Trade speculation is always rampant in the Bronx and the latest scenario making the rounds had the Yanks dealing for Ken Griffey Jr. One Yankee official said simply, "Not happening," when the situation was posed to him.

Multiple baseball people familiar with the Yankees' plans said yesterday the team has been calling around to assess the trade market and that the Yankees could do something major if they don't start playing better by the end of the homestand. One of those people said the only untouchables on the roster would be shortstop Derek Jeter, third baseman Alex Rodriguez and starting pitcher Randy Johnson. That person didn't mention Mariano Rivera as an untouchable, but it's hard to envision the Yankees making any sort of move with their Hall of Fame closer. ...

The Yankees aren't ruling out the possibility of asking players such as Hideki Matsui and Bernie Williams to waive their no-trade protection if teams are interested enough to give something good in return for them.

"They're talking about almost everything," an official with a National League team said. "They're talking about players who used to be off-limits."

Among Yankees regulars, the only players who don't have no-trade clauses are catcher Jorge Posada and right fielder Gary Sheffield, and either could bring back a great deal in a trade if the Yankees were willing to help pay his salary. The question is whether such a move would constitute a change simply for change's sake, or whether the team could actually improve itself with such a major move. ...

The Yankees also would consider moving their two impressive rookies, pitcher Chien-Ming Wang and second baseman Robinson Cano, to teams that are out of the race and looking to make veteran-for-prospect deals. But that will cause a rift in the organization, as some believe the Yankees should keep Wang and Cano and build their future teams around them.