Instead of fixing the warped financial blueprint Major League Baseball has been operating under for decades, commissioner Bud Selig and his newly formed competition committee came up with a radical idea to level the playing field: a floating division alignment system.

The crux of the idea is a team can switch to another division in the offseason so it can join teams that stink just as badly as it does.

While this is a preposterous idea that will never, ever happen, there are enough intriguing elements involved to give it a closer look.

In fact, why not just take it a step further: realignment for everyone!

Of course, both leagues must adopt the same rules. Either the American League will have to cough up the designated hitter or the National League will have to admit its product is inferior and adopt the DH.

Assuming that could happen, (it won't — getting Jon and Kate Gosselin to reconcile would be an easier task), then this realignment thing could be feasible.

The alignment can be based on the projected payroll for the 2010 season with a slight skew for the general success or stinkiness of the franchises.

It could look something like this:

The Daddy Warbucks League•

East Division: Yankees ($200 million payroll), Red Sox ($170), Mets ($140), Phillies ($140), Braves ($95)•

Central Division: Cubs ($138), Cardinals ($105), Tigers ($105), White Sox ($100), Twins ($96)•

West Division: Angels ($120), Dodgers ($100), Giants ($100), Astros ($93), Mariners ($90)

The Bob Cratchit League•

East Division: Pirates ($36), Marlins ($40), Indians ($65), Nationals ($63), Orioles ($75), Reds ($75)•

Central Division: Rangers ($58), Royals ($68), Rays ($72), Blue Jays ($86), Brewers ($85)•

West: Padres ($40), Athletics ($56), Rockies ($74), Diamondbacks ($79)Not a bad realignment. There are natural rivalries in each division and all would be ultracompetitive.Especially the Cratchit East, where the words "Pirates" and "playoffs" could be uttered in the same sentence without a Jim Mora-like outburst.The winners of the two leagues would square off in the Rich Man, Poor Man Series.In a short series, anything can happen. Yes, even the Pirates could topple the mighty Yankees in a best-of-seven series. It happened once before, after all.Of course, it isn't perfect. Some of the projected payroll numbers for this season are a bit out of whack.The Twins' payroll will most likely drop. The Rangers' will most likely rise.But the leagues could be realigned every two or five years.Then, everyone would be happy.And the Bucco fans would have a real reason to be optimistic each spring.