Time to talk trade as deadline looms

This is what happens during trade-deadline week, when every lineup change, minor-league transaction, or scout's visit crackles with significance and portends heavily on the dealings to come. Or not:

• Angels beat reporters enter Mike Scioscia's office, and notice that his computer screen has Jason Schmidt's home page up. Instant conclusion: The Angels must have interest in Schmidt, whom the Giants continue to insist is not on the market.

• White Sox closer Dustin Hermanson misses time with lower-back pain, raising concerns about his availability for the stretch drive, despite MRIs that show no major damage. Instant conclusion: The Sox are in the market for a closer, a group that includes Danys Baez, Jose Mesa, Miguel Batista, possibly Billy Wagner (a free agent after the season), and the Mariners' mystery man, Eddie Guardado, whom sources say doesn't interest the Sox but beguiles just about everyone else.

• The Mariners demote outfielder Chris Snelling to Class AAA Tacoma, then change their minds and bring him back before he reports to the minors. Instant conclusion: The Mariners have a deal brewing that involves Randy Winn, and keep Snelling to take his spot — a scenario that the Mariners insisted had no truth whatsoever.

In this last, frenzied week before next Sunday's deadline for making deals without waivers, truth is often the first casualty. But with 22 of 30 teams entering the weekend within 6-½ games of a playoff berth, and numerous prominent players believed to be on the trade block, there are definitely deals to be made.

The Mariners have yet to publicly concede the obvious — that they are hopelessly out of contention — but most baseball officials expect them to reluctantly come to that conclusion this week and join the forlorn realm known as "the sellers."

That would put into play any number of veteran players, a group that can be roughly defined as everyone not named Ichiro, Beltre or Sexson.

Any number of Mariners pitchers are known to be coveted by contenders, led by Guardado (who has a limited no-trade clause), Jamie Moyer (who has complete veto rights), Ron Villone (who throws with his left hand, and effectively) and Gil Meche (who throws effectively just often enough to convince other teams that they can find the elusive keys to consistency).

Considering that conspicuously available rent-a-player A.J. Burnett (6-6, 3.68 ERA) of the Marlins is setting hearts aflutter across the tightly bunched American League East and beyond, you have to figure that a decorated war horse like Moyer would be a great enticement to a team that feels it's just one starter away. And that's a category that includes just about everyone this side of the Cardinals.

Winn is said to be of particular interest to the Yankees as a center fielder, which just reinforces how poorly poor Bernie Williams plays the position in his dotage. Winn, while a competent left fielder, has never been highly regarded for his work in center. But he remains upright, which is a step forward.

By all accounts, the teams that stand to be aggressive sellers, as in fire-sale time, constitute a smaller group than normal.

Put the Devil Rays in that group, of course (Baez, Aubrey Huff, Julio Lugo, Eduardo Perez), along with the rest of the perennially downtrodden: Colorado (Shawn Chacon, Dustan Mohr, possibly Jason Jennings); Cincinnati (Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns, David Weathers, Rich Aurilia, Kent Mercker; also Ken Griffey Jr., who has veto rights but has indicated a willingness to waive them, probably a moot point given his daunting contract); Pittsburgh (Mark Redman, Kip Wells, Josh Fogg, Daryle Ward, Matt Lawton); and Kansas City (Mike Sweeney, Jeremy Affeldt, Mike MacDougal, Matt Stairs, Terrence Long).

The bubble teams, whose ultimate trade stance might depend on how they fare in the next week, are the Mets (who have numerous contract-heavy veterans to dangle, such as Mike Piazza, Mike Cameron, Kaz Matsui and Tom Glavine), Phillies (who have reportedly at least broached the possibility of dealing Jim Thome, though his contract and health make that extremely unlikely), Cleveland (Kevin Millwood and closer Bob Wickman), and Detroit (Jason Johnson, Rondell White).

Others who may be available under the right circumstances: Texas's Alfonso Soriano, Minnesota's J.C. Romero and Kyle Lohse, San Diego's Phil Nevin, San Francisco's Brett Tomko, Florida's Mike Lowell, Baltimore's Jorge Julio, Larry Bigbie and prospect Hayden Penn (the key pieces in the Burnett deal being kicked around), the White Sox's Jose Contreras or Orlando Hernandez and Toronto's Ted Lilly.

The Padres reportedly have a trade for Nevin in place that would bring pitcher Sidney Ponson from Baltimore, but Nevin would have to waive his limited no-trade clause to push the deal through.

The Blue Jays are an intriguing X factor. The Jays were given a $20 million windfall when SkyDome was renamed the Rogers Centre in February — too late to use on free agents. So the money is still available to pick up high-priced talent, if they so choose.

It's one of those hidden factors that could mean everything in the upcoming days. Or not.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com