Super agent Scott Boras has opened the Matt Holliday sweepstakes by comparing his client to another star in his camp, Mark Teixeira. You will recall that Teixeira waited out the market last winter and got an eight-year, $180 million deal from the Yankees.

The New York Mets and Yankees have responded this fall by at least feigning indifference toward Holliday.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote: “The Yankees are strategizing ways to retain all three of their major free agents — Johnny Damon, Andy Pettitte and Hideki Matsui – sources told The Post. Damon and Pettitte are the priorities. But when asked if that meant Matsui had played his last game in pinstripes, one team executive said, ‘No, I hope we can figure out a way to have them all back.’

“Right now, the Yankees are much more focused on their own trio than they are on the three big outside free agents: Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and John Lackey.”

And Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News wrote: “Omar Minaya arrived at the GM meetings Monday night maintaining it was his obligation to investigate the price of top-tier free agents. However, a team insider told the Daily News he expected the salary demands of outfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay to be too high for the Mets.

“Instead, they expect to sign a left fielder from the second tier of free agents, or acquire one via trade, a team source said. Picking up a power bat in left field would allow the Mets to follow through on their intention of using Daniel Murphy as the primary first baseman in 2010.”

If the two New York teams actually balk at Boras’ demands for Holliday – and if the Red Sox manage to retain Jason Bay – then Boras may have to get creative to get Matt the sort of contract that, say, Alfonso Soriano got from the Cubs (eight years, $136 million).

Boras is the best. He usually finds a way to get his top guys top dollar. He will cut the Cardinals no slack.

So this will be a fun story to follow in the weeks ahead.

Many experts are predicting even less free agent spending – and, as a result, more trading – than last year. Mid-market teams like Cincinnati are looking to move salaries after taking big gate hits last season, so veteran hurlers like Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo could move into play.

This factor will also make the Hot Stove League more interesting than usual.

Stay tuned . . .

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while waiting for Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk to join the Blues’ offensive party:

• Who could a great player like Larry Johnson pass though NFL waivers unclaimed?
• After watching reality smack Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez in the face, will also-ran teams be less inclined to turn over their teams to rookie quarterbacks next season?
• Down at Mizzou, have any of the old Antlers turned out like this guy?
• Have you ever seen a bigger media darling than Derek Jeter?

But, hey, the guy IS pretty good on TV.

UPDATING YOU ON SOSA’S FACE

Former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa insists he is not headed down the Michael Jackson Trail with his face, despite photos which suggest otherwise.

“It’s a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and whitens my skin some,” he said during an appearance on “Primer Impacto” on Univision.

“It’s a cream that I have, that I use to soften [my skin], but has bleached me some. I’m not a racist, I live my life happily.”

Well, let’s hope so. If he starts getting nose jobs, Tipsheet will fret.

COACHING UP TYLER HANSBROUGH

You may have seen Our State’s Tyler Hansbrough starring in his first car commercial. And you may believe he is capable of better.

So this guy wants to help.

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “A former girlfriend of Alex Rodriguez says he has two paintings of himself as a centaur hanging on his bedroom wall. Now I’m having nightmares that I bet on A-Rod and he chokes in the Kentucky Derby.”

Pat Forde, ESPN.com: “It’s been a long decade. If you need proof, look at how much has changed since November 1999. John Calipari was in limbo between his failed NBA experiment in New Jersey and reinventing himself in Memphis. Rick Pitino was in midflop in Boston. Bill Self had a very talented team on his hands … in Tulsa. Bob Knight was embarking on what would be his last season at Indiana, months before video of the coach massaging Neil Reed’s neck came out and nearly a full year before IU student Kent Harvey asked the fateful question, ‘Hey, what’s up, Knight?’ Steve Lavin was at UCLA, Ben Howland was at Pittsburgh and nobody had ever heard of Jamie Dixon. Roy Williams, Gary Williams and Jim Boeheim were ringless. And hearing about it. Mike Krzyzewski was toying with North Carolina and seemingly would forever.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “On his way home early Thursday after the Yankees finished off the Phillies, New York skipper Joe Girardi stopped to help a woman who’d crashed her car. ‘It never would have happened,’ she told him, ‘if I hadn’t been driving on only three days’ rest.’”

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “You’ve probably heard Tony Dungy said the Buffalo Bills could be Michael Vick’s next stop. What you might not have heard was that when Lee Evans, the Bills’ leading receiver the last three and a half seasons, was asked if Vick would be a good fit, he told ESPN: ‘Probably not. I love him as a player and everything that he’s done for the league, but I don’t think it’ll be anything we’ll aggressively go after.’ Evans isn’t the owner or general manager, so it’s not his decision. But here’s the question: If Buffalo says no, who’s left? (And please don’t say Detroit.)”

Ostler again: “I hear A-Rod is dating Kate Hudson and Rachel Alexandra.”

MEGAPHONE

“Me, I don’t need money. The question is: Why did he do this? What is done is done. Does he hope to sell more books? It’s absolutely stupid.”

Marat Safin, ripping Andre Agassi for his tell-all book and vowing not to produce a similar literary effort.

INBOX

From our electronic mail bin:

“Well, you got one thing right, it is good to see BIG MAC back in baseball. It’s even better that his first foray back into the game is with the Cards. However, I think you are way off base about the  ‘cheating’ fans comment. It’s not so much the fans as the ‘cheating’ sportswriters and commentators who continue to drudge on about the topic. Quite frankly I’m bored and disappointed by the incessant sniping. It’s time for everyone to acknowledge their own culpability in creating the atmosphere that generated, supported and celebrated these activities and the results they produced. Until this is done the sniping is going to do nothing but continue to diminish the greatness of the game. It’s time to move on. What better time to
start that new slate than now.”

Jim Clayton

You are right. Many fans have made their peace with the Steroids Era — even it even bothered them in the first place — and moved on. That’s why Mark McGwire should just deal with this issue one time and turn the page for good. The only way this becomes a nagging issue for the team is if he stonewalls us on the topic. Then the media will keep sniping, as you say, because that is what we do best. Some media types figure they failed to do their job back then, so they want to make up for it now. Mark can deflect almost of that by coming clean on the topic.

ELSEWHERE ON STLTODAY.COM

Andy Murray needs to turn the team around on this homestand, lest he allow the season to get away.

Hockey Guy was most impressed by what he saw at Scottrade Tuesday night.