Ben Maller’s Sports Rumors & Notes

Rumors Archive for December 05, 2006

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NBA Rumors & Notes

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Should the Suns get in the Kevin Garnett Sweepstakes if he does end up on the block? Well, yes and no. It is awfully tempting to fuel the speculation by arguing that landing Garnett would punch the Suns' Big Ticket to the NBA title. And the Suns are one of the few teams with a whole lot of assets to offer in a trade - big contracts, lots of draft picks and young players. ... To make a deal like that, the Suns would have to give up something really good, a player such as Shawn Marion or Amaré Stoudemire not to mention some draft picks and other players to make a deal work under the league's salary cap rules.

Corey Maggette to the Miami Heat for James Posey and a first-round draft pick. Maggette for J.R. Smith and Joe Smith of the Denver Nuggets. Or Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies to the Clippers for you know who. It doesn't seem to matter that the Clippers say they're not interested in trading Maggette. His name continues to be mentioned in trade talk throughout the NBA, league sources said, and the Clippers understand how things work. The veteran forward is a productive scorer with a below-market contract for someone with his credentials, so the talk won't end unless Maggette is traded. "We've had no aggressive discussions, with anybody that I know of, for any of our guys," Coach Mike Dunleavy said. "You get into situations where a lot of teams try to validate their positions by putting stuff out there about this guy or that guy. "Everybody runs stuff up the flagpole to try to create opportunities. We've had this happen with a few of our guys at times, but we're not going to talk publicly about trading any of our guys whether we're actively trying to or not."

If the Grizzlies are smart and hold off on bringing Pau Gasol back from a broken foot, they can work their way into the Greg Oden Sweepstakes. Big men like the Ohio State freshman don't come along very often, so all the losing would be worth it. ... That would be Isiah Thomas' best course of action, too, except he has a mandate from James Dolan to win, and Oden isn't coming to New York, not with the Bulls again in position to get New York's top pick if they so desire.

Nets center Jason Collins, the subject of recent trade rumors involving Portland's Jamaal Magloire, said he doesn't want to go anywhere. "This is the only team I've been on, the only team I've known," said Collins, who has averaged just 3.2 points and 4.8 rebounds through 16 games.

Making matters worse for the Bucks is that they now fear that forward Bobby Simmons might require surgery on his injured right heel and might be lost for the season. The Bucks will know more on Simmons' status later in the week. "We're not optimistic," general manager Larry Harris said.

Former Duke player Brian Davis' bid to buy controlling interest in the Grizzlies must close by Jan. 15, according to the purchasing agreement with majority owner Michael Heisley. Davis no longer would be bound to purchase Heisley's 70-percent share, and he'd lose several million dollars if the NBA hasn't approved the transaction by the middle of next month. Davis and a group that includes former teammate and NBA player Christian Laettner, have $1 million in escrow. They are expected to add a significant amount to the deal before the league concludes its approval process. Reached Monday afternoon by telephone, Heisley confirmed the deadline and suggested that Memphians follow his lead through the process.

15 games into this season, the NBA’s two-time reigning MVP Steve Nash is, a few months shy of his 33rd birthday, proving he still has plenty to show everyone. Leading the NBA in assists (10.8) by a comfortable margin, Nash is also tossing in a career high 20.5 points a game — giving him a chance to be the first 20-point, 10-assist man in the league since Golden State’s Tim Hardaway in 1992-93. “I think it’s all the new ball,” said a smiling coach Mike D’Antoni, knowing his star hates the NBA’s new composite rock. “Secretly, he loves it.” ... But it’s no secret that Nash is also playing nearly 37 minutes a game (36.8), up from last year (35) and two years ago (34.3) at a time when more rest time would seem prudent.

Knicks forward Jared Jeffries was given the all-clear from doctors to join full-contact practices today, and is expected to return to game action in a week to 10 days.

Chris Bosh, the Raptors all-star forward, missed practice yesterday with an inflammation of his left eye. You'll forgive Bryan Colangelo for sounding slightly on edge. "It's kind of scary," said Colangelo, the Toronto general manager. "The guy wakes up and (experiences) this light sensitivity. It started (Sunday night). He woke up (yesterday) and it was much more of a problem. "He can see. He's just hyper-light sensitive." Colangelo was speaking before he knew the results of Bosh's trip to the eye doctor yesterday afternoon. A club spokesperson said an examination revealed that Toronto's leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker is thought to be suffering from a virus in his left eye "similar to pink eye." The club said Bosh was put on medication yesterday and will be re-examined today before his status for tomorrow's game in Cleveland can be determined.

For the first time since they've been injured, Hornets coach Byron Scott said that David West's and Peja Stojakovic's injuries are serious and that the team is not just being cautious. "If this was April and we had 15 games to go and we had to win 10 of them to make the playoffs, I don't think they could play," Scott said. "It's that type of situation." Scott didn't provide any more details on the exact nature of either player's injury. The team originally listed West's injury as a strained right forearm, but swelling and soreness in his elbow is what's causing him trouble now. The team is calling Stojakovic's injury back spasms.

So it seemed out of character when Phil Jackson, unhappy with Andrew Bynum, his 19-year-old center, not only took Bynum's starting job away but publicly criticized the center, saying he was unhappy with Bynum's work ethic and his failure to be in uniform and on the court in a timely fashion. When asked about it before Monday night's game against the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center, Lakers Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has been serving as a personal coach to Bynum, minimized the incident. "I don't think we have a problem," Abdul-Jabbar said. "It was just a misunderstanding on [Bynum's] part. I don't see it as a long-term thing. He wants to play and he is working hard to earn his minutes. I don't think we will be talking about this again."

Bulls forward Ben Wallace has been playing pregame music through headphones and has been noticeably upbeat lately. "That's what winning does," Wallace said.

Tracy McGrady, less than 48 hours removed from a concussion delivered by a Dikembe Mutombo elbow, went through every drill, ran through every play in Monday's practice with the Rockets. McGrady stayed long after practice, working through shooting drills including his eyes-closed free throws, designed to hone his balance. He reported no remaining symptoms after a Sunday spent with severe headaches, almost entirely in the dark and far from the team's annual holiday party. But aside from McGrady's announcement that he is fine to play tonight against the Golden State Warriors, his recovery was most evident from the way teammates joked. "They're calling me Steve Young," McGrady said.

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy already requires Dikembe Mutombo to wear elbow pads at practice, though that has not prevented him from taking out Rafer Alston (twice) and Juwan Howard in collisions this season. "Deke's like a tornado," Van Gundy said. "He sets a destructive path. ... You don't know where or when he's going to hit. You know he will sometime during the tornado season, which for us is from October to hopefully late June."

Did You Know? On Nov. 28, the Kings took on the Clippers. Kings coach Eric Musselman's NBA career began with the Clippers as a ticket sales representative when he was in his early 20s, segueing into a position as an account executive and, three months in, an assistant director of scouting role. As for the Magic, Musselman was an assistant in Orlando from 1998 to 2000.

Patrick Ewing has been to three Garden games, sitting on celebrity row and receiving a rousing standing ovation Saturday from the Garden faithful. "The fans of New York have been showing me love ever since I left," Ewing said. "When I played, it was a love-hate relationship. But they've showed me nothing but love and respect since then. They've showed me they appreciate what I was about when I played."

Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson still talk about it every day, a dialogue that starts with something like, "How's the knee?" It might not be the most entertaining conversation, with answers such as "feeling good" or, less encouraging for the Lakers, "I've got a little swelling," but it's still an important daily routine for coach and player. And now he might face another issue after spraining his right ankle in the third quarter Monday. He left the game and didn't play again, though he did return to the bench. "We usually connect every day about how he's feeling because it's just such a day-to-day issue all the time," Jackson said before the game. "It's not like it's going to limit or inhibit him, but … there's still some things going on."

At the end of each month, the Cavaliers player who draws the most charges gets a bonus from coach Mike Brown. To Brown, drawing an offensive foul is one of the most exciting plays in the game. He has been known to plant kisses on his players' foreheads after they take one. There is almost no suspense in the monthly contests anymore. The guy going home with all the cash, and the kisses, is always forward Anderson Varejao. Varejao doesn't seem to get proper credit for it, but he might be the NBA's best at taking charges. This season, Varejao unofficially has drawn 18 offensive fouls in the Cavs' first 17 games, an incredible pace. Last season, the Phoenix Suns' Raja Bell led the NBA by drawing 76 charges in 79 games. That's an impressive number. Bell took one charge for every 38.9 minutes that he played.

The Nuggets' Julius Hodge, not happy with his assignment to the Colorado 14ers of the NBADL, made George Karl unhappy by complaining about it after his debut. "He's already got a bad attitude," Karl said. "Complaining and being labeled to have a bad attitude, I don't think he understands it. General managers read that and just go, 'Wow."'

The 76ers moves: switching 6-6 small forward/big guard Andre Iguodala to the point and inserting 6-7 rookie Rodney Carney in the starting lineup in place of veteran point guard Kevin Ollie. The results so far: a close loss in New Jersey on Saturday night and not-as-close loss to visiting Minnesota on Sunday night.

Guard Bobby Jackson said Monday that he's unlikely to play in Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers because of pain in his ribs. Jackson said he is scheduled to have more X-rays taken on his ribs to make sure there is no severe damage. Hornets coach Byron Scott said Jackson and injured Hornets David West and Peja Stojakovic would accompany the team on this week's three-game road trip, although West and Stojakovic will not play in any of the games.

Larry Hughes took part in Cavs practice Sunday in Houston and is expected to practice today, after the team took Monday off. His sprained ankle is holding up and he's improving. If everything goes well and there are no setbacks, there's a chance Hughes could return to the floor Wednesday when the Cavs play host to the Toronto Raptors. Hughes has missed the past nine games with the injury.

Dinner delayed is not dinner denied. The Celts coaches still are owed dinner by the players after Rivers and assistant Tony Brown beat Al Jefferson and Gerald Green in a one-possession game, but the winners didn’t dine here. “We’re going to wait,” Rivers said. “We told them we’re going to table it. But trust me, when we go, they’ll know. We’re going big. Our coaching staff figures New York’s more expensive, so we’re going to wait until we can find maybe a nice French restaurant.”

Nets forward Richard Jefferson is getting his game going again since the ankle problems: He's averaged 23 points on 52.5 percent shooting (21-for-40) and six rebounds in the last three games, while getting to the line with amazing regularity (31 attempts). "I'm getting there," he said. "(About) 80 percent. But no setbacks, every day it's getting better, and Tim (Walsh, the trainer) is doing a good job of keeping me on top of it."

Knicks center Eddy Curry, who has taken over late in the past few games, was asked the difference between this year and last year. He said, "Last year I was sitting on the bench cheering for my teammates in the fourth quarter."

Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.com interviewed Lakers star Kobe Bryant and asked him about playing at Staples Center under the old lighting system against the Clippers: "Not as romantic, man. You can't have a date with the lights on."

When the NBA Players Association filed two unfair-labor-practice charges Friday against the league, Timberwolves forward Mark Madsen said, it knew it risked looking bad. Five weeks into the 2006-07 season, union members still are fussing about the new synthetic basketball? Do players actually prefer a league that doesn't have "zero tolerance" on complaining to referees about their judgment? The NBPA filed its charges to the National Labor Relations Board in New York in what Madsen, the Wolves' union rep, said was as much about principle and protocol as it was specifics of the complaints. "The goal of our union is not to be an adversarial relationship," Madsen said. "It's to communicate and represent. "We recognize that [commissioner] David Stern and the NBA have done the best job possible in making this the greatest sports league. Right now, this is just a feedback situation through the proper channels to continue the dialogue." In other words, the union is objecting to these and other unilateral moves by the NBA, such as last year's dress code, that don't acknowledge the 2005 collective bargaining agreement between the NBPA and the league. It seeks player input into such decisions.

There is no question that the Hawks need the continued 1-2 scoring punch of Joe Johnson and Tyronn Lue, who has established himself as the Hawks' clear No. 2 scoring option, never mind that he comes off the bench every night. "I haven't been in a scoring role like this before [in the NBA]," Lue said. "Coach said to give us some stability and score, and I just feel comfortable out there. I'm more confident."

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich winces when asked about his career shooting mark. "I feel like I can be at least a mid-40 percent shooter," he said. "I'm a good enough shooter where I need to shoot a higher percentage."

Mavs rookie forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu will be assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers when the team returns from the current road trip on Wednesday, Avery Johnson said. The coach added that first-round pick Maurice Ager is likely headed to the NBDL affiliate later this month. Ager was inactive for the first time Monday, having tweaked his right ankle Friday against Sacramento. Rookie guard Jose Barea will stay with the Mavs for the foreseeable future. Johnson said the Puerto Rican playmaker is a valuable practice body.

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MLB Rumors & Notes

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

The rumor du jour concerning the Mariners had the Giants, Red Sox and Mariners working on a three-team deal. The Mariners would wind up with Manny Ramirez to play left field, the Giants would get Richie Sexson to play first base and the Red Sox would get closer J.J. Putz and center field prospect Adam Jones, among others. Seattle would, under one scenario, also land starting pitcher Noah Lowry.

Casual interest in Jason Jennings has graduated to concrete proposals with the Rockies considering a three-way trade with the Cubs and Pirates involving young pitchers and outfielders Jacque Jones and Brad Hawpe. The Cubs offered Jones, who formally requested a trade at season's end, and pitcher Carlos Marmol or Angel Guzman for the Rockies' opening-day starter. Under one scenario, the Rockies, who prefer Marmol, would keep Jones and ship Hawpe to the Pirates for starter Paul Maholm. ... Jennings' situation remains fluid. The Astros - Taylor Buchholz likely would be requested by the Rockies, with outfielder Chris Burke unavailable - and Rangers (reliever C.J. Wilson is attractive) are in the mix.

According to several industry sources, the Orioles have had serious discussions about a deal that would send second baseman Brian Roberts and pitching prospect Hayden Penn to the Atlanta Braves for power-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche and second baseman Marcus Giles. The deal has "several hurdles," according to a source familiar with the trade talks, with a major one being Peter Angelos' preference to keep Roberts, who has long been a favorite of the Orioles' owner. As of late last night, a club source said it's very unlikely that the deal would get approved.

The Astros remain in talks with the Colorado Rockies for Jason Jennings. They also have inquired about San Diego Padres ace righthander Jake Peavy, who would likely come at a higher price, considering his age and relatively cheap contract for a player of his ability. To avoid tampering charges by discussing interest in players under contract with other teams, GM Tim Purpura declined to publicly comment on the Astros' quest for Jennings and Peavy. Nonetheless, a top major league official with knowledge of those talks assured the Chronicle that the Astros are interested in Jennings and Peavy.

A White Sox source said the team had discussed the availability of three-time Gold Glove center fielder Vernon Wells, who can become a free agent after the 2007 season. Wells, a two-time American League All-Star, batted .303 with 32 home runs and 106 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2006. The Blue Jays would seek at least a starting pitcher and a center field prospect for Wells, who turns 28 Friday and has driven in 100 runs or more in three of five full major-league seasons. Wells will earn $5.6 million next season. Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye ($7 million) and Wells could be the two premier outfielders on the free-agent market after the 2007 season. Williams was careful not to specify any interest in fan favorite Aaron Rowand, who was dealt to Philadelphia last season in the Jim Thome trade.

The Red Sox are expected to meet soon with the Milwaukee Brewers to inquire about the availability of their former closer Derrick Turnbow. They also were expected to meet with the representatives for free agent reliever Doug Brocail. Epstein could not say when the Red Sox will have finalized their search for a new closer. “We’ll definitely have a closer by Opening Day, but we’ll likely have one before the month is over,” Epstein said.

The Rockies also called the Blue Jays on Monday about center fielder Vernon Wells, though Toronto would have to get an overwhelming offer to consider moving him. Concern over Yorvit Torrealba's previous shoulder injuries also has motivated the team's pursuit of free-agent catcher Rod Barajas.

The Los Angeles Angels have strong interest in 1B Adam LaRoche, and the Braves might listen if the Angels are willing to part with a package that includes utility man Chone Figgins and a pitcher. However, the Angels consider 23-year-old starter Ervin Santana and top setup man Scot Shields nearly untouchable.

While the Mariners' spotlight on free-agent pitching has been almost exclusively on Jason Schmidt, it turns out the team is in the mix for free-agent left-handed starter Barry Zito. Only Zito, 28, has a higher profile than Schmidt, 33, among available free-agent starting pitchers. Zito has always liked Seattle as a city, confidantes say, and now there are broad hints that the Mariners' interest is strong and getting stronger. Those around Boras say the main players for Zito's services come from the East Coast -- the Mets and the Yankees -- and from the American League West. The Los Angeles Dodgers were interested but seem to be pulling back. The Angels are only mildly interested, and the A's, Zito's old team, can't afford him. That leaves Texas and Seattle. ... Zito, a Californian to his soul, isn't thought to be wild about living in the Dallas Metroplex, although sufficient money could change his mind. He's always lived on the West Coast. For the moment, the team on the West Coast with the most interest seems to be Seattle.

According to someone who was at the meeting, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told his people yesterday morning that a deal with the Red Sox for Manny Ramírez was "the longest of long shots." One Dodgers official rated the chances of a deal "at 5 percent . . . at best."

Milwaukee Brewers fans who watched outfielder Kevin Mench play over the final two months of the 2006 season might be astonished that teams actually want to trade for him. "I think people might be surprised at the interest we're getting in him," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Monday as baseball's annual winter meetings commenced. The Baltimore Orioles talked to the Brewers about Mench during an afternoon meeting and the Philadelphia Phillies are showing considerable interest as well. ... The Phillies might be willing to part with veteran right-hander Jon Lieber in a deal involving Mench. Lieber, 36, who is signed next season for $7 million, went 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA in 27 starts for Philadelphia last season.

On the first day of Major League Baseball's winter meetings, a rival executive revealed that Dave Littlefield is pursuing veteran outfielder Trot Nixon, late of the Boston Red Sox, through free agency. It is something of a surprise, as Nixon, 32, hardly fits the Pirates' stated goal of finding a young, left-handed power bat. But, as Littlefield made clear after his initial face-to-face dealings with agents and other general managers yesterday, he is not ruling out any avenue. ... At any rate, if Nixon is one fallback, Milwaukee outfielder Geoff Jenkins could be another. It seems the Brewers gladly would accept a minimal trade return so long as some team picked up most or all of his $7 million salary for 2007, but there are no takers so far.

Dontrelle Willis isn't going anywhere. That's what the Florida Marlins are telling anyone who inquires about the personable and gifted lefty. The Yankees did call and so did the Mets and they were both told the same thing. At long last, the Marlins - this time with the direct involvement of commissioner Bud Selig - are making progress on getting a new stadium deal in downtown Miami, which would preclude any more payroll-dumping by them. Besides, Willis isn't costing them a whole lot right now and they have him under control for two more years.

The Red Sox told the Angels that closer Francisco Rodriguez or setup man Scot Shields would have to head any package for Manny Ramirez. It's possible Boston would accept a package led by one of the Angels' two young starting pitchers, Ervin Santana or Jered Weaver. But the Angels, whose organizational pitching depth thins out considerably beyond the big league staff, would prefer not to move any pitching for Ramirez. Boston inquired about shortstop Orlando Cabrera and middle infielder Maicer Izturis, because it needs a shortstop, and it likes outfielder Juan Rivera.

The Twins are expected to meet with the Colorado Rockies during the winter meetings this week about righthander Jason Jennings. Jennings, 28, was only 9-13 for the Rockies last season, but his 3.78 ERA was the best of his career. Jennings, the 2002 NL rookie of the year, has pitched at least 181 innings in four of the past five seasons, which would satisfy the Twins' needs for a durable No. 2 starter. His availability is increasing because the Rockies aren't making progress in signing him to a contract extension. "All I keep saying," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said, "is that I'm looking for starting pitching." ... Colorado needs bullpen help and a young starting pitcher in return. The Twins could deal either righthander Juan Rincon or righthander Jesse Crain (who's from Colorado) and throw in a nearly ready prospect, such as Scott Baker or Glen Perkins. The Rockies know the Twins don't want to trade righthanders Matt Garza or Boof Bonser.

The Orioles are very intrigued by Tampa Bay Devil Rays center fielder Rocco Baldelli, who is said to be available. However, one American League executive, who was aware of the Devil Rays' asking price for Baldelli, said it would probably take Loewen and Ray for Tampa Bay to sign off on the deal. The Orioles might do one of the pitchers for the oft-injured Baldelli, but not both.

The Padres need a second baseman and like 2B Marcus Giles, a San Diego native whose brother, Brian, is a Padres outfielder. Marcus stands to make more than $5 million as a fifth-year arbitration-eligible player, and the Braves think they can fill in with a less costly player, perhaps Figgins, who could hit leadoff.

If the Padres sign Greg Maddux, the Dodgers would turn their attention to free agent Jason Schmidt and, perhaps, Gil Meche, Ted Lilly or Jeff Suppan. Colletti expects Schmidt to wait until Barry Zito, considered the top free-agent pitcher, makes a decision and sets the market.

The market for ex-D-Back Luis Gonzalez appears to be gaining steam, and a deal could be done by Thursday. Gonzalez’s representatives had meetings scheduled with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore and St. Louis, and that there has been contact with San Francisco, although general manager Brian Sabean said Monday he is interested in bringing back Barry Bonds.

The A's are waiting to hear back from Mike Piazza, to whom they have offered a two-year deal to replace Frank Thomas as their designated hitter. Piazza reportedly is weighing another offer from Texas. His agent, Dan Lozano, said last week that the potential for winning would be the most important factor in Piazza's decision. "Coming here, he'll have a chance to get at-bats every day as a DH and play on a team that we think will compete again for the AL West," A's assistant general manager Dave Forst said Monday. He said Piazza would be the DH almost exclusively and be third on the catching chart behind Jason Kendall and Adam Melhuse. Lozano said that is fine with Piazza.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said yesterday that after tomorrow, a trade of Manny Ramirez is “not going to take much more of this team’s energy. We’ll strictly be listeners. We can’t spend all our time trying to trade our elite position players.” By Thursday, most, if not all, of the 30 teams who have gathered at these winter meetings will have begun to leave. As of last night, none made an offer for Ramirez that the Red Sox consider good enough to move one of the best right-handed run producers in major league history. “There hasn’t been anything on the 5-yard line (with Ramirez),” said Epstein. “After Wednesday, we want to have a clear purpose. (Ramirez trade talks are) not limiting our progress but we’ll flush out the major trade market by Wednesday and move on.” By publicizing that they are going from “explore” to “listen-only” mode, the Red Sox not only showed that they needed to proceed with other moves but they also sent a clear signal to teams they had better sweeten their offers soon, at least, if they are serious of landing Ramirez.

Phillies GM Pat Gillick, who had dinner with Burrell while attending the Arizona Fall League last month, said he "doesn't see any problems" with a player who is guaranteed $27 million over the next two seasons. And senior adviser Dallas Green, while warning that Burrell has reached a crossroads in his career, said he "still has a lot of faith" in him. Gillick did his talking across the dinner table. And while the rumor circulating in the lobby yesterday was that the Dodgers were a dark-horse team that might have some interest, the Phillies' general manager insisted he isn't in a hurry to deal him away. "I don't think [Burrell] is a problem," he said. "The guy wants to play every day. He wants to do well. He wants to win. He likes playing in Philadelphia. I don't see any problems with him. "I was [in Arizona] for the fall league and I decided to have dinner with him. We talked about a number of things. Of course, if somebody wants to make an equitable trade, or something we think makes sense, we'll trade anybody." Burrell had 29 homers with 95 RBI last season. But only 10 of the homers and 37 of the RBI came after the All-Star break.

Kansas City is ready to overpay to try to win the bidding for free agent right-hander Gil Meche, who is expected to receive three years at $30 million or four years at $36 million. Seattle would like to re-sign Meche, who is also receiving strong interest from Toronto and the Chicago Cubs, where Meche's former Mariners manager, Lou Piniella, is now filling out the lineup card.

The Orioles also spoke with the Atlanta Braves, and according to several baseball sources, second baseman Brian Roberts's name was discussed. The American League team source though said there was "not really" a possibility that Roberts would be traded to the Braves. The deal discussed would send second baseman Marcus Giles and first baseman Adam LaRoche to Baltimore.

The Giants reportedly have inquired about right-fielder Jacque Jones, who was unhappy with the treatment he received at Wrigley Field in the first year of a three-year deal. Jones has $10 million remaining on his contract and the Cubs could use that money to help offset the deals for starting pitching.

The Rangers remain interested in Mike Piazza and spoke with his agent as recently as Monday afternoon. However, their understanding was that Piazza would prefer to remain in California and sign with the Oakland A's. If Piazza does go elsewhere, the Rangers could continue to look externally. They could also use Frank Catalanotto more at DH than in the outfield or have Jason Botts fill that role, at least in part. How they fill the DH role will also depend on whether they find a veteran (i.e. Kenny Lofton) to play center field or go with one of their own players.

The Cubs are one of the finalists for free-agent left-hander Ted Lilly, having offered a four-year deal worth an estimated $40 million, major-league sources said Monday on the opening day of baseball's winter meetings. Lilly, 30, who went 15-13 with a 4.31 ERA with the Blue Jays last season and is 59-58 lifetime with a 4.60 ERA, would give general manager Jim Hendry a No. 2 pitcher to follow Carlos Zambrano in the rotation. But Hendry denied a deal was done during a media briefing, saying widespread rumors of the deal were "completely erroneous." Lilly's agent, Larry O'Brien, was meeting with the Blue Jays late Monday and was to meet Tuesday with the Cubs, Giants and Yankees.

Although the Pirates are thought to have approached several pitchers, the main target remains Jeff Suppan, formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals. Littlefield has remained in touch with Suppan's agent, Scott Leventhal, despite a price tag that could approach four years and $40 million.

The Braves have heard some offers for starting pitcher Tim Hudson, who hasn't met expectations in two seasons and is owed $32 million over the next three seasons. But they wouldn't trade Hudson unless they could get another proven starter.

Brian Cashman says he's focused on his pitching staff at baseball's winter meetings, and to that end the Yankees hope they still have a chance to bring back left-hander Ted Lilly. Lilly's agent, Larry O'Brien, arrived at Disney World last night and has scheduled meetings today with the Yankees, Cubs, Mariners, Giants and Blue Jays. There was talk yesterday that Lilly was close to signing a deal with the Cubs, but Yankees officials as of last night said they hadn't heard that and were still anticipating a meeting today with O'Brien.

Baltimore spoke with the Seattle Mariners and Richie Sexson, the slugging first baseman, was mentioned in passing but there does not seem to be a serious possibility he will be traded to Baltimore either, according to a high-ranking American League team source. The Mariners, though, do have young outfielders Adam Jones and Jeremy Reed, and the Orioles could dangle one of their young pitchers to fill their outfield need.

Dodgers manager Grady Little, the Red Sox-ex, had his comments from Santo Domingo filter north. In essence, Little said he wants the Dodgers to make a trade for Manny Ramirez. “I know how to handle Manny Ramirez,” said Little. “I respect him as a player and he was a marvelous ballplayer in Boston. There aren’t many like him and the Dodgers need a player of his stature. Manny would be a great Christmas present. Who wouldn’t want a gift like that?” The Angels have long been known to be a favored destination for Ramirez, and the Angels clearly could use his bat, not in the least for the protection it would provide Vladimir Guerrero. But there are indications that Angels owner Arte Moreno may be becoming impatient with the speed at which GM Bill Stoneman works and that Moreno may press for Stoneman to speak with the Red Sox about Ramirez. It is believed Angels manager Mike Scioscia, though, is not a proponent of acquiring players with questionable attitudes or work ethics.

The Giants reportedly are kicking around the name of Reds power hitter (and strikeout artist) Adam Dunn. The Giants are not looking merely at corner outfielders, a source said, but also those who can play center. Two who are said to be available are the Cubs' Jacque Jones and the Devil Rays' Rocco Baldelli. The Giants also have had conversations with Philadelphia about Pat Burrell and Milwaukee about Geoff Jenkins, but nothing is imminent.

Yes, free agent Barry Zito is on Omar Minaya's list. The Mets' GM talked with agent Scott Boras yesterday in what was labeled a preliminary meeting, and they are expected to get together again, perhaps as soon as today. Minaya made it clear yesterday the Mets have a value in mind for the left-hander they won't deviate from, despite reports that the Texas Rangers are prepared to pay the 28-year-old Zito $100 million over six seasons. "I just can't worry about what other teams are doing," he said. "I know what we like and what we feel (Zito's) value is and that's all we can do."

General manager Brian Sabean and executive vice president Larry Baer spoke late Monday via conference call with Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, who's playing hardball and, according to a major-league source, asked the Giants for an $18 million, one-year contract plus a vesting option that could bring a similar salary in 2008. Such a proposal, which matches the average annual salary of Bonds' previous pact, seems ridiculously high for someone with so many legal issues who'll be 44 at the end of the contract, if it reaches fruition. But to reiterate, when the subject is Bonds, you never know.

As baseball's winter meetings began Monday, the Nationals were trying to drum up a market for Ryan Church, hoping to find a team willing to part with a prospect -- preferably a pitcher -- in return for the 28-year-old who has only 527 major league at-bats. Potential suitors include Detroit, Pittsburgh, Houston and the Chicago Cubs. Church angered some Nationals officials when he declined to play winter ball in Mexico, where Bowden wanted him to work on hitting off-speed pitching. Church's agent, Jeff Borris, advised against it.

Pittsburgh also has interest in Braves 1B Adam LaRoche, who hit .285 with 32 homers and 90 RBIs last season, and could make about $2 million in his first year of arbitration. The Pirates have a wealth of young pitchers but are reluctant to trade any.

Other starters of interest to the Rangers include Jeff Suppan and Miguel Batista. They have not spoken with Ted Lilly's agent in several days, and indications are he might be close to signing with the Chicago Cubs. The Baltimore Orioles are prepared to trade Rodrigo Lopez, which could be a fallback option for the Rangers.

The Colorado Rockies asked the Yankees about perpetually injured right-hander Carl Pavano, but the Yankees balked when Colorado asked them to pick up at least half of the $22.95 million still left on Pavano's deal, with runs through 2008.

The Jays have two pitchers targeted, but only one, Gil Meche, that they are really intent on signing. The other is Ted Lilly, a 15-game winner with a personality they are extremely familiar with. That's one reason he drops below Meche on the wish list. The Cubs are reported to be front-runners on Lilly, with a four-year offer in the area of $40 million. The Giants are also in the Lilly mix. Meche is a popular target for the Royals and with the Cubs if they don't pluck Lilly.

Talks between the Red Sox and Dodgers cooled because Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti considers Theo Epstein's demands exorbitant. Boston wants three of the top six Dodgers prospects, including outfielder Matt Kemp and potential closer Jonathan Broxton. The names of James Loney, Andy LaRoche, Chad Billingsley and Scott Elbert also came up. The Dodgers plan to rekindle talks after Theo Epstein meets with every potential Manny Ramirez suitor this week because, expensive as he might be, Ramirez has Hall of Fame talent, is one of the few available sluggers and would fill an acute need.

If Barry Bonds' emphatic declaration earlier in the summer that he had no wish to play again in Pittsburgh was not enough proof that it will not happen, Littlefield doused the subject on the Pirates' end with a rare acknowledgment of a specific free agent. "I would say, at this point in time, we've got some other people who probably fit better," Littlefield said of Bonds. "He's certainly had a great career and is one of the better players to ever play the game."

One industry source said yesterday that the Orioles have brought up shortstop Miguel Tejada 's name in trade discussions, but that assertion was strongly denied by a club official last night.

The Astros have received quite a bit of interest in outfielder Willy Taveras and infielder/outfielder Chris Burke. Third baseman Morgan Ensberg and reliever Brad Lidge also have been mentioned as potential trade bait because the Astros will likely have to move money to re-sign Pettitte or Clemens or add another significant starting pitcher's contract.

Those Manny Ramirez-to-the-Dodgers rumors persist, with San Francisco seen as another slight possibility. Not only is manager Grady Little encouraging general manager Ned Colletti to bring Ramirez to Los Angeles, bench coach Dave Jauss and hitting coach Eddie Murray are also in Ramirez's corner. Jauss was with Ramirez in Boston. Murray was with him in Cleveland.

The Cubs may sign left-fielder Cliff Floyd to platoon in left with Matt Murton, and may sign Kenny Lofton to a one-year deal to play center, leaving Alfonso Soriano to play in right. Floyd is believed to have the Cubs as his first choice, and Hendry is known to be interested.

One of the targets might be Mark Mulder, but the D-Backs have not made an offer, sources said, and it is unclear how they view him. The D-Backs are believed to have seen the medical reports on Mulder over the weekend. Byrnes would not confirm that. Nor would he say when Mulder might be able to pitch this season after undergoing shoulder surgery Sept. 12, an issue that appears to be clouding negotiations. Mulder, who has a gentleman’s agreement with St. Louis that he will not accept its offer of arbitration, would like to settle into a situation before his wedding later this month, his representatives indicated, although it is uncertain if that is doable.

The most serious bidder for Rodrigo Lopez appears to be the Milwaukee Brewers, who have discussed outfielder Kevin Mench. He would seem to be a logical fit since the Orioles need a left fielder. He averaged 25.5 home runs in 2004-05, but hit only 13 last year, and only one in 40 games after being traded to the Brewers at midseason.

The Angels were said to be interested in Chad Tracy, but D-Backs officials said there had been no contact. Tracy’s contract — he has three years remaining at $13.25 million, including a $1 million buyout in 2010 — makes him a very desirable quantity, both to the D-Backs and to a potential trading partner, because of the volatility of the market.

Mike Piazza looks like he's headed to the American League. The A's have shown the most interest in the ex-Met, while Piazza also has drawn attention from the Rangers. Piazza, 38, hit .283 with 22 homers and 68 RBI in 399 at-bats with San Diego in his lone season as a Padre.

As Monday's opening day of the meetings came and went, several signs pointed to the Nationals as a potential third team in a Ramirez trade -- a conduit through which the Red Sox can move Ramirez to a team such as the San Francisco Giants or Seattle Mariners while getting back the combination of pieces they want in return. "We're in the middle of it," Bowden said with a sly smile, demurring in response to a casual question about the big-buzz plotlines dominating the discourse in the teeming hotel lobby Monday. "It ends up involving us somehow." Then, with a mixture of reservation and glee, he added, "I don't know how we get in the middle of it." By evening, a Nationals official quickly shot down a speculative question regarding the team's involvement in the Ramirez talks. But with the Nationals setting their sights this week on long-term growth, Bowden himself seemed energized by the mere thought of being involved in something so big.

Two other Nationals have been the discussion of much talk among other clubs, according to sources -- second baseman Jose Vidro and closer Chad Cordero. The difference: The Nationals would love to unload Vidro and the $16 million remaining on the final two years of his contract, and the club would love to keep Cordero, who will be 25 next season.

Former All-Star closer Dan Kolb is intrigued with the idea of trying to revive his career with the Marlins, who play at pitcher-friendly Dolphin Stadium, said Damon Lapa, Kolb's agent.

Jim Duquette and Orioles Executive Vice President Mike Flanagan said they did not have trade talks about shortstop Miguel Tejada.

Phils GM Pat Gillick confirmed the Phillies could make an offer to free-agent righthanded reliever Octavio Dotel. "We have some interest," the general manager confirmed. Dotel, 33, pitched only 14 games for the Yankees last season because of arm problems, but has a 3.75 career earned run average.

There were strong indications last night that the Phils were looking to get a starter from the Chicago White Sox, who have depth in their rotation and could be looking to reacquire outfielder Aaron Rowand. The Phils are not actively looking to deal Rowand, but Shane Victorino's emergence in center field late last season has them believing they could get value for Rowand or a package that included him.

The Orioles had a better chance at getting outfielder Geoff Jenkins from Milwaukee for Rodrigo Lopez. As for Seattle, the Orioles inquired about left-handed-hitting first baseman Ben Broussard, who could be used in a platoon with Kevin Millar at first base. Broussard's price tag likely would be either Lopez or Wright. Of course, the Orioles would prefer dealing for slugging first baseman Richie Sexson, but the Mariners have not backed down from their asking price of Bedard.

GM Omar Minaya met with Rangers officials yesterday, and the sides discussed the Mets acquiring reliever Akinori Otsuka, multiple sources told the Daily News. Texas asked for 2005 first-round pick Mike Pelfrey in early discussions, but Minaya is believed to have indicated neither he nor '04 first-round pick Philip Humber is available. The starting-pitching-starved Rangers were apparently willing to consider a swap that includes Brian Bannister and John Maine, but that price was too high.

Multiple baseball officials said yesterday that the Phillies have made it known to other clubs that they would trade righthander Jon Lieber. Any deal would be contingent on the Phillies' acquiring another starting pitcher, either through a free-agent signing or a trade.

Multiple baseball sources said Monday the Marlins continue to have strong interest in Rocco Baldelli, but Florida is reluctant to part with any starting pitcher Tampa Bay would want in exchange for the Devil Rays' center fielder.

A source close to Sammy Sosa said that, although he is considering emerging from retirement, he was unaware of any contact with the Pirates.

The Padres, attempting to boost their outfield depth and right-handed power, yesterday agreed to terms with Jose Cruz Jr. for $650,000. Flush with money resulting from some $30 million in payroll relief, the Padres are still considering an investment in pitcher Greg Maddux, whose agent, Scott Boras, reportedly seeks a two-year deal worth $22 million to $25 million. Padres General Manager Kevin Towers said Maddux, 40, apparently will chose between San Diego and the Dodgers this week.

Astros GM Tim Purpura and agent Barry Axelrod might meet here to put the finishing touches on a personal services contract for Jeff Bagwell. Although Axelrod has received one inquiry from a club interested in signing Bagwell, the club icon is close to finalizing a personal services contract with the Astros and officially going into retirement, perhaps as early as next week.

Yuslan Herrera, a 25-year-old right-handed starter and Cuban defector, finally cleared immigration and entered the United States over the weekend, agent Jaime Torres confirmed yesterday. He had been waiting in the Dominican Republic for more than a month for a visa. Herrera is staying in Florida, but he is expected to meet the team Thursday -- possibly Friday -- in Pittsburgh to have a physical and sign a three-year major-league contract. Financial terms of that deal, not yet known, were agreed upon two months ago. "We're very happy to have him here," Torres said.