Mets eye Buehrle, Contreras
Monday, June 25, 2007
BY DAN GRAZIANO
Star-Ledger Staff
With the Chicago White Sox sliding further out of contention, trade talks heated up this weekend regarding some of their potentially available starting pitchers.
The pitcher the White Sox are most likely to move is left-hander Mark Buehrle, who can be a free agent after this season. The Mets, Braves, Red Sox and perhaps a half-dozen other teams have expressed serious interest in Buehrle, though, as of last night, no team had formally requested a 72-hour window to negotiate a contract extension with him. That doesn't mean a deal won't be done, but the Mets have been telling teams that they won't trade any of their top prospects for a player they control only through this season.
According to an official with one of the teams involved, the Mets also have asked the White Sox about former Yankees right-hander Jose Contreras, who is signed through 2009. The official, who asked not to be identified because the deals he was talking about are not done, said the Mets would be more likely to give up top minor-league talent for Contreras than they would for Buehrle.
Perhaps fueling the Mets' interest in acquiring a starting pitcher is the news that the Braves have been making a strong push for Buehrle. Also pushing hard are the Boston Red Sox, who recently lost Curt Schilling to the disabled list. There was no indication last night that the Yankees were interested in Buehrle, though Boston's interest surely could pique theirs.
White Sox GM Ken Williams told Chicago reporters yesterday that he was considering making changes in light of the team's poor play, though he didn't say what those would be. A White Sox official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deals are still in the discussion stages, said it was "anybody's game."
"The way we're playing, I'm sure (Williams) is going to try to do something as long as it's reasonable and not irrational."
Yuck @ Contreras...
HELL NO would I trade Milledge for either of those guys. I'd give Humber and Sosa for Buehrle though even though that's far fetched.
