I appreciate your passion for the sport. I was trying to explain why players -- whose fragile careers can end with a pitch -- make the business decisions they make. This isn't a business to most fans, but it is to the clubs, and it is to almost every player, otherwise you wouldn't see so many free agents changing teams. When players make these decisions, rarely do they consider the other 99.9 percent of the world's population. Fans don't particularly like it, but these decisions almost always are purely economic, as was the Dodgers' decision to buy Gagne out of his $12 million option for $1 million.

And $2 million is $2 million, no matter how much you've made in past years. It's significant money, especially if you fear that it will be your last payday. Now, as long as we're in shoot-the-messenger mode, here's something else Dodgers fans won't want to hear. A former teammate of Gagne's told me this week, "Gagne's loyalty was to his teammates, not to the organization or the fans. And if you look at the Dodgers' roster as it currently sits, those aren't his teammates. He hasn't played with most of them."

Fans remember well Gagne's 2003 Cy Young season. Guess how many current Dodgers were on that club? The answer is none. The owner, general manager, field manager and coaching staff? They're all gone. When Paul DePodesta dismantled the 2004 division champs, in my opinion, it broke the spirit of those left behind.

What teams can Brad Penny be traded to, without his consent, per the limited no-trade clause in his contract?
-- David S., South Gate, Calif.

Penny does not have a limited no-trade clause. However, he has two years remaining on his current contract at relatively affordable salaries of $7 million, $8.25 million, and a 2009 option of $9.25 million or a buyout of $2 million. If he is traded during the term of a multiyear contract, however, he has the right to demand another trade at the end of the first year. That effectively gives him the leverage to renegotiate/extend his contract or block a trade, unless a team is willing to acquire him for only one season.

If the Dodgers had ignored potential, we would never have seen Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey.
-- Bill S., Elberfeld, Ind.

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If the Dodgers had traded away all of their prospects, they would be ignoring potential. They haven't. They've kept Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley, James Loney, Matt Kemp, Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Andy LaRoche and Scott Elbert. However, times have changed in the last 30 years. When you have people paying hundreds of dollars per seat in the entertainment capital, it's not logical to declare a rebuilding year after going to the playoffs and turn over half the positions to rookies. Nor is it wise for the job security of a general manager with a short-term contract. So Ned Colletti is trying to accomplish a difficult task -- win now while preserving talent for the future. As Martin, Ethier, Billingsley, Broxton and others proved last year, opportunities will arise.

How does the current lineup look?
-- Jeff M., Los Angeles

Juan Pierre, CF; Martin, C; Rafael Furcal, SS; Jeff Kent, 2B; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Luis Gonzalez, LF; Wilson Betemit, 3B; Ethier, RF. The starting rotation is Jason Schmidt, Derek Lowe, Penny, Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley.

Is Betemit playing winter ball?
-- Roger S., Hidden Hills, Calif.

Yes, but not well. He is hitting .200 (12-for-60) with two homers, nine RBIs and a whopping 20 strikeouts for Escogido in the Dominican Republic.

What kind of Minor League seasons did traded prospects Joel Guzman and Franklin Gutierrez have?
-- Tom S., Dudley, Mass.

Guzman, traded with Sergio Pedroza to Tampa Bay for Julio Lugo, hit .193 (17-for-88) with four homers and nine RBIs for Triple-A Durham after the trade. Gutierrez, traded in 2004 with Andrew Brown to Cleveland for Milton Bradley, hit .272 (37-for-136) with one homer and eight RBIs for Cleveland after hitting .278 with nine homers and 38 RBIs at Triple-A Buffalo.