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New York seeking answer by Monday night from Twins for deal. BoSox show patience.
Dukes
Pettitte
Quentin
Santana
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The New York Yankees appeared set to pull out of trade talks for Johan Santana unless the Minnesota Twins were prepared to strike a deal late Monday night.
“I want to get it done by tonight, one way or another,” Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said as he left Legends Field, the team’s spring training home in Tampa, Fla. “I’m waiting for a meeting in Nashville, and then Brian will give me a call.”
As Steinbrenner was speaking, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was talking to reporters in the Yankees’ suite at the sprawling Opryland Hotel, where the four-day winter meetings began. Cashman, much more cautious in his public comments than Steinbrenner, said he had not yet spoken with the Twins but wouldn’t say whether he planned to later Monday.
New Twins GM Bill Smith didn’t seem concerned about the deadline. Of course, baseball teams let deadlines pass all the time only to resume talks later.
“We’ve got good players. We have players that maybe other clubs would like to acquire,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of years where we keep going over and picking up the phone receiver to be make sure the dial tone was still (there). We couldn’t get the phone to ring.”
That’s not a problem these days, with the Yankees and Boston Red Sox both pursuing Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who can become a free agent after next season, and other teams inquiring about closer Joe Nathan.
New York offered pitcher Phil Hughes, center fielder Melky Cabrera and a midlevel prospect for Santana. The Red Sox are thought to have offered Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury — but only one of them — as part of a deal.
While the Yankees pressed for a decision, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein didn’t express any time pressure. He said there was no expiration date on any of his trade talks.
New York did get a left-hander Monday: Andy Pettitte decided to pitch for the Yankees next season rather than retire.
Pettitte’s agent, Randy Hendricks, said Monday that the 35-year-old lefty had started telling teammates on Sunday. Hendricks then informed Cashman of the news.
Hendricks said Yankees captain Derek Jeter and catcher Jorge Posada had lobbied Pettitte to return, and the pitcher consulted his wife.
After Pettitte declined his $16 million option last month, wanting more time for his decision, the Yankees left him a standing $16 million offer.
In other news:
•Washington acquired outfielder Elijah Dukes from Tampa Bay for minor league left-hander Glenn Gibson.
•The Chicago White Sox obtained outfielder Carlos Quentin from Arizona for minor league first baseman Chris Carter.
•Boston reached a preliminary agreement on a $3 million, one-year contract with reliever Mike Timlin.
•The Yankees finalized their $4 million, two-year deal with backup catcher Jose Molina and designated first baseman Andy Phillips for assignment.