"Welcome back. Your dreams were your tickets out. Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about".

These John Sebastian lyrics were used to open the 1970's classic television show Welcome Back, Kotter. I have to wonder if Andy Benes will be using this tune as his theme song for the 2000 Major League Baseball season.

The recently completed negotiations for the veteran right-handed pitcher to the Cardinals have been intriguing to watch. Benes returned to the Red Birds last week by signing a free agent contract.

You may recall two years ago Benes was also a free agent. Depending of whom you prefer to believe or blame, the Cardinals and the big right-hander could not come to terms on that contract extension. The net result: Benes became the opening day starter for the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks in their first ever game in the Spring of 1998.

The big guy spent two years in the desert, but fell out of favor. After their first season, Arizona acquired the likes of Randy Johnson and Todd Stottlemyre. Big Andy became the odd man out when the Mets eliminated the D-Backs in Round 1 of the 1999 NLCS.

Hence, Mr. Benes exercised a clause in his contract and opted for free agency. The big right-hander's agent Scott Boras immediately went to work, sending out press releases and sound bites wherever he went. The agent announced that his client was worth $40 Million, but was flexible enough to give any interested team two payment options: either $8,000,000 for each of five years, or $10,000,000 for each of four years.

No team, especially the Cardinals swallowed the bait. In reality, the Red Birds called the mouthpiece's bluff. While Boras was extolling the virtues of his client, the Red Birds were acquiring pitching help elsewhere. Welcome to St. Louis, Pat Hentgen, Darryl Kile, and Dave Veras. Later in December, the team traded for Fernando Vina. With each of their acquisitions, the 2000 St. Louis operating budget began to dwindle.

Finally, in the first week of the new millennium, the Cardinals offered Andy Benes a take it or leave it offer: a back loaded contract of $18,000,000 (ironically, the same dollar total as his 1997 free agent contract with Arizona). This contract would be the Red Birds' final answer on this edition of who wants to be baseball's latest multi-millionaire.

How does that old cliché go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Subsequently, Big Andy did something he did not do in 1997; he got involved with his contract negotiations. When the smoke cleared, Andy Benes returned to the Cardinals, at a lesser amount. The Cardinals out-maneuvered Scott Boras in this battle.

"Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about. Though the names have all changed since you've come around".

Score one for Walt Jocketty and the Cardinals. They won this game of chicken. It also helped (a lot) that Andy Benes did not have many suitors for his services.

You have to score another Kudo for Jocketty as he reconstructed the pitching staff and secured a leadoff hitter by not giving up too much in return. Manny Aybar, Juan Acevedo, Lance Painter and Jose Jimenez simply did not fit into the Cardinals plans.

Ironically, this strategy that brought Andy Benes back to the Gateway City, may become the norm for free agency around baseball. At this writing former St. Louis left-hander Darren Oliver remains unsigned for 2000. A few days ago, right-handed pitcher Aaron Sele finally agreed to an offer from Seattle after being spurned by Baltimore.

Times have changed. There are baseball free agents available in mid-January? Pitchers?

Obviously the policy of free agency market has also changed. In late December, the Houston Astros traded 22 game winner and Cy Young runner-up Mike Hampton to the New York Mets because they felt unsure of re-signing his services at the conclusion of his contract. The Texas Rangers felt the same way about two-time MVP Juan Gonzalez and the Seattle Mariners with the best player in the game: Ken Griffey.

The Astros, Rangers, and Mariners, all have either brand new or relatively brand new stadiums. Yet they are apprehensive in re-signing their superstars. The moral of the story: a new stadium does not necessarily mean all your money problems will be solved.

For teams such as the Cardinals, who are trying to secure a new stadium, it means that creativity is vital for building/retooling the ball club.

I still contend that Armageddon 2 will soon be upon us. That is when Major League Baseball and it players will shut the game down again. I predict the reasons will be all too familiar. But until that time, the show must go on and Major League Baseball teams have to compile their rosters. Creativity will be the buzzword.

With apologies to Thomas Wolfe, Andy Benes proved that you can come home again.
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"Still, we'll tease you a lot, cause we've got you on the spot! Welcome Back!"

Even if it is two years later, and for the same salary.