Rest Assured: Tino Deal Likely Mariners, Yankees May Complete On-Again, Off-Again Trade Today

Worn out by telephone calls from two coasts, Lou Piniella went to bed early Tuesday night - relatively certain the trade everyone was so intrigued by would take place not long after he awakened this morning.

By midday, the Mariners and New York Yankees could finally have worked out the final details in the long-discussed trade of Tino Martinez to New York in exchange for left-handed pitcher Sterling Hitchcock and third baseman Russ Davis.

The deal will probably include a Seattle reliever - Jeff Nelson or Bobby Ayala - but that last remaining obstacle Tuesday night wasn’t over names, but over dollars.

The Yankees were talking to Martinez’ Florida-based agent about a lucrative, multi-year contract for Martinez, trying to agree in principle to a deal before making the trade.

The Yanks were able to start concentrating again on Martinez after signing third baseman Wade Boggs to a two-year contract worth about $4 million.

Piniella, beseiged by telephone calls for weeks, got more than a dozen from writers in New York and Seattle Tuesday night before announcing to his wife that he was going to bed.

Piniella may have rested well, believing the Mariners were about to get closer to their 1996 payroll budget while filling a pair of on-field needs.

Hitchcock, 24, could move into the Mariners rotation and Davis, 26, would at least get the first shot at playing third base. And in moving Martinez and either Nelson or Ayala, Seattle could cut more than $3 million off the player payroll.

With Don Mattingly’s apparent retirement - he has said only that he won’t be coming to spring training - the Yankees want Martinez, who is coming off the best year of his career.

When ESPN reported Seattle was in avid pursuit of free-agent outfielder Darryl Strawberry, they may have overstated the case. The rumor started two weeks ago, when Mariners executive Roger Jongewaard was watching the team’s No. 1 draft choice, Jose Cruz Jr., play in winter ball. One of Cruz’ teammates is Strawberry. Jongewaard, who worked in the Mets organization and once scouted Strawberry, renewed acquaintances. He said he was being friendly. ESPN apparently took it as the start of negotiations.