"As of Wednesday night, the Mets had not decided whether to trade Jonathon Niese, but according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation, the Yankees were one of four or five teams that had asked about the lefthanded starter.

San Diego, Boston, Colorado and Toronto were among the other clubs said to be expressing interest, although one source said that San Diego, after initially considering the idea, had decided not to pursue the 25-year-old.

Although the Mets are not actively shopping Niese, they are willing to seriously consider any proposals. One team insider described the asking price as high, and said the Mets were looking for major-league ready players, in addition to prospects."