ESPN's Jayson Stark believes the Yankees will acquire Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle from the Phillies for 2005 first-round pick C.J. Henry and right-hander Steven White.
The Phillies could likely get better prospects for Lidle alone, but that so clearly isn't the point. Abreu's no-trade clause may or may not be a stumbling block. The Yankees are apparently prepared to pick up his $16 million option for 2008 in order to keep him happy, though it's not guaranteed that Abreu wouldn't want more to sign off on the deal. In taking Abreu's contract, the Yankees would be employing about $100 million more in talent than any other team in baseball. If they can win under those circumstances, well, Joe Torre really must be a genius.