Pirates Benson one of most coveted players before trade deadline

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
CHICAGO -- Baseball's soft deadline for trades arrives next Saturday, making this one of the most intriguing weeks of the season.
It's becoming a little easier to tell buyers from sellers. There were only 14 teams within five games of a playoff spot entering the weekend. That number stood at 19 at the All-Star break. Developments this weekend and early in the week will have a bearing on how many elite players are moved and where they wind up.
Ten players who could be moving: Randy Johnson, Carlos Beltran, Kris Benson, Jose Mesa, Steve Finley, Orlando Cabrera, Dan Wilson, Ron Villone, Mike Sweeney and Jeff Kent.
Benson is hot at the right time and is the best pitcher available. His start on Monday against the Braves figures to draw interest from Anaheim, Texas, Minnesota, San Francisco, Philadelphia and the New York Mets, at the least.
Mesa is the best reliever likely to change teams. He had converted 27 of 28 save chances entering the weekend and earns only $800,000. The Cubs could turn the closer's job over to him, moving LaTroy Hawkins back into a setup role. And speaking of Urbina, the White Sox are expected to make a run for him as a setup man if Detroit makes him available.