Magowan Criticizes Yankee Trade for Rodriguez

San Francisco Giant owner Peter Magowan said he thinks the trade that sent Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees is bad for baseball.

“In terms of competitive balance it is not good for baseball,” Magowan said Monday in his first appearance at spring training.

“The Rodriguez trade moves us back to where we’re escaping. The team with the highest payroll can add the highest-salaried player. It’s good that A-Rod is playing in a big market, but it should be another big market.”

Magowan also spoke about Barry Bonds’ chasing Willie Mays on the career home run list, and his desire for a salary cap. Magowan refused to discuss steroids, which have become an even bigger issue since Bonds’ personal trainer was indicted on federal charges of providing steroids to athletes.

Magowan, who grew up a New York Giant fan and idolized Mays, said the Yankees operate on a different level than every other team.

“I think all of us in baseball would prefer to get a salary cap if we could,” he said. “The Yankees are probably the only ballclub that would not want to have one. They have a payroll of $185 million. We’ll probably start the season at $80 million. The Yankees could be the only team to have to pay a payroll tax.”

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Chicago Cub pitcher Mark Prior will sit out five to 10 days of spring training because of an inflamed right Achilles’ tendon.

Prior, an 18-game winner last season, was injured during drills last week. An MRI revealed no tear, General Manager Jim Hendry said.

“We’re just going to make sure he’s 100%,” Hendry said. “He was in great shape when he got here.”

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Yankee right-hander Mike Mussina was scratched from his first spring training start after the death of his father-in-law. Mussina was scheduled to pitch the spring opener Thursday against Philadelphia in Clearwater, Fla. He is the probable starter for the regular-season opener March 30 in Tokyo against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.... Outfielder Carl Crawford and right-hander Seth McClung agreed to terms on one-year contracts with the Devil Rays.