees - which is what it was supposed to do - Steinbrenner would just buy his team immortality. The Reds beat New York 9-3 Thursday. They're losing 160-60 in payroll millions, however, and that isn't likely to change.

This could be the only money column I'll write all year because, really, what difference does it make? Carl Lindner's plans to become George Steinbrenner are not imminent. The Reds' payroll isn't changing. What do you want to do about that? Rob Provident Bank? In baseball, complaining about money is like complaining about the weather.

Still, money matters, and the Reds could use some. They're hamstrung by the lame labor deal and the three fat, practically untradeable contracts of Junior Griffey, Barry Larkin and Sean Casey. They'll start the real season with a pitching rotation of Jimmy Haynes, Danny Graves, Undecided, Unavailable and Unavoidable. And that ain't good.

So, the question went to Aaron Boone:

Would you trade some of the riches baseball offers for a better chance to compete?

As a member of the mini-market Reds, would you prefer more NFL-style socialism? Or is it OK to make top dollar for a team that starts each season behind in the payroll standings?

"That's tough," said Boone. He was the Reds' union rep last summer. He owns the most level head on the team. "You want everything to be equal at the start of the day. But at the same time, as a player, you want a free system. There's a fine line."

Less payroll means more need for absolutely everything to go right. What the Yankees do with all that cash is buy themselves options. Rondell White isn't the answer? We'll get Raul Mondesi. When Mondesi flops, we'll sign Godzilla.

Reds are confident

Boone likes the confidence in the Reds' clubhouse. "We underachieved last year, but we hung in there," staying as close as two games out of first until mid-August. "Hopefully, this team in July will be in a position to go out and get someone who can help us in the stretch."

Cincinnati's second baseman is allowed to dream because (1) it's February and (2) it's free. Come July, if dreams come true, we'll see who's spending. And we'll talk again about money. But not until then.

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E-mail pdaugherty@enquirer.com