Rosenthal: Sources Say Yanks Out On Santana

Within Ken Rosenthal's update on the Brewers signing of Mike Cameron came an update on the Santana-Yankees talks:

Another source, however, says the Yankees no longer are talking to the Twins about Santana and simply chose to keep their outfield intact rather than sign Cameron. Hank Steinbrenner has been the Yankees' executive most adamant about landing Santana, but he seemingly has backed off in his most recent public comments.

However, the preceding paragraph read like this:

The Yankees had pursued Cameron, but their decision to pass on him indicates that they still could be considering a trade for Twins left-hander Johan Santana. They might not have been willing to absorb the salaries of both Cameron and Santana, sources say.

The Brewers had wanted a quick answer from Cameron, intending to pursue other free agents if he signed with another club. The Yankees declined to jump.

So which is it? Pursuing Santana or out in the cold? Sources say a lot, huh? And thusly Rosenthal covers all the bases without being deemed crazy.

K-Rose is crazy. . . like a fox.

· CBS Sports has some quotes from Santana's agent:

Santana has been in Venezuela since the regular season ended, but he recently arrived in Fort Myers, Fla., to start his workouts. In his first published comments this winter, Santana told the local newspaper that he didn't know what to think about the situation.

"I'm a Minnesota Twin. That's all I know. It's up to them. Whatever they have to do is going to happen. It has nothing to do with me at all," Santana told the News-Press. "I said it from the beginning during the season last year, whatever will be the best for this team and this organization, I'll agree with that."

Santana's agent, Peter Greenberg, said Friday his relationship with Smith has remained strong through this drawn-out process as rumors -- both founded and otherwise -- swirl throughout the oversaturated sports media market.

Greenberg, in an e-mail, also insisted that he has not demanded to Smith that he complete a deal before Twins pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Feb. 17.

Please Mr. Greenberg, find a way to coax Bill Smith into ending this absurd hijacking of the MLB offseason.