NEW YORK [bar] The Yankees have added Phil Hughes, the most highly rated of their top young starting pitchers, to the package they are offering the Minnesota Twins in exchange for two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana.
New York also is offering to send the Twins centerfielder Melky Cabrera and a third player, who would be a midlevel prospect, according to a baseball official who spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because the talks are ongoing. New York won't include Joba Chamberlain and doesn't plan to include both Hughes and Ian Kennedy.
If the Yankees are unable to reach an agreement in the next few days, they might terminate talks. Heading into the winter meetings, which start Monday in Nashville, Tenn., Oakland's Dan Haren is another starting pitcher who might be available in a trade.
Boston is considered to be the Yankees' chief rival in the talks to obtain Santana. The Red Sox are believed to have offered pitcher Jon Lester and centerfielder Coco Crisp, but Boston is thought to have thus far refused to include pitcher Clay Buchholz or centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels also are thought to be interested in Santana, who is due $13.25 million next year and can become a free agent after the 2008 season.
golf
Immelman, Rose tied in S. Africa
SUN CITY, South Africa [bar] Trevor Immelman and Justin Rose shot 5-under 67s on Saturday to share the third-round lead in the Nedbank Challenge.
The two players had seven birdies and two bogeys to reach 16-under 200 on the Gary Player Country Club. Three-time champion Ernie Els (69) was third at 11 under, four strokes ahead of Henrik Stenson (72).
IN OTHER GOLF NEWS
Frank Lickliter II shot an even-par 72 on Saturday at Orange County National in Winter Garden, Fla., to take a three-stroke lead after the fourth of six rounds in the PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament. The top 25 finishers and ties will earn 2008 PGA Tour cards.
Richard Finch of England shot an 8-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead after the third round of the New Zealand Open.
soccer
Beckham stars in exhibition game
WELLINGTON, New Zealand [bar] David Beckham set up three goals, scored on a penalty kick and played all 90 minutes, leading Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory over the Wellington Phoenix on Saturday in the Galaxy's exhibition tour finale.
'I was surprised because I am not a penalty taker, but Landon (Donovon) told me to have it and I was happy to,' he said. 'I saw the ball pretty well so I had every chance to score, and so this tour's ended up well for us.'
The English star thrilled the sellout crowd of 35,000 - the largest for a soccer game in New Zealand .
wrestling
2 Monarchs place in las vegas event
LAS VEGAS [bar] Old Dominion 141-pounder Ryan Williams placed sixth and Kaylen Baxter finished in eighth place at 149 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
Williams, ranked No. 17, had a 4-3 tournament record and lost 5-3 in the fifth-place match to Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin.
Baxter dropped a 4-0 decision to Boise State's Adam Hall in the seventh-place match and concluded the tournament with a 2-2 record.
skating
world champ fails to make GP final
SENDAI, Japan [bar] Barely eight months after capturing the world championship at home, Miki Ando failed to make the Grand Prix final.
A clearly nervous Ando tripped up Saturday to finish fourth behind winner Carolina Kostner of Italy at the NHK Trophy. A poor free skate dropped the Japanese star out of the top six qualifying spot for the Grand Prix final in two weeks in Turin, Italy .
Earlier, Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic defeated Japan's Daisuke Takahashi in the men's short program. Stephen Carriere of the United States, last year's world junior champion, was third.
European champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France won the ice dance.
swimming
Lochte breaks another U.s. mark
ATLANTA [bar] Ryan Lochte set his second American record in three days, winning the 200-yard backstroke Saturday night for his fourth victory at the U.S. short course national championships.
Natalie Coughlin went 3 for 4 in the three-day meet, adding the 100 freestyle title Saturday in a time that erased her own American record.
Michael Phelps won the 100 free for his second individual victory at the meet that was staged in yards instead of the usual Olympic meters.
Lochte led all the way in the 200 back, touching in 1 minute, 36.81 seconds and lowering his old mark of 1:37.68 set in March 2006.
in other news
Craig Nall signed with the Packers on Saturday to provide depth at quarterback behind an ailing Brett Favre and backup Aaron Rodgers. Nall, originally a fifth-round pick out of Northwestern State by Green Bay in 2002, spent his first four pro seasons with the Packers before signing with Buffalo in 2006 and spending time with the Bills and Houston this season.
Darrell Hackney, Denver's third-string quarterback, was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence.
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