Dykstra's Deep-in-the-Money Call: Yahoo!

In sports, the best deal is often the one that isn't made.

That may sound like a cliché, but it's true. Teams preparing for a run at the postseason often consider a number of trades to improve their team that never materialize. Key players on both winning and losing teams are often discussed.

But for all the trades that are completed in pro sports, there are many more that are left on the cutting-room floor. Trades often involve more than just the talent of the players. Chemistry, personality and a player's ability to adjust quickly are all key elements. And on the ball field and in the clubhouse, it can be hard for new players to gel quickly with the rest of the team. That's why it's often better to look within an organization for the answers to a team's shortcomings than to bring in outside help.

In the business world, sometimes it's just better to walk away ... at least for the immediate future.

Over the weekend, MicrosoftMSFT CEO Steve Ballmer announced his firm was withdrawing its offer for Yahoo!YHOO, nixing a long talked-about deal. Ballmer had upped his offer to $33 per share for Yahoo!, from $31 a share earlier. The total deal was worth $47.5 billion.

However, the two sides couldn't come to an agreement as Yahoo!'s management, or mismanagement, insisted on $37 a share. Yahoo!'s mismanagement insisted the offer did not adequately value the company's strengths, including its Web search advertising technology.