Sandy Alderson might enjoy sending Beltran, his flu and the remaining $8 million (for the moment) on his contract to the Red Sox, if only to torment the Yankees.

– Filip Bondy, N.Y. Daily News.

Wait, does anyone actually believe Sandy Alderson thinks that way? I thought the going oversimplification of Alderson is that he’s a shrewd, calculating GM who cares only about the numbers and would sell his own mother to the hated Yankees if it meant bringing back a cost-controlled contributor with a high on-base percentage.

Come to think of it, does anyone actually believe any Major League GM thinks that way? Like is there really anyone who could rise to the highest executive level in the game making vindictive moves aimed at needling perceived (but not actual) rivals, instead of, you know, moves to better his team? Maybe some talk-radio type would run a team like that if he were put at the helm, but he’d also run all the best players out of town for unclutchitude and ill effects on clubhouse chemistry, so it probably wouldn’t last.

Smart money says if Sandy Alderson trades Beltran to the Red Sox, it’s because the Red Sox presented the best offer.

Yeah, I’m picking nits on a throwaway line, and I should probably just ignore this stuff. Whatever. I’m short on sleep this morning.