BOSTON -- The Yankees have begun discussing possible trade combinations for Sammy Sosa, according to baseball officials, and while the two sides have more work to do, the Yankees have not blanched at what they heard from the Cubs and could close on a deal quickly, The New York Times reported in Wednesday's editions.
The Yankees have also moved deeper
into trade talks for Detroit's Juan
Gonzalez. Tuesday morning, Yankees
officials faxed a list of prospects they
would be willing to dangle for Gonzalez.
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| Sosa |
Cubs officials told the Yankees two
weeks ago that they would need a
significant package in return for Sosa,
one of the game's most popular players.
The Cubs have been scouting the
Yankees' entire organization for about
two weeks, and Yankees officials have
been concerned, as they wait to hear
from the Cubs, that the asking price will
be exorbitant.
But the names forwarded by the Cubs
make some officials believe that the
teams can eventually reach an
agreement. Before a trade is completed,
the Yankees would have to negotiate a
contract extension with Sosa, who
possesses the right to veto any deal.
Sosa could command a multiyear
extension for about $18 million to $20
million per season; his current deal
expires after the 2001 season.
The Yankees would have to surrender
their top prospect, Alfonso Soriano, in
a Sosa deal, and would probably
include prospects like Randy Keisler, a
minor league pitcher, as well as right-hander Jake Westbrook and
outfielder Ricky Ledee.
The relationship between the Cubs and
Sosa has deteriorated this year, part of
the reason Chicago is considering
trading the most popular member of the franchise.
There are about 10 to 15 players on the list submitted to the Tigers in the
Gonzalez talks, an organization executive said. The Yankees are not
eager to part with Soriano or another top prospect, Drew Henson, but
that does not necessarily mean those players will not be included in the
talks at some point.
Many of the players on the list are likely to be younger prospects who do
not have credentials quite as impressive as Henson, a third baseman
considered a top power hitter.
Dave Walling, the Yankees' top pick in the 1999 draft, likely was on the
list, as well as Brian Rogers, a fifth-round pick from the 1999 draft, and
outfielder Jackson Melian, who is batting .255 for the Double-A Norwich
Navigators.
With several weeks remaining before the July 31 trade deadline, the pace
of the negotiations has been slow. Executives from the Yankees and the
Tigers spoke regularly last week, but did not communicate Monday, as
Yankees officials prepared the list of prospects they forwarded to the
Tigers on Wednesday. But club officials say George Steinbrenner is pressing his
executives to make a move.
Both the Cubs and Tigers will at least ask for Henson, a player the scouts
believe has a chance to make a major impact. He attends the University
of Michigan and could be highly attractive to the Tigers, but he would be
an enormous risk for Detroit, as well.
Henson is a quarterback for Michigan and is undecided about whether he
wants to play football or baseball as a professional. For that reason
alone, the Tigers would probably not want to build a deal for Gonzalez
around Henson.
But if the size of the deal begins to expand, and the Yankees ask to
include a pitcher -- such as starter Hideo Nomo or reliever Doug
Brocail -- then the Tigers would almost certainly insist that Henson be
part of the deal, in addition to other prospects. | |
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Harold Reynolds does not believe Sammy Sosa will be in Chicago much longer.
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