While the Evil Empire fights their own private Star Wars episode with the good folks from Boston, the rest of the baseball world will begin their holiday shopping within the next week or so.

Now that Curt Schilling has chosen Boston as his home for the next three years, the remaining free agent pitchers will quickly fall into place.

No doubt that the Yankees will counter the Boston move by resigning Andy Pettitte one of these days. Houston won’t kick in the necessary 45 million or so to lock Pettitte up, so the Yankees should keep their top lefty.

Next who will it be joining Mike Mussina and Pettitte in the rotation? Most likely Bartolo Colon since he will cost mere dollars instead of first baseman Nick Johnson, the price mentioned for Javier Vasquez of Montreal.

But what about Jeff Weaver, the Yankees forgotten righthanded starter?

Click below for the latest on his possible destination?Various writers in New York are speculating that Weaver, Aaron Boone, and infielder Erick Almonte will be moving west to the Giants for Edgardo Alfonzo, Jason Christiansen, Nefi Perez, and Felix Rodriguez.

Even though the Giants need another established starter in the rotation to back up Jason Schmidt, Kirk Reuter, and Jerome Williams, Weaver isn’t worth all the talent that SF would have to give up.

How about Benito Santiago coming to the A’s to replace Ramon Hernandez? Santiago is at the end of his career, but would bring some veteran leadership to a young clubhouse. Santiago knows how to win and just might have enough left to give the A’s some decent defense behind the plate and a few needed homers. His situation seems similar to Pudge Rodriguez’s when he signed a late one year deal with the Marlins, then led them to the playoffs with inspired play. One thing about Santiago, he comes to play in October and the A’s could use someone like that.

How about Mike Cameron in Pac Bell? He certainly can cover the outfield with the best in the game. He would allow the Giants to sign a less agile rightfielder and is a great guy in the clubhouse. I still say Marlin Juan Encarnacion has SF written all over him, but Cameron would be OK too.

Richie Sexson has been the object of Arizona’s affection for two years now. He should be a Diamondback on Monday. Going to the Brewers will be Milwaukee native Craig Counsell, whose father worked in County Stadium while Craig grew up hanging around the ball park. Lyle Overbay, .300 hitting, little power first baseman, Second baseman and also very muscular Junior Spivey and one Arizona’s young pitching prospects.

Not enough for one of the premier power hitters in the game, but what can you do when you tell the world that you must trim your payroll 15 million and Sexon is your highest paid player.

Rightfielder Gary Sheffield sounds like he will sign with NY this week too. This probably means Alfonso Soriano will stay with NY as a second baseman.

Kevin Millwood won’t get ten million per year to sign with anybody and to me looks like he will come back to Philadelphia or go to Atlanta to replace Greg Maddux.

Sidney Ponson may go to Seattle especially if Freddy Garcia isn’t tendered a contract by the Mariners by December 20th.

Texas is desperate to trade A Rod so they will have some money to sign some pitchers. Ponson, Garcia, and Millwood could cash in with Texas if A Rod could be moved to Boston. Texas GM John Hart has had Carl Everett, Manny Ramirez, and Albert Belle on his teams with success, so he could be a willing buyer of Manny’s contract.

Don’t overlook a healthy El Duque as a potential Ranger or Yankee next season.

Keith Foulke is looking at a four year deal from Boston or the Mets, meaning the A’s might be out of the running for the AL’s top closer of 2003. If the deal stayed at three years then they would have a decent chance of keeping him in Oakland, but not at four years and 32 million.

If Foulke goes elsewhere, then Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill become possible answers in the A’s bullpen.

Very quiet on the Miguel Tejada watch. Kaz Matsui, the latest import from Japan wants to play ss for a west coast team, meaning Anaheim, Seattle, San Diego or LA. The Dodgers have Cesar Izturis who many scouts love, so it’s the Angels, Padres, or the Mariners for Matsui. The Mets aren’t out of the picture either if they would move their own ss Jose Reyes to second to accomodate Matsui. Don’t count on that one.

So where does this leave Tejada? The Angels still seem the most likely team to pay the price for Miguel, but don’t rule out Baltimore either. Much of what happens with Miguel will be decided after the Nomar-A Rod-Matsui circus comes to a halt.

LaTroy Hawkins will be a Cub, I still don’t see anyone outbidding Chicago for him. If Foulke doesn’t go to Boston, then Everyday Eddie Guardado becomes the Hub’s first alternative. With Pedro, Lowe and now Schilling on board, Boston cannot fool around with the closer by committee business in 2004, they will sign a legit closer.

The Cardinals could do a lot worse than signing Armando Benitez for their bullpen.

Someone wrote that St. Louis was considering adding Kenny Lofton to its outfield next year. Tony La Russa can’t stand Lofton, so I don’t see that happening in this lifetime.

As soon as Pudge Rodriguez decides where he will catch next year, then Javy Lopez will fall into line. I see the Orioles in the middle of this equation.

Wouldn’t Todd Walker be a good DH for some team? So far no interest.

The Mets made a big time offer for Luis Castillo and now will fight the Marlins and perhaps the Yankees for the second baseman.

If the Giants did trade Alfonzo and didn’t tender a contract to Aaron Boone, wouldn’t they have enough money for Tejada? Stranger things have happened.

Isn’t Bob Geren the next A’s bench coach when Terry Francona moves to Boston? A’s coaches Brad Fischer and Ron Washington might say something if they are overlooked once again for the number two spot.

The Reds should jump at the chance to hire John McClaren as manager. Anyone who can be Lou Piniella’s right hand man for ten years and survive, is over qualified to handle the Reds job.

Schilling was the first piece of the NY-Boston puzzle to fit, now it’s up to the Evil ones to make the next move which will have deep reprecussions in the market.

The next two weeks should be something to watch.