As the New York Yankees continued to negotiate with Juan Gonzalez on a contract extension on Saturday to complete the three-for-one trade with Detroit, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported the Yankees are moving even closer to a potential deal for Sammy Sosa.
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Stark reported that baseball sources indicated the Yankees and Gonzalez's agent, Jim Bronner, are so far apart on the terms of a contract extension that in all likelihood the deal will not happen. In the meantime, sources said the Yankees and Cubs were in a "heavy dialogue" involving a trade for Sosa.
The Cubs apparently have softened their demand for five players in exchange for Sosa. So, talk about that deal is now said by one baseball source to be "advancing." The trade also may be expanded to send pitcher Ismael Valdes to the Yankees.
The Cubs and Yankees, however, are prohibited by baseball rules from completing any trade until the Tigers and Yankees officially call off their own trade. That should occur sometime on Sunday as at that point the 72-hour window that the commissioner's office gave to the Yankees in order to work out a deal with Gonzalez will expire.
"A famous player and philosopher, Yogi Berra, said it right, it ain't hardly over until it's over," Sosa's agent, Tom Reich, said Friday night.
ESPN reported Thursday that the Yankees and Tigers had agreed on a three-for-one trade with Gonzalez going to the Yankees and the Tigers receiving outfielder Ricky Ledee plus minor league prospects Drew Henson, an infielder who is the University of Michigan's quarterback, and pitcher Randy Keisler.
On Friday, a source close to Gonzalez told ESPN's Peter Gammons that while Gonzalez has told many people that he won't go to New York, he is "very much open to the trade."
Gonzalez refused to talk about the possible trade on Friday before the Tigers' 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians. But he did laugh about it.
"No, not now," he said as he waved away reporters.
Jim Bronner, Gonzalez's agent, would not comment directly on what his client would do.
"We talked with both clubs," Bronner said. "We indicated something to both clubs. It's really something they have to work out."
New York isn't believed to be interested in giving up so much to have Gonzalez for little more than half a season. The Yankees, according to a person familiar with the deal, viewed Gonzalez's initial response -- thanks, but no thanks -- as a bargaining stance.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, watching New York's Class-A
team in Tampa, Fla. Friday, refused comment on Gonzalez, obtained by
Detroit from Texas in a nine-player trade during the offseason.
Before taking batting practice Friday, Gonzalez found all the speculation about him ending up in pinstripes amusing.
Just as Gonzalez walked into the Tigers' clubhouse, a TV report
from Chicago -- where the Yankees were playing the White Sox -- gave
the latest news about the deal. After listening in for a moment,
Gonzalez shook his head and then laughed out loud along with many
of his Tigers teammates.
But for now, the thought of adding Gonzalez has everyone
dreaming.
"He's playing for a team that has a lot of young players and
they have an opportunity to be good but he has an opportunity to
come to a team that has done so well three of the last four
years," said Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams, who played
Little League with Gonzalez in Puerto Rico. "The amount of boost
he would give to our lineup would be tremendous."
Williams, speaking in Chicago, said he could understand
Gonzalez's reluctance to play in New York.
"There are some very good players who have refused to come here
and play," he said. "I think it takes a special kind of
individual to play here, a player who is willing to sacrifice a
lot, keep his mouth shut and play through all kinds of expectations
for himself and the team, and is willing to win and play under all
kinds of circumstances.
"Sometimes it's great. It's the best place to play when you're
winning. It can also be hard. So I'm not surprised when some
players don't want to go through that aggravation."
Meanwhile, Tigers manager Phil Garner said he's not expecting Gonzalez to go anywhere.
"Everything he has told us is that he wants to be here,"
Garner said. "He wants to help make this club better."
After going 0-for-4 in the Tigers' 8-1 loss to the Indians, Gonzalez was batting .260 with 13 homers
and 30 RBI.
"He's been a beauty all year," Garner said. "I'm planning to
have him for the rest of the year."
On Tuesday night, the Yankees made a trade to address one of
their needs, acquiring infielder Jose Vizcaino from Los Angeles for
utilityman Jim Leyritz. Vizcaino can serve as a backup at second
base to the scatter-armed Knoblauch.
Some Yankees officials have argued that instead of offense, New
York should concentrate its efforts on pitching. David Cone (1-6)
and Clemens (4-6) have struggled, Clemens is on the disabled list
and Orlando Hernandez sprained an elbow last weekend.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Ricky Ledee agrees Sammy or Juan would be a great addition.
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