Williams accepts part-time role:

Also Wednesday, the Yankees spoke with agent Arn Tellem about Nomar Garciaparra, whom the club envisions playing multiple positions.

The Yankees will have interest in speaking with Roger Clemens now that the Astros have declined him arbitration. ...

However, Cashman and Boras were also engaged in discussion about Damon - talks that Boras indicated went well.

Phillies pick up some pitching:

For the moment, Looper is the only free-agent reliever the Phillies are after, but Gillick said they are in talks with a team about a possible trade for more pitching help.

That team could be the New York Yankees. The Yankees remain interested in outfielder Jason Michaels, and after the Chicago Cubs acquired centerfielder Juan Pierre from the Florida Marlins, that interest might pick up again. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman likes Michaels but wasn't willing to give up righthander Chien-Ming Wang to get him. But the Yankees might be willing to give up lefthanded pitching prospect Sean Henn.


Yanks ink Myers to power up pen:

In terms of righthanders, the Yanks have some interest in Rudy Seanez, who was not offered arbitration by the Padres. The 37-year-old was 7-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 57 games. He recorded 84 strikeouts in 60-1/3 innings.

Seanez is believed to prefer a return to Atlanta, where he pitched from 1998-2001, and the Yanks also are considering other options, including Octavio Dotel, Rick White and Julian Tavarez. ...

The Rangers have a glut of outfielders and will look to trade Brad Wilkerson or Kevin Mench, but they want pitching and the Yanks appear to have little to offer.

Yankees sign lefty Myers; Womack sent to Reds

The Yankees still hope to add another reliever or two to their setup corps, with free agents such as Roberto Hernandez, Julian Tavarez and Rick White in the mix. They also could sign old friends Ramiro Mendoza and Jeff Nelson to minor-league deals. ...

The Yankees could have interest in Texas outfielders Laynce Nix and Brad Wilkerson, but they probably don't have the dispensable pitchers or prospects to acquire them. Philadelphia's Jason Michaels remains a possibility.

Cashman said Felix Escalona could serve as the Yankees' reserve infielder, although the team has been in touch with free agents Nomar Garciaparra and Tony Graffanino.

Klap: Targeting Rocket:

The shortest measure of time in this hurry-up world has been the millisecond between a light turning green and the guy behind you leaning on the horn. That's how long it took for George Steinbrenner to devise a battle plan to pry Roger Clemens away from Houston's baseball community and set up one of the greater comebacks in modern Yankee history.

The engines are already humming. One Yankee official says, "It's only a matter of time" before the first phone call is made to Clemens' camp.

DAMON STILL A HOT ITEM:

Meanwhile, the price of obtaining Jason Michaels from the Phillies has gone down but probably not enough to make a deal. After hearing "no" for two weeks, the Phillies no longer are demanding Chien-Ming Wang in return. Instead, the Phillies like reliever Tanyon Sturtze and left-handed prospect Sean Henn for Michaels, who would play center. The Yankees have asked the Phillies about Michaels, 29, for two years but were told he wasn't available. With the acquisition of Aaron Rowand, Michaels has been shopped.

But the inclusion of Henn, 25, has some in the Yankees organization wary because Michaels has never been a regular player.

Via Pro Sports Daily.