From today's Phil Arvia column:
"Well, that might be a little high," the source conceded. "But Mark's agent has been talking to someone. Whether it's Ken Williams or Rick Hahn, I don't know, but there have been discussions."
Buehrle joked on Saturday that quoting a source close to him was straight out of People magazine's style, adding with a smile that a friend riding with him on Saturday took credit as being the anonymous source.
In more serious tones, Buehrle, who spoke with Berry on Friday night, said that nothing had progressed in his contractual talks since Spring Training.
Masset and Kenny inside.
Masset on his recent struggles:
But the right-hander, who started for the bulk of his Minor League career entering last season, doesn't believe moving to a full-time relief role has contributed to his inconsistency.
"My arm feels great. I'm not throwing as hard as I used to, but my stuff is still good enough to get people out, as hard as I'm throwing now. I'm competing every day to do my best, to get ahead of hitters and attack them and get them out early. But I can't say the transition from starter to reliever has affected me. It could be lack of concentration right out of the gate. It's learning more how to pitch in relief, getting more used to pitching, coming in so many situations."
I'm perfectly willing, if we do not see a major-league-talent-for-major-league-talent deal that will help us now and beyond, or the few teams that have exactly what we would need, ... (to) sit back and just take the draft picks and determine our own fate rather than make a deal that just saves money when we don't need to do that."