Updated 12:50 PM

Jon Heyman of SI.com says via twitter that Carlos Beltran essentially controls the show with regards to where he is traded because of his no-trade clause.

Wasn’t that always the case? Has something changed?

He does believe that even though the Rangers did their best to acquire Beltran, the Giants are still the heavy favorites to land the Mets centerfielder.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post agrees and says that Beltran’s new agent Scott Boras is pushing for Beltran to get traded to the Giants, because they will have the payroll to re-sign him after the season.

Sherman also says that one player he hears being mentioned as part of a Beltran deal is LHP Jonathan Sanchez.

Updated 11:30 AM

This just in from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/ken_rosenthal/status/96235750923841537″]

I don’t know where they get this stuff, seriously I don’t, but I thought you hould know.

Quantity or Quality?

Who is determining the quality of the players? Scouting reports, advanced metrics, gut feelings?

Original Post 9:30 AM

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, wrote that teams are telling the Mets no whenever they bring up the names of their top prospects in return for Carlos Beltran.

They asked Atlanta for Mike Minor, Julio Teheran or Arodys Vizcaino. Atlanta said, “No thanks.”

They asked Philadelphia for Domonic Brown or their top pitching prospect, Jarred Cosart. The response, essentially, was, “In your dreams.”

They asked the Giants for Zack Wheeler, the best pitcher in their system, or Gary Brown, their most highly rated outfield prospect. “Not happening,” the Giants told them.

And that’s how it’s gone — with those three teams, with Texas, Boston and everyone else that has checked in. The Mets still think they’re auctioning this guy off at Christie’s. But next thing they know, they’ll be placing him on eBay.

It looks like the Mets had been locked in a stare-down with some teams and were holding firm to their demands for a top prospect in return for Beltran, so much so that some teams started looking elsewhere for help.

But the Mets may now be softening their stance.

According to a report by Buster Olney of ESPN, the Mets are making progress in their negotiations with the Rangers and Giants for Carlos Beltran.

It seems that most of those who are following the negotiations closely are split down the middle as to whether the Giants or Rangers are the favorites to land the Mets right fielder. The Braves are also still involved, while the Phillies have backed off and are now focused on acquiring either Hunter Pence from the Astros or B.J. Upton from the Rays. The Giants and Rangers are also rumored to be interested in acquiring either of those two.

As Joe D. has stated here before, the notion that any team, contending or otherwise, would give up seven years of a top prospect for two months of Beltran with no draft pick compensation after he walks at the end of the season, was just “pie in the sky”.

Now that the Mets have seemingly come to grips with the reality of the situation, maybe they can get a good mid-level prospect and who knows, maybe they can re-sign Beltran again in the offseason. Stranger things have happened.

One thing that may reel the Braves back into serious negotiations with the Mets, is the injury to their slugger Brian McCann last night. With Chipper Jones already out, the loss of McCann for 2-3 weeks may force the Braves to overpay for a bat like Beltran.

Things are starting to tighten up and the rumors are now beginning to make more sense. It’s only a matter of waiting three more days now.