01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, April 5, 2006

A strange scenario has been running through my mind the last two days while watching the revamped Red Sox take on the restructured Rangers in Texas.

I kept picturing (plug in the name of either Theo Epstein or Jon Daniels here; they are, in this case, interchangeable) pausing for a moment while in the midst of -- all at the same time -- studying statistical analyses of the optimum time to bunt in the middle innings of night games played on the West Coast after the Fourth of July with a lefthander on the mound when trailing by one run, poring over the collected works of Bill James, scrolling through their e-mail online, checking their BlackBerrys and talking on their cellphones.

Suddenly, young Theo and/or even younger Jon looks up, slightly startled, perhaps even momentarily overwhelmed by information overload, and inquires of the stat geeks diligently crunching numbers (and whole grain cereal) nearby: "Has anybody seen my Rotisserie League roster?"

This, naturally, touches off a flurry of activity from the eager-to-please young aides, some of whom are pushing 25 and figure if they don't get a general manager's job in the next two years they'll be past their prime, over the hill, considered to be codgers compared to the next hotshot fresh out of the Ivy League, and will have to leave the good life of Yawkey Way for a dismal life working on Wall Street.

"Never mind," says Theo. Or Jon, as the case could be. "I've found it."

At which point, one of the aides peers over his boss's shoulder, and what he sees causes his eyes to widen.

"Excuse me," he says hesitantly, "but that's our starting lineup."

For a moment, there is stunned silence.

Then Theo -- or Jon -- explodes: "Darn it! When I was dealing all those guys, I thought it was my 'Rot-ball' roster! I didn't think it was our real team!"

OK, call me weird if you will, but does it seem to anybody else out there in this brave, new -- and supposedly now steroid-free -- baseball world that these youthful general managers -- Epstein is 32; Daniels, 28 -- approach the game like it's a Rotisserie League?

That they trade players as if they were baseball cards, instead of flesh-and-blood athletes?

That only the numbers, the statistics, are real to them -- not the people?

It was only 18 months ago that the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years, sweeping four games from the Cardinals. Of the 21 Red Sox players who appeared in those games, only nine are still in Boston.

And why go back even that far?

Only three regulars remain from last year's lineup. Four, if designated hitter David Ortiz is included, along with catcher Jason Varitek, left fielder Manny Ramirez and right fielder Trot Nixon.

Coming off a 95-win season, the Sox have an entirely new infield and also have replaced iconic center fielder and leadoff hitter Johnny Damon with 26-year-old Coco Crisp.

But Theo and the Red Sox have been idly twiddling their thumbs compared to what Daniels and the Rangers have been doing, especially in the hectic few days after No. 2 starter Adam Eaton (obtained in an offseason trade with the Padres) required surgery after injuring a finger late in spring training.

That prompted Daniels to quickly deal popular outfielder David Dellucci to the Phillies for pitcher Robinson Tejeda and outfielder Jake Blalock.

The trade capped a busy offseason in which Daniels brought in Kevin Millwood, last year's A.L. earned-run average leader with Cleveland, by offering a 5-year contract worth $60 million; obtained pitcher Vicente Padilla from the Phillies for pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez; and sent slugging second baseman Alfonso Soriano to Washington for outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge, and a pitching prospect, Armando Galarraga.

(Take a deep breath here. We're nowhere near done.)

Daniels also traded pitcher Juan Dominguez to Oakland for infielder Freddie Bynum and pitcher John Rheinecker, then turned around and dealt Bynum to the Cubs for left-handed pitcher John Koronka.

Towering right-hander Chris Young, who became the Rangers' Rookie of the Year in 2005 after having been a standout basketball player -- with legitimate NBA potential -- at Princeton, was traded to the Padres, along with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and the aforementioned Sledge, for reliever Akinori Otsuka and catching prospect Billy Killian.

As a longtime scout said yesterday, when asked about all the wheeling-and-dealing done by Epstein and Daniel: "These young guys certainly like to tinker with things."

You think?

Interestingly, the Yankees, whose general manager is the almost-ancient, 35-year-old Brian Cashman, also won 95 games last year on their way to an eighth straight A.L. East title. The only change in their starting lineup from 2005 is in center field, where Damon will replace Bernie Williams, who'll be the DH.

Now we'll spend the next six, intriguing months seeing which team wins the Rotisserie League title.

Oops, I meant A.L. East title.

jdonalds@projo.com / (401) 277-7340