01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, June 22, 2006

His priority is pitching, but general manager Brian Cashman knows the Yankees have other needs, too. As Melky Cabrera struggles and the Yankees play Bernie Williams more than they expected, their outfield needs are showing.

"If I find something that makes sense, we'll be aggressive," Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, said Tuesday. "But if I don't, we won't. I'm not opposed to outfield help at all. But I'm not going to do something that doesn't make sense."

Heading into lasty night's game, Cabrera had 7 hits in his last 46 at-bats. Still, manager Joe Torre says he considers Cabrera his everyday left fielder.

"He's had that magic wand, where every time he swings the bat, he hits the ball somewhere," Torre said. "Right now, he's a little overanxious. I know he's not as patient, and he certainly doesn't appear as comfortable. He's dealing with this for the first time since he had a good start for us."

The New York Daily News reported yesterday that the Yankees have had recent internal discussions about the Cubs' Jacque Jones. Those talks, the newspaper said, came at the behest of owener George Steinbrenner, who apparently was told about Jones by one of his cronies and then asked his staff to look into what it might take to acquire the right fielder.

It's likely that it wouldn't take much in the way of prospects since Jones is in the first year of a three-year deal worth about $12 million and the Yankees would essentially be offering a salary dump, though it's unclear if the Cubs would be willing to deal. Jones entered last night hitting .296 with 13 homers and 35 RBI.

ROUNDUP

WHO'S THE SOURCE? The Bush administration urged a federal judge yesterday to force two San Francisco Chronicle reporters to divulge who leaked them secret grand jury testimony of Barry Bonds and other athletes who took part in the government's BALCO probe. Noting that it is a crime to leak grand jury materials to the media, "there is no reporter's privilege in criminal cases, under the First Amendment or under common law," federal prosecutors Brian Hershman and Michael Raphael wrote in a 51-page brief. The attorneys said California's shield law protecting California reporters from divulging their sources does not apply to the federal probe of who violated a court order and leaked the documents. Reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada reported a series of stories beginning in 2004 detailing the secret testimony of Bonds, Jason Giambi and others who were called to testify before a grand jury probing the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

SELLERS' MARKET: Even though right-hander Jason Johnson lost eight of his last nine starts before being designated for assignment by Cleveland, and even though his career record is 55-94, Indians general manager Mark Shapiro says he should have no trouble trading the veteran right-hander. "There are more than a few teams who have had interest," Shapiro said. "And they're contenders."

ALL-STAR UMPS: Veteran umpire Jerry Crawford will work behind the plate at the 77th All-Star game on July 11 at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. Crawford, a crew chief in his 30th major league season, worked the 1989 All-Star game and five World Series. He'll be joined by Randy Marsh (first base), Fieldin Culbreth (second base), Jeff Nelson (third base), Mike Everitt (left field) and Alfonso Marquez (right field).

PUJOLS RETURNING SOON: Albert Pujols should be ready to come off the disabled list and play by Monday when the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series at home against the Cleveland Indians, manager Tony La Russa said yesterday. "Sooner than that? Maybe," La Russa said.

APPEAL IS DROPPED: Chicago White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson dropped his appeal of a five-game suspension yesterday for his role in the bench-clearing brawl in a game against the Chicago Cubs last month. Anderson had an appeal hearing scheduled for tomorrow. Instead, he began serving his suspension against the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday.

D'BACKS ON WAIVERS: The Arizona Diamondbacks placed pitchers Terry Mulholland and Russ Ortiz on unconditional waivers yesterday. Mulholland, who made his major league-debut in 1986, had no record with a 9.00 E.R.A. in five games this year. Ortiz was designated for assignment on June 13, which means the team is on the hook for the balance of the $33-million, four-year contract Ortiz signed in December 2004.