• The Doug Mientkiewicz to Boston rumors persist, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune; however, a National League team is offering a fairly big chip in return for the gold glove first baseman.
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Mientkiewicz could be used as part of a package to land Pirates righthander Kris Benson, considered one of the best pitchers available. The Pirates had a scout at Sunday's game against the Orioles, although Mientkiewicz didn't start.
Another possibility is the Red Sox, although it's unclear whom the Twins would receive from Boston in a deal.
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According to the Star-Tribune, Mientkiewicz has been told by the Twins that he will be traded before the deadline.
• The Chicago Sun-Times reports the Red Sox would trade Nomar Garciaparra if the Cubs are willing to part with Matt Clement. However, considering the health concerns of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the Cubs aren't rushing into that deal. Meanwhile, a deal for another shortstop could be in the works for Chicago.
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A deal for shortstop Orlando Cabrera could be imminent, with Alex González again serving as the resident rally-killer, but Cabrera's slow bat speed and .240 batting average should be duly noted.
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• According to the Denver Post although Larry Walker would welcome a deal to a contender, he's not necessarily fond of a trade at the 11th hour.
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"If something gets dropped on me at the last second (at Saturday's 2 p.m. nonwaiver trading deadline), I won't even hesitate to say no," Walker said. "I would need time to talk about it and make sure it's right for everyone involved."
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Buyer beware, though ...
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"I am not feeling great. I get treatment (on the left groin) and really have to take care of it because it's still there," he said. "But we are winning, and it's a lot more enjoyable to come the ballpark when you are hearing music after the games."
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Walker has attracted interest from the Marlins, Red Sox, Braves and Rangers.
• The St. Petersburg Times reports Tino Martínez could become available to a pair of teams in need of a first baseman — the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
• According to the Arizona Republic, it appears Sunday's turn on the mound for Randy Johnson will be his last for the Diamondbacks.
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There are six days left until the trading deadline, and while the present is painfully clear, the future of Johnson remains a mystery. Yet there's a strange inner calm pouring forth from the temperamental pitcher, a new tolerance of intolerable games that makes one believe he already knows the outcome.
... Only a few precious hints emerged from Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Rockies. There was Johnson's fist pump after the fourth inning, a sure sign that he wanted this game to be special. There was his tip of the cap in the eighth inning, which Johnson admitted to be a farewell gesture.
The biggest clue was a remarkably honest disclosure from manager Al Pedrique. With two outs and two runners on in a scoreless game, Juan Brito came to bat in the seventh inning. He worked the count to three balls and no strikes. Johnson stood in the on-deck circle waiting for his turn to bat.
Incredibly, there were no plans to pinch-hit for the pitcher.
"He was going to be in there until he said, 'I've had enough,' " Pedrique said.
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• The New York Times reports the Yankees might have the minor leaguers the Diamondbacks are looking for in a deal for Randy Johnson afterall.
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"The ones that I more or less wrote up, yes, they would definitely help," Arizona scout Bryan Lambe said. "They wouldn't just help the Diamondbacks, they'd help every organization. But it's a matter of what they would be giving up. They'd be giving up, to a certain extent, the face of the Diamondbacks right now. I don't know what their thinking is."
myself if he screws us on this one. 
seeya later randy, we all loved ya.
