BC-BBO--Yankees-Tigers-Diamondbacks Trade, 1st Ld-Writethru,0556

AP source: Yanks, Tigers, D'backs nearing big deal

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Yankees, Tigers and Diamondbacks neared agreement Tuesday on a three-team trade that would send star center fielder Curtis Granderson from Detroit to New York, a person familiar with the negotiations said.

The World Series champion Yankees would trade right-hander Ian Kennedy to Arizona, and lefty reliever Phil Coke and outfield prospect Austin Jackson to Detroit, the person said on condition of anonymity because the trade was not yet final.

Detroit would deal pitcher Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks, and Arizona would send pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Tigers.

The teams were still working on technical aspects of the trade, the person said, including checking medical records.

Granderson would displace Melky Cabrera as center fielder on the Yankees. Cabrera, a 25-year-old switch-hitter, batted .274 last season but had just 13 homers, 68 RBIs and 10 steals.

Granderson, a left-handed batter, was a first-time All-Star last season, when he had 30 homers, 71 RBIs and 20 steals. His batting average has dropped from .302 in 2007 to .280 in 2008 to .249 last year.

Detroit, which failed to make the playoffs following a late-season slide, may be looking to cut payroll after a big attendance drop this year at Comerica Park. Granderson is owed $5.5 mie can become a free agent after the 2011 season.

Kennedy, who turns 25 on Dec. 19, impressed when he came up from the minors at the end of the 2007, going 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts. But he struggled with injuries in each of the last two seasons.

He strained a muscle near his right ribcage and had bursitis in his right shoulder blade in 2008, when he was 0-4 with an 8,17 ERA in nine starts and one relief appearance. He pitched in just one big league game this year, when he was sidelined by surgery May 12 to remove an aneurysm from beneath his right biceps.

Coke was 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 72 relief appearances. While he pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings in the AL playoffs, he gave up two runs over 1 1-3 innings in the World Series.

Austin Jackson, 22, is considered one of the Yankees' top prospects. He hit .300 last season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with 23 doubles, four homers, 65 RBIs and 24 steals.

Scherzer, the 11th overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft, is a 25-year-old righty who went 9-11 with a 4.12 ERA in 30 starts for Arizona last season, striking out 174 in 170 1-3 innings.

Schlereth, a 23-year-old lefty, was the 26th pick in the 2008 amateur draft. He made his major league debut this year and went 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA in 21 relief appearances with 22 strikeouts in 18 1-3 innings.