Twins Trade Rumors: Minnesota "Asking for a Ton" for Denard Span, Yankees Interested

Jon Heyman is reporting that the Yankees are looking everywhere for a center fielder, going to the Phillies about crybaby Shane Victorino (seems like a good fit), the Diamondbacks for Justin Upton, and the Twins for Denard Span. But as we've known, the Twins aren't as much shopping their starting center fielder as much as they're willing to listen. According to a source of Heyman's, "the Twins are asking for a ton".

Here's what he had to say in regards to the Twins and Span:

3. Span. The Yankees like him, too. But one source said "the Twins are asking for a ton.'' That's probably not a shock considering the interest all-around in center fielders. The Twins seem more open to dealing him than Josh Willingham, for instance, but that doesn't mean they're completely open to it.

Terry Ryan has said repeatedly over the last few days that no player is off limits, but this is a marked change from a year ago when the Twins were "listening" of offers for Span but made it blatantly obvious that they were willing to move him. Just like the situation with J.J. Hardy the previous off-season, it seemed as though the organization made it obvious to the entire baseball world that the player was available.

And that just kills a player's value. If the Twins do end up moving Span this year, and I'm not sure they do, at least they're going about it the right way. Last year I hated the idea for all the right reasons. This year, transparency from the front office in their goals and the way they're going about their business changes everything. Even if the endgame might be the same.

Phil Mackey has recently stated that the Reds have been scouting Span. No other team has been specifically tied to him yet.

Here are the stat lines for the three center fielders the Yankees appear to be interested in. Span seems far and away the best option for a number of reasons. (Salaries are in millions.)