Does Schmidt love L.A.?

It looks like the Mariners will have serious company in their pursuit of top right-handed free-agent Jason Schmidt. The Dodgers are expected to join in the hunt, and the Yankees are another possibility.

Schmidt's handlers have been fighting an uphill battle to dispel the notion that he very much wants to remain on the West Coast. The Mets aren't convinced and are focusing elsewhere (Barry Zito), while the Yankees, said by one official to "love'' Schmidt, also are skeptical as to whether Schmidt would move 2,500 miles. This perception could end up costing Schmidt and making him the one true bargain among front-line starters in a free-agent market that's been described as "white hot'' by excited agents.

Lucky Soriano: $100-million man?

Folks doubted last winter whether Alfonso Soriano would score for $50 million on the free-agent market. But now it looks like he may come close to doubling that figure. Yes, $100 million doesn't look out of the question from here. The Phillies, Cubs, Angels, Astros and Orioles (plus the Nationals, if you count them) are all in the chase. The Angels are believed to be making an offer in the $80-to-$90 million range and will play Soriano either in left or center field.

The Phillies look like a good fit as they fill three of Soriano's perceived preferences. National League? Check. East Coast? Check? Contender? Check.

However, like the Nationals, they don't relish blanket no-trade clauses. Phillies GM Pat Gillick said, "We usually don't give them out." However, he didn't say whether "usually'' meant never.

Around the Majors

	The Red Sox let Johnny Damon defect to the Yankees, but now they appear willing to offer J.D. Drew a similar contract. Al Bello/Getty Images
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• Someone familiar with Boston's thinking says it intends to "play hardball" in contract negotiations with Daisuke Matsuzaka after paying $51.1 million for the rights to negotiate with him. But you have to know superagent Scott Boras will think of something. Smart money says they'll work out a deal with Boras but that it takes every minute of the 30 days.

• If Boston winds up paying J.D. Drew more than the $52 million Johnny Damon got from the Yankees, they might have to explain why they didn't just give that money to Damon. And another thing: Everyone will understand why Drew opted out of the contract that would have paid him $33 million over three years.

• Some Yankees people even suffered a little buyer's remorse submitting their $32 million bid for Matsuzaka. They're saying they earn only around $5 million a year in extra marketing/licensing/branding monies through Hideki Matsui. However, the guess here is that Boston figures out a way to easily beat that with Matsuzaka, even though they can't sell one extra seat (they're already sold out). The buzz is extraordinary.

• As reported here Thursday, Manny Ramirez trade talks have started up. And he does look like a rare 2007-08 bargain, not only because he has just $38 million and two years left now (cheap compared to what Soriano and Carlos Lee will get) but because there are two more club options, in '09 and '10.

• You know the market is going nuts when solid but clear second-tier pitchers -- like Ted Lilly, Jeff Suppan, Vicente Padilla and Miguel Batista -- may get $10-to-$12 million a year.

• That's when Zito starts to look like a bargain at $15 million per. One more Zito stat: He's 85-4 when the A's score at least four runs for him.

• Great idea by the Tigers bringing Sean Casey back for $4 million. Already his teammates are celebrating the return of one of baseball's truly great guys (and clutch guys, as it turns out).

• If the Angels don't land Soriano, the Ervin Santana-for-Carl Crawford proposed trade still seems like a good idea from here.

• Marlins people told teams that they will not consider trading Dontrelle Willis.

• The Diamondbacks are listening to offers on catcher Johnny Estrada, as first reported by Newsday.

• The White Sox's ultra-aggressive GM Ken Williams may consider trading not only one top starting pitcher but two from the list of Freddy Garcia, Javier Vazquez and Mark Buerhle. He's got Brandon McCarthy ready to go into the rotation, and he'd like one more young pitcher who's major-league ready.

• The Rockies are talking to several teams about trading Jason Jennings. The Twins and Astros have been reported to be interested. The Rockies would first seek a young starting pitcher, then a young center fielder (for instance, from the Yankees, they'd like some combination of Humberto Sanchez, Melky Cabrera and Scott Proctor). But most of all they are also trying to re-sign Jennings to a longterm deal, and if they can go that route, they'd prefer it. The guess here is Jennings re-signs.

• Tom Glavine doesn't expect the Mets to pick up the $14 million option (plus the $2 million they owe him for making the All-Star team) by Monday's deadline. But there's still a better chance than not they work out a one-year deal, say for $11 million or so. If not, Atlanta is Glavine's other choice.

• The Brewers would trade Geoff Jenkins if they could. And maybe Kevin Mench, too.

• Funny that A's GM Beane would interview everyone under the sun, then settle on his old buddy Bob Geren for manager anyway.

• And by the way, good luck to rookie managers Geren in Oakland or Bud Black in San Diego if their team winds up with Bonds.