April promises have wilted into May reality, blind faith to kinds of baseball agnosticism. There are 10-12 teams that are already peeking at 2004, and those that hold pitching know The Boss is screaming for middle relief, the Red Sox have been shopping for the same -- as well as a starter -- for nearly two months, and the Cardinals and Reds want to repair their pitching, preferably before Memorial Day.

	Kelvim Escobar could help the Yankees overcome the possible loss of Steve Karsay.

Of course, part of May's reality is that one reason 10-12 teams are back to the future is experienced pitching, or the lack of it; Cory Lidle's about as good as it gets on the starter market right now, and the price will be high because the Blue Jays know all too well what else is available.

Of the 13-15 teams that still have their eyes on October, some already know their immediate needs: Yankees (bullpen), Red Sox (closer, starter), Cincinnati (starting pitching), St. Louis (bullpen). The Giants and Mariners will learn in time if they need closers. The Angels want a stopgap replacement for Darin Erstad in center field.

But while everyone knows the Cubs, Dodgers and A's all want to upgrade their offenses if they are going to get into October and last, none have to jump out and trade pitching to get it.

"We're going pretty well," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "In time, we'll address our needs."

"We play a ton of one-run games," Dodgers GM Dan Evans said. "We are down near the bottom in runs scored. We know that. Every day I have some GM call and offer to help our offense and take one of our relievers, but I refuse to weaken our pitching and make (the bullpen) work even harder. We are where we are because of pitching, and that's been the way the Dodgers have been successful in our ballpark. We have a chance to win every day because of our pitching, and we won't change that."

Oakland GM Billy Beane knows that in time he's going to need another bat, or two. But while the A's have been far back in the standings each of the last two years, this time they're within hailing distance of the Mariners. And in each of the last two seasons, Beane has been able to stick to his credo: the first two months are spent finding out what you have, the next two are spent getting what you need and the team you want plays the last two months.

Going into Sunday, Oakland led the majors with a 2.98 starters' ERA, followed by the Dodgers (3.24) and Cubs (3.39). The Dodger bullpen is in another league, although the Cubs are next, and have five relievers with more strikeouts than innings pitched.

Indeed, it's always been about pitching with the Dodgers.

"This team reminds me a little of the Dodger teams of the '60s," Evans said. "We have quality starts in close to three-quarters of our games. Kevin Brown (seven quality starts, second only to Mark Prior) has been great. So has Darren Dreifort and Odalis Perez. Just about the only lead we've blown was really a blown hold, and when you have Guillermo Mota as your fourth right-hander …"

	Shawn Green Outfielder Los Angeles Dodgers Profile
	2003 SEASON STATISTICS AB HR RBI BA SB SLP 172 5 22 .267 1 .448

Evans is convinced that Shawn Green, Adrian Beltre, Paul Lo Duca and Fred McGriff, who has been heating up, will hit. And by placing Dave Roberts on the DL for two weeks to rest his leg, Evans hopes he'll be healthy in the leadoff spot the last two months.

"The defense we've been playing has been essential to the pitching. Will we look to do something in time? Sure," Evans said.

The expected ownership change doesn't appear to have any immediate impact on the Dodgers, but Malcolm Glazer -- or whoever buys the team -- will be happy to know Evans has smartly put aside cash to take on a contract or two in July. In two years, Evans, Bill Bavasi and the organization have built a prospects-dominated system that enabled them to trade for Paul Shuey last season and will be able to get help this time around.

While the Dodger tradition has been built on pitching since they moved into Dodger Stadium, that notion -- OK, as well as a winning tradition, period -- had been lost on the Wrigley Field management for generations preceding rigging the elections in Cook County. But since Andy MacPhail and Hendry took over and sought to get rid of the expression "loveable Cubs," they have built an organization on pitching.

"There wasn't a lot here when Andy took over," said Hendry, who has moved from scouting and development director to GM. "That has obviously been our focus, and we've been fortunate to have had some high draft picks."

One high pick, in 2001, netted them Prior, and in Prior and Kerry Wood they now have the most dominant 1-2 starter combination in either league. With Matt Clement, Carlos Zambrano and Shawn Estes in the other three spots, the Cubs starters went into Monday with 265 strikeouts in 272 1/3 innings, with a bullpen that had fanned 127 in 114 2/3 relief innings.

	Juan Cruz Reliever Chicago Cubs Profile
	2003 SEASON STATISTICS IP W-L H BB SO ERA 20.2 1-2 20 8 23 5.66

And it's not just a freak occurrence. Juan Cruz? Can't find a spot in the rotation, but is striking out 10.7 hitters per nine innings. Last week they brought up Todd Wellemeyer, who struck out the side for a save in his first appearance.

"(Pitching coach) Larry (Rothschild) looks at Cruz and Wellemeyer in the same light," Hendry said. "He thinks that either one could be a top-of-the-rotation starter, or a dominant closer."

Oh, and in spring training there were those around Arizona who thought Angel Guzman, who is presently in Double-A, had the best stuff on the entire staff.

"We have a lot of scouting and development people who have done a great job for this organization," Hendry said. "John Stockstill has had two very good drafts in a row. Oneri Fleita is now running the development, but we owe him a lot for what he accomplished as a scout; he was an area scout and absolutely was all over Prior -- and we liked Joe Mauer and Mark Teixeira as much -- as well as getting us Cruz, Felix Sanchez (the talented left-handed reliever who was almost recalled this weekend) and Francis Beltran (another mid-90s reliever who is 3-0, 1.85 at Iowa)."

Under MacPhail and Hendry, the Cubs have used their resources to go international, both in Latin America and Asia, as evidenced by the considerable contributions of Korean rookie first baseman Hee Seop Choi. Fellow Korean right-handed pitcher Jae-kuk Ryu is 6-1 in A-ball. And through the draft the Cubs are loaded below Wellemeyer, with 6-foot-9 lefty Andy Sisco (taken after Prior, 2-2, 1.79 in A-ball), Chadd Blasko, last year's No. 1 Bobby Brownlie, 6-6 Billy Petrick, lefty Rich Hill (36 strikeouts, 20 2/3 innings at Lansing) and Justin Jones.

Hendry knows he needs another hitter, probably at third base, and he and everyone from Key West to Korea knows that the Marlins will move Mike Lowell and his fifth-year arbitration projections to make room for 20-year-old phenom Miguel Cabrera. The Cubs have what the Marlins need because of what they have developed. Oh yes, and the Cubs have the sixth pick in next month's draft.

And when the time comes, Oakland will be able to get what it needs -- a bat or two, a Shannon Stewart, for instance -- because the A's re-stocked their farm system, much of it with last year's draft. Billy Beane won't trade Rich Harden, but he could deal shortstop Bobby Crosby, LHP John Rheinecker or even RHP Joe Blanton, one of their first-round picks last June. Speaking of that draft, two picks the Tools Police disparaged -- Notre Dame leadoff center fielder Steve Stanley and Alabama catcher Jeremy Brown -- are not only in Double-A, but Stanley has a .417 on-base percentage. Leadoff center fielders are few and far between.

Whatever the A's do, it will be done with three words in mind: Hudson, Mulder and Zito.

Right now the prospective market breaks down like this: