They don't call Vlad "the Mute" for nothing.

"I've been fortunate enough to be around some pretty good players," Minaya said. "Sammy Sosa. Juan Gonzalez. I know all those guys. And this is one of the simplest guys I've been around."

Which isn't to say that Vlad is dumb. He's just a good ol' country boy. He looks little bit like a goat after all, albeit a very strong goat. (He acts like a goat sometimes too, which may explain why he was caught stealing 20 times last season.)

What makes Guerrero an oddity is that he doesn't crave the money or fame that a player of his caliber usually commands.

Guerrero grew up in almost incomprehensible poverty, in Nizao, Bani, in the Dominican Republic. For most of the great Dominican players, baseball has been the chauffeur that whisked them off to a better, ritzier, more comfortable life. Yet Guerrero continues to live on the same street where he grew up.

"This winter, I went to visit him," Acta said, "with Alfonso Soriano and another friend. I thought we'd have to search to find him. Instead, we found him sitting in the middle of the park there, with all the shoe shiners and the mojo concho (scooter riders) and all the people in the park.

"We spent the afternoon with him, and during the afternoon, there must have been 10 people who came looking for him, with problems, looking for money, people coming up with prescriptions and asking if he could help fill them.

"Imagine how hard that is, to stay that simple. But he's so humble, so down to earth. He doesn't want to separate himself from his roots. A lot of big stars move away. They get big places so nobody bothers them. He's not like that. He wants to stay with the people he grew up with."

As tantalizing an option as Guerrero would be for the Yankees, or the Red Sox, I fear that tampering with his little cocoon could effect his game. Maybe I'm not giving him enough credit. Anyone who can put up the numbers he does should be able to do it anywhere, right? I'd like to think so, but it would be a pity if Vlad signed a mega-deal and then faltered. Heck, Vlad is the Bizarro A-Rod, after all.

It would only be in keeping with his personality for him to do something completely different. (Maybe he'll sign with the Padres.)

"He needs comfort and familiarity," said an agent who represents several Expos. "He would best be served by staying with the club and its new owners. Clearly, new owners will want to keep their marquee player. If the new owners have the capital to invest in the purchase of a club, then they will likely factor in the cost of keeping one of the game's best players and, undoubtedly, their greatest asset.

"Washington is not much different in size than Montreal," the agent said. "Whatever the differences, being with the same guys and friends will make the transition easier for him."