Baseball may be the most temporal and transient of sports. Today’s teammate is tomorrow’s opponent. There was a time when management could trade players anytime, and free agency and its ripple effect have made that much more of a reality than ever.

Lefthander Cliff Lee, probably the most prized pitcher from winter’s free-agent class, is scheduled to play against the Texas Rangers tomorrow night at Citizens Bank Park.

Texas tried to bring Lee back. From outward appearances he was headed back to the Rangers or possibly to the New York Yankees. Only within the final hours did the Phillies emerge with a blitzkrieg offer, $120 million for 5 years that got the job done.

As excellent as he is, Lee had bounced around before nesting here. The Indians traded him to the Phillies, then The Phillies sold him towards the Mariners, and the Mariners dealt him to Texas in the middle of last season.

Nothing personal, just business.