Nothing really new on the Farnsworth saga this morning.
All the New York papers are buzzing about it, but they are basically saying the same thing that the S-T and DMN are...that the Yanks hope to have Farnsworth locked up shortly, but that the Rangers are also strong contenders for him.
Kathleen O'Brien reports today that the Rangers are still in on Farnsworth and Matt Morris, and includes this amusing quote from Jon Daniels:
"We want to do what we can to take advantage of [this window]," Daniels said. "It's our first priority. ... [Owner] Tom [Hicks] has said from Day One that he's willing to do what it takes to make the club, not just competitive, but to do what it takes to be a championship club."
If that's what Tom Hicks has said, he's saying it pretty quietly. The past couple of years, it seems like he's been saying that he isn't going to spend big on payroll, that payroll would only increase if revenues increased.
Evan Grant's article with the DMN is similar to what was reported in the S-T, although Grant suggests that there's some question about whether Farnsworth is really interested in the Rangers' offer -- reportedly three years, with a fourth year option that can vest -- or if this is another instance of the Rangers being used as leverage to get the Yanks to cough up more cash.
Grant also has this quote from Jon Daniels, on what his response is to teams calling and asking about Hank Blalock:
"They have been told we're not going to trade Hank Blalock."
Which, of course, makes me happy.