A year ago, who'd have thunk it?

Who'd have thunk that in the middle of the summer of 2002, it would be the Expos trading prospects for a star pitcher, and that the Indians would be dumping salary and building for a future that might be two or three seasons down the road?

It's a good move for the Expos, though ... or it would be if they really had a legitimate shot at the postseason. But while one report suggested that the Expos are "in the middle of the NL wild-card race," I'm not so sure.

At this moment, the Expos trail the Giants by three games, the Diamondbacks by five games, and the Dodgers by seven games. Don't you think it's likely that one of those teams will wind up with the wild card? (The Expos also trail the Braves by 6½ games in the NL East race.)

It's also worth noting that while the Expos are five games over .500 at 41-36, they've actually been outscored on the season, with 354 runs allowed to 346 runs scored. That's a sign they may not be as good as their record indicates.

Of course, if this is the Expos' last season they don't have anything to lose, and they should trade all of their prospects in pursuit of one last bit of desperate glory. But until somebody figures out how you can kill a franchise other than the Expos, I'm not at all sure this is their last season.