Fans watch for trades as deadline nears

PHILADELPHIA --Alfonso Soriano, Miguel Tejada, Barry Zito and other stars soon could be changing uniforms soon. As Monday's non-waiver trade deadline of 4 p.m. EDT drew near, several teams were active Sunday.

The New York Yankees acquired Bobby Abreu and starting pitcher Cory Lidle from the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday for four minor league prospects.

Desperate for pitching and a productive bat in their depleted outfield, the Yankees took on Abreu's hefty contract, hoping the two-time All-Star right fielder can help them catch first-place Boston in the AL East.

"It's a team everyone wants to go to," said Abreu, who already has an apartment in New York.

The St. Louis Cardinals improved their infield, acquiring second baseman Ronnie Belliard from Cleveland for Hector Luna in the latest move by the underachieving Indians.

Belliard, an All-Star in 2004, gives the NL Central-leading Cardinals a steady, everyday second baseman for the stretch run.

The Texas Rangers, who acquired All-Star slugger Carlos Lee from Milwaukee on Friday, traded right-handed reliever Bryan Corey to the Boston Red Sox for minor league pitcher Luis Mendoza. The Rangers also acquired catcher Miguel Ojeda from the Colorado Rockies for cash.

Many players are being discussed in trade possibilities as contending teams try to improve their playoff chances and losing teams look to dump salaries and build for the future.

Zito, the Oakland left-hander who's eligible for free agency at the end of the season, has been mentioned in potential trade talks all season and has pitched under the close watch of scouts from around the majors. But the A's lead the AL West and general manager Billy Beane said Saturday he isn't planning any major moves, and expects Zito to stick around.

Washington has talked to several teams about Soriano and the All-Star left fielder could be going to his fourth team in four years.

Tejada said he has no desire to leave Baltimore, but the Orioles might be willing to part with the All-Star shortstop in the right deal.

Others possibly on the trading block include Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux, Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell and Pirates first baseman Sean Casey.

While they await their fates, Abreu is heading to New York. A .301 career hitter, Abreu fills a major void in the lineup. New York has been without injured outfielders Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui for most of the season.

"The commitment left with Bobby is a pretty good commitment," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "This club has worked so hard and with so much fight. If I could, I wanted to give it a chance to win."

Abreu's arrival could mean Sheffield won't return to New York next year. The Yankees hold a $13 million option on his contract for 2007.

The Phillies get left-hander Matt Smith and Class A shortstop C.J. Henry -- a first-round draft pick in 2005. They also landed rookie league catcher Jesus Sanchez and right-hander Carlos Monasterios.

"You never think you got enough, but we're happy with what we got," general manager Pat Gillick said.

Abreu received $1.5 million from the Phillies to waive his no-trade clause and accept the deal. The Yankees owe him about $4.3 million of his $13.5 million salary this year, plus $15.5 million next season. He has a club option for $16 million in 2008 with a $2 million buyout. The Yankees didn't exercise that option.

With trade speculation swirling, Abreu was pulled from Philadelphia's starting lineup about 10 minutes before the first game of Sunday's day-night doubleheader against Florida, but remained in the dugout.

When the trade was announced to the crowd before the ninth inning, Abreu got a standing ovation. He came out of the dugout, waved and blew kisses to fans.

"That was special. I was almost crying," Abreu said.

Abreu was batting .277 with eight homers and 65 RBIs. His 91 walks led the majors, and his .427 on-base percentage was third in the National League. He has 198 home runs and 841 RBIs over 10 seasons. Lidle provides depth in a rotation that has struggled due to injuries and inconsistency. The 34-year-old right-hander is 8-7 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 starts this season.

"I had to get Lidle or the deal didn't get done," Cashman said. "Philadelphia got some players in this deal. I'm tired of giving players. I want to get players."

When the Phillies first shopped Abreu last offseason, they wanted a front-line starter in return. Instead, they didn't get anyone they can insert into a struggling rotation.

Henry, the 17th overall selection in the 2005 draft, was the key to the deal for Philadelphia. He was hitting .232 with two homers and 33 RBIs in 76 games for Charleston in the South Atlantic League.

The trade reunites the 32-year-old Abreu with his former manager, Larry Bowa, who is the Yankees' third-base coach.

"There might be less pressure here than in Philadelphia," Bowa said. "He felt if he didn't do it, no one was going to do it."

An underrated player throughout most of his career, Abreu thrust himself into the national spotlight with a tremendous power display in the Home Run Derby during All-Star week last year, hitting a record 41 homers.

But the left-handed hitting Abreu has just 14 homers since, and hasn't gone deep since June 13, a span of 132 at-bats.

"We are not looking for him to do anything other than what he has been doing," Cashman said.

The Yankees have been without Matsui since he broke his left wrist in May, and Sheffield hasn't played since May 29 because of a wrist injury.

Sheffield is targeting a return in September, while Matsui is hoping to come back next month -- though that might be a bit optimistic.

"If we get those guys back, it's gravy," Cashman said.

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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York and AP sports writer David Ginsburg in Baltimore contributed to this report.