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'No foundation' Mets GM says his team out of Sheffield sweepstakes
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- The New York Mets are done trying to make a deal for Gary Sheffield, general manager Steve Phillips said Thursday night. Phillips talked again to Los Angeles GM Kevin Malone on Wednesday night, and came away convinced there was no way to trade for the disgruntled Dodgers slugger. "There is really no foundation upon which to continue the dialogue unless something changes," Phillips said before the Mets' game against Baltimore. Phillips said trade talks between the teams had been "philosophical and conceptual," but that no concrete proposals had been made. There had speculation the Dodgers were interested in outfielders Jay Payton and Alex Escobar, a highly rated minor leaguer. Sheffield demanded a contract extension or a trade before the start of spring training. When the Dodgers said they would not extend his contract, he said he wanted to be dealt to either the Mets, New York Yankees or Atlanta Braves. With no progress on a trade to those three teams, Sheffield told Malone this week that he would like to go to one of six other teams -- St. Louis, Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay, Kansas City or Texas. "One would have to be interested in any player who is capable of driving in 100-plus runs and hit 40-plus homers," Cubs general manager Andy MacPhail said Thursday night from Tucson, Ariz. MacPhail, however, hasn't talked to Malone since Sheffield increased his list of teams. To make a trade more convenient, Sheffield said he would be willing to reduce his $10 million salary by half, with payment of the other $5 million deferred.
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