Couldn't Kenny have offered more?

In need of an athletic outfielder, the Nationals have traded catcher Brian Schneider [30] and outfielder Ryan Church [28] to the Mets for outfielder Lastings Milledge [22], a league official confirmed Friday. The Nationals are scheduled to have a 3 p.m. ET conference call to talk about the deal.

Milledge, a close friend of Nationals manager Manny Acta when they were both with the Mets, most likely will play center field, a position Washington had serious problems with the last three years. When given a chance, he could provide some power. In 115 games the last two years, Milledge produced a .257 batting average with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs.

From a Mets point of view, the deal seems like a surprise, considering that New York acquired catcher Johnny Estrada from Milwaukee recently. But a baseball source said that the Mets were looking for a defensive player with leadership sills, and Schneider fits the bill. The Nationals will give Schneider $500,000 for accepting the deal. The source also said that Church most likely will be the everyday right fielder for the Mets.

The White Sox have backed off free-agent center fielder Aaron Rowand because they prefer to sign him for four rather than five years, according to a source with knowledge of their thinking. The Sox are among the teams interested in Japanese free-agent outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, a rival GM says, and also are exploring a possible deal for Pirates left fielder Jason Bay.