The Dallas Morning News’ Kevin Sherrington doesn’t need to wait ’til Opening Day to imply the White Sox got the better of the John Danks/Brandon McCarthy swap.

Brandon McCarthy figures there’s no reason he’d monitor John Danks’ results in Chicago’s rotation, which puts the latest Rangers starter in a distinct minority among the faithful of his new team.

Any day now, some smart-aleck desk guy is going to suggest that the paper run their records side-by-side this season.

And if the comparison were to start, say, today, this is how it would look:

Pitcher W-L ERA Inn. H R ER W K
Danks 2-0 4.32 16 2/3 17 9 8 4 12
McCarthy 1-1 10.45 10 1/3 19 12 12 7 11

“I don’t put a lot of stock in spring numbers,” McCarthy said, and that’s exactly what I’d say, too, if those were my numbers.

Unfortunately, casual Rangers fans aren’t so sophisticated. They can remember when Danks was the hope of the club’s future “ the first or last “D” in “DVD,” we were never quite sure which “ only now Thomas Diamond is on the DL and Edinson Volquez is on the back lot, and Danks is knocking them dead in Peoria.

Your casual Ranger fan was already taking something for his or her blood pressure at the thought of Chris Young in San Diego. And in that deal the Rangers still got Aki Otsuka.

Prediction: If the numbers above hold for the regular season, I’m not thinking fans will console themselves by thinking at least they got David Paisano, too.

Mets GM Omar Minaya was just quizzed by Gary Cohen during the 6th inning of the Mets’ exhibition with the Astros (Houston currently leading, 5-3), and when asked about the status of Lasting Milledge, Minaya replied that it would be “unfair” to Da Edge to keep him on the big league roster merely to be the 4th or 5th outfielder. I suspect Shawn Green would concur.

Coming to a minor league ballpark near you (well, near me, anyway) : AL Rookie Of The Year circa 2003 Angel Berroa, scheduled to earn $8.5 million this season, and optioned yesterday by K.C. to the PCL’s Omaha Royals.