Talking Chop

Here is the latest from Jayson Stark at ESPN:

Add the Dodgers and Yankees to the list of teams that have expressed some level of interest in Mark Teixeira.

According to clubs that have spoken with the Braves, the bulk of their conversations continue to be with the four primary teams identified Monday -- the Diamondbacks, Angels, Rays and Red Sox. However, there are indications now that the Dodgers and Yankees have "flirted" with the Braves on Teixeira in the last 24 hours, said an official of one team that spoke with the Atlanta brass.

Clubs involved in these discussions believe the Braves plan to take much of the day Tuesday narrowing their focus with each of the clubs involved and zeroing in on which available names make the most sense. They would then try to close in on a deal with the team, or teams, they think provide the best fit over the next 24 hours.

According to teams in this mix, the Braves aren't necessarily insisting on getting a first baseman back, but they've made it clear that's their preference. And if they don't get a first baseman in return, they still are prioritizing a big-league-ready bat as the centerpiece of any trade.

And here I thought we were boiling our list down to one or two teams (what does anyone know, really). I really, really like that last paragraph that says the "Braves aren't necessarily insisting on getting a first baseman back." That opens up the market a bit more and gets us out from under the tunnel vision we seemed to be in when we were insisting on a first baseman in return.