Its December 27th and it appears that the Rangers are getting antsy. The Star Telegram reports that Rangers owner Tom Hicks has told Scott Boras that if his client does not accept their offer by this weekend they will explore other options.

The Mets, according to a source at The Daily News, have yet to make an offer. The Yankees are being rumored in the papers to have interest in Zito if they can trade away Randy Johnson, however some have argued that the Yankees are not as willing to make a run at Zito as some may make you think. Zito has not pitched well against the Yankees or many of their AL East rivals, which could hold some weight in their decision. The Yankees have found themselves overpaying for quite a few free agent pitchers over the past few years and with a front office now more closely controlled by Brian Cashman than George Steinbrenner, its less likely the Yankees would make a 'at all costs' deal under his regime. 

The decision to pass on one player, Carlos Beltran, could have actually been their biggest mistake. After a rocky start with the Mets, Beltran has comfortably settled into his new environment and solidified the solid core of young stars in Queens. Its still anyones guess whether or not the Yankees will make a play, and its in their best interest to play coy than drive up the price. What it does do is add another dimension to how Boras treats his negotiations, and in classic Boras style play the teams against each other.

So now we wait to see what will happen first. Will the Zito negotiations now drag out until if and when the Yankees can find a suitor for Randy Johnson? Will the Yankees deny any interest in Zito and remove any leverage Boras might have playing to that angle? Stay tuned.