"It will always be fair to wonder if Brian Cashman was right or wrong not to give in to the Mariners' demands for Cliff Lee 14 months ago, and include either Ivan Nova or Eduardo Nuñez along with Jesus Montero, the centerpiece of the proposed deal.

But one thing for sure: After Montero flashed the opposite-field power that has had scouts comparing him to Mike Piazza for years, hitting his first two big-league home runs at Yankee Stadium on Monday, it's starting to look like the Mariners were the real losers in that rather famous near-deal.

In the end, they preferred Justin Smoak over Montero, deciding to trade with the Rangers instead, and so far that looks like a mistake.

Smoak, the switch-hitting first baseman, has been a disappointment, hitting .224 this season with 12 home runs and 45 RBI over 105games, with 89 strikeouts in 425 plate appearances. At 24 he is three years older than Montero, leaving scouts to look back now and wonder how Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik chose Smoak over the Yankees' top prospect.

"I'm sure they'd like a do-over," said one AL scout Tuesday. "Smoak has a lot of holes (in his swing), and he hasn't showed that he can make adjustments at this level. He might still get there and be a decent player, but he's got a long way to go. A lot of people didn't understand it at the time. Everybody could see Montero could really hit - whether it's as a catcher or something else.""