Winter Meetings start quick

Whoulda thunk it? A guy most renowned for his word skills -- remember "You dead, dawg" -- is among the first players traded at what should be Swap Meet 07 aka baseball's Winter Meetings.

That's right, oft-troubled Elijah Dukes gets a fresh start on life under noted second-chance taker Jim Bowden. Boy, I'd love to be a fly on the wall for one of their conversations. After all, Bowden is the same GM who offered the wonderfully sympathetic comparison of a possible strike in 2002 to "flying a plane into the World Trade Center."

Dukes could be a great steal for Bowden if the Washington GM can keep him focused on baseball. For the uninformed, the "you dead, dawg" reference is the message Dukes allegedly left on his estranged wife's cell phone complete with a picture message of a gun.

The player who gained the most after Day 1 of the Winter Meetings in Music City USA? Carlos Quentin. At one time, Quentin was one of Arizona's top prospects. Now he's headed to the south side of Chicago, hoping a fresh start with the White Sox will jump start his career.

One day, two minor trades. Hopefully it's an appetizer for three days of good eating around the Hot Stove.