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Yankees do some Byrd-watching as deadline nears

Jayson Stark of ESPN mentioned last night that the Mariners are now officially "out" of discussions regarding Marlon Byrd. But that doesn't mean the 36-year-old Phillies right fielder isn't going anywhere.

Long associated with Seattle throughout the madness of the Trade Deadline, Byrd's name also popped up when it came to Kansas City. However, both teams were included in a four-team no-trade clause Byrd revealed was a part of his contract. The newest team linked to Byrd, the Yankees, may not be.

The Yankees, per New York Post baseball writer Joel Sherman, aren't putting together anything "huge" for the deadline, but do have an eye on Byrd. They are reportedly discouraged by his vesting option in 2016, and according to Jon Heyman of CBS, they also seem to have issues with whether or not Byrd's "personality" would fit in their clubhouse. Heyman did not specify what exactly the Yankees would have a problem with in regards to Byrd's personality, which has never been an issue during his reunion with the Phillies.

Heyman reiterated the recurring accusation of the Phillies; that they are asking for too much in exchange for their players. It was this mentality that apparently broke up talks about Byrd going to the Mariners.

The Yankees' Brett Gardner-Jacoby Ellsbury-Ichiro Suzuki outfield isn't awful, but they would have DH as an option for Byrd, as Carlos Beltran's .239 BA has been a weak point. They have also discussed Josh Willingham of the Twins as an option.