Yanks discuss trading right-hander Wright to Orioles

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The Yankees and Orioles were discussing a deal Saturday that would send Jaret Wright to Baltimore for prospects.

Wright and Yankees teammate Mike Mussina filed provisionally for free agency Saturday, awaiting decisions on team options for 2007.

New York had until Sunday to exercise a $7 million option on Wright, a deal that carries a $4 million buyout. While the Yankees have until Wednesday to decide on Mussina's $17 million option, which has a $1.5 million buyout, the team and the pitcher's agent have been discussing a new two-year contract in the $20 million to $25 million range.

Wright, a right-hander who turns 31 next month, has been a disappointment in two seasons with the Yankees. He was 5-5 with a 6.08 ERA in 2005, when he injured a shoulder and was limited to 13 starts, then went 11-7 with a 4.49 ERA this year, only rarely lasting past the sixth inning.

A trade would leave Chien-Ming Wang and Randy Johnson, coming off back surgery, as the only definite returning starting pitchers for the Yankees, likely to be joined by Mussina. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman admitted Thursday that the team can't count on Carl Pavano, who hasn't pitched for the Yankees since June 2005 because of shoulder, backs, buttocks, elbow and rib injuries.

It was not clear which players the Orioles would send to the Yankees if a deal was struck.