Very busy around here lately. Just finishing up what will now be the Padres’ Top 25 prospects. Good compromise, I think. Should be posted early next week.

• Hitchcock to Yankees rumors are heating up. Kevin Towers has his eye on minor-league outfielder Marcus Thames, who is hitting .305/.393/.579 at Double-A Norwich. Bad news is, he’s 24 years old. Not a bad prospect but probably more of a fourth outfielder type. Honestly, if Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell can fetch Bruce Chen and change, you’d think the Pads could get something more than Thames for Hitchcock. The Giants also were looking at him but balked at moving Armando Rios.
• No takers for Woody Williams. Meantime, Tom Davey and David Lee are hurting. The U-T reports Davey will be placed on the DL and Wascar Serrano promoted.
• When Hitchcock and Williams go, Brian Lawrence, Jason Middlebrook, and Dennis Tankersley are next in line for promotions. It’s doubtful Tankersley will be recalled due to fears of a lockout in 2002, but Towers is finding it increasingly difficult to keep the young righthander in the minors.
• Reliever Dave Lundquist, who throws 97-MPH heat, is also mentioned as a possibility, though his chances are hurt by the fact that he’s not on the 40-man roster.
• I’ll be at the Orioles-Angels game tonight. More on that later…