Hot Stove: Several deals close: Glavine, Rivera on verge of signing with Braves, Yankees

Several free agents appeared to be on the verge of closing new deals as weekend negotiations advanced on a number of fronts, and a Sunday trade between the A's and Blue Jays was announced.

Another negotiation broke off, however, as the Mets and free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba are no longer bargaining.

As recently as Thursday night, the two sides seemed to be close to finalizing a contract for three years and $14.4 million, pending Torrealba's passing of a physical.

The Mets declined to say Saturday whether Torrealba had passed -- or even taken -- a physical. Instead, the club only acknowledged that no deal was in place and no additional contact with Torrealba's agent was scheduled. General manager Omar Minaya said, "All I will tell you is that we have no agreement and there are no current negotiations."

Minaya also declined to say whether he planned to renew contact or if he had made contact with the agent for Paul Lo Duca, who seemingly had been eliminated as a candidate to catch next season.

Another high-profile negotiation could begin again when Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks and GM Jon Daniels meet with free-agent center fielder Torii Hunter on Monday night, with the Rangers expected to make an offer on a five-year contract.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees were reportedly close to inking Mariano Rivera to an extension, the Braves and Tom Glavine were nearing a reunion, the Kansas City Royals were closing in on free-agent pitcher Yasuhiko Yabuta and the A's traded infielder Marco Scutaro to Toronto for pitchers Kristian Bell and Graham Godfrey.

Here's the rundown:

A's: In exchange for Scutaro, the A's obtained a pair of Minor League prospects.

Bell, who was selected by the Blue Jays in the 11th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, posted a 3-7 record with a 5.33 ERA in 22 games, including 11 starts, for Class A Dunedin last season. The 23-year-old right-hander has a 18-17 record and a 4.18 ERA in 79 Minor League appearances, including 49 starts.

Godfrey, 23, posted a 6-7 record and a 3.98 ERA in 21 games, all starts, for Class A Lansing last season in his first year of professional ball. He was selected by the Blue Jays in the 34th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of the College of Charleston.

Braves: Glavine's negotiations with the Braves are moving quickly, and the two parties could reach an agreement as early as Sunday.

"I think it's a pretty good chance" it will be finalized Sunday, agent Gregg Clifton told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution late Saturday. "We made a lot of progress, and we're going to speak again in the morning."

Even if an agreement was reached at any point this weekend, the Braves have planned to delay the formal announcement until at least Monday. The Braves presented their first offer on Friday afternoon, and Glavine's agent provided a counteroffer a few hours later. At that time, Clifton said the two parties weren't far apart.

Blue Jays: Toronto picked up a versatile infielder in the veteran Scutaro, who finished the 2007 season with a .260 batting average to go along with seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 104 games.

Scutaro started 86 games for the A's at five different positions, including 38 at shortstop, 33 at third base, 12 at second base, two in right field and one in left field. Only Eric Chavez (512) has appeared in more games than Scutaro (476) since he joined the A's in 2004.

Royals: Manager Trey Hillman has left Japanese baseball to join the Royals. Could a Japanese pitcher be on his way as well? Reports circulated during the weekend that the Royals were negotiating with Yabuta, a right-handed reliever from the Japan League.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said he couldn't comment on "any pending negotiations" with any free agent.

Hillman signed in October to manage the Royals as he ended a five-year stay as manager of the Nippon Ham Fighters. Yabuta has pitched 12 years for the rival Chiba Lotte Marines, currently managed by Bobby Valentine, and that club is believed to want him back. Yabuta, 34, has been primarily a setup man the last four years for the Marines, compiling a 2.80 ERA in 222 appearances during that span. Previously, he was a starting pitcher.

The Royals want to add bullpen depth primarily because setup man David Riske has become a free agent and Zack Greinke has returned to the starting rotation.

Riske declined a $2.9 million option with the Royals for 2008 and, as a free agent, is seeking a multiyear deal. The Royals still would like to bring him back.

"We need to sign two or three relievers," Moore said.

Yankees: According to a report published Sunday in the New York Post, Mariano Rivera is expected to accept the Yankees' three-year, $45 million contract offer early this week. Rivera had spent last week in the Dominican Republic conducting baseball clinics.

The Post reported that Rivera will meet with his representatives on Sunday. According to multiple reports, Rivera may have had interest in a fourth year being added to his contract.

Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner has said the team would hold firm with its offer, which would make Rivera baseball's highest-paid closer, eclipsing Billy Wagner's deal across town with the Mets, where he earns $10.5 million annually.

Rivera, who turns 38 on Nov. 29, has pitched for the Yankees since 1995, compiling an American League-record 443 saves in the regular season.

Jim Molony is a reporter for MLB.com.