UPDATE: Yankees were "never close" to deal for Dan Haren - MLB

UPDATE: Jon Heyman of SI.com essentially backs up Stark’s report, saying the Yankees would be willing to trade Ivan Nova, Zach McAllister (previously mentioned in the Cliff Lee proposal) and other prospects, however they will not include Joba Chamberlain and pay the full $33 million remaining on Haren’s contract.

According to Heyman, the Diamondbacks have attempted to include Chad Qualls or Chris Snyder in the deal, in an effort to shed payroll.

8:03 AM: Oh, this is silly season alright.

Just hours after Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall told Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com that the Yankees were not the front-runners for Dan Haren, a source told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that the Yankees were “never close” to acquiring Haren on Friday.

According to the source, the teams did exchange names, however the Yankees rejected a proposal that would have sent Joba Chamberlain, 23-year-old right-hander Ivan Nova and two more prospects to Arizona. In turn, the Diamondbacks rejected a proposal that consisted only of prospects.

This is where I start to get a little bit confused. Stark writes that another hurdle between the teams, according to the source, is how much of the $33 million remaining on Haren’s contract the Diamondbacks are willing to pay. Arizona’s proposal would have required the Yankees to assume all of it. Meanwhile, the Yankees (and other interested teams) want the quality of the players included in the trade to be based on how much of
Haren’s remaining contract the Diamondbacks are willing to pay.

So, um, the Yankees may have included Chamberlain had the D-Backs kicked in some cash? I don’t buy it. Haren’s contract — approximately $4 million (of his $8.5 million salary) in 2010, $12.75 million in 2011, $12.75 million in 2012, $15.5 million club option ($3.5 million buyout) in 2013 — is actually pretty reasonable. And not in a “Yankees buy everything” sort of way. While still costly, he would be a pretty decent bargain for most teams.

Taking the money out of it, it just sounds like the Yankees are reluctant to give up on Chamberlain. Simple as that. And I gotta say, looking at Chamberlain for what he is at this point — a reliever who will be arbitration-eligible after the season — I’m not sure that makes much sense.

PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.

The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.

The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.

“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”

New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.

“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”

Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.

The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.

New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.

Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.