Yanks need a bat, but won't pursue Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds was briefly discussed when New York Yankee officials gathered Thursday to brainstorm ways to improve the team, but the Yanks "aren't ready to jump on that," according to a baseball official familiar with the team's thinking. However, adding a bat is something the Yankees are exploring as Thursday's 4 p.m. non-waiver trading deadline approaches, along with a starting pitcher and perhaps a lefthanded reliever. The Yankees have determined that those three types of players are their top priorities for possible deadline dealing, and in a gathering that included both Steinbrenner brothers, Hank and Hal, at Legends Field in Tampa, they went over options in each group. Among the starting pitching possibilities are Seattle's Jarrod Washburn, Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo, Toronto's A.J. Burnett and Texas' Vicente Padilla.... [read full story]