Dec. 5 -- WINTER MEETINGS, DAY 2

Day 2 of the Great Stakeout of the Swan & Dolphin lobby is well underway, and I can report there isn't much to report. At least on the Phillies front, everything is speculation.

While Mets GM Omar Minaya met this morning with free-agent LHP Barry Zito's agent, Scott Boras, Phillies officials huddled in front of a massive Christmas tree in the center of the lobby. Then, shortly before noon, they disappeared. Did they go for an extended lunch, or are they working on a trade?

GM Pat Gillick will meet with reporters in about 30 minutes, so I'll have more specifics then.

Meanwhile, a few of the hottest Phillies-related rumors:

* A scout told me the White Sox are "sitting pretty" with their surplus of starters, plus phenom Brendan McCarthy, whom they hope to insert into their rotation this season. GM Kenny Williams' plan is to wait until free agents like Zito, RHP Jason Schmidt and LHP Ted Lilly sign before moving one of his pitchers, likely RHP Freddy Garcia. His reasoning: Any pitching-hungry teams that don't sign a free agent will be more willing to part with better players for a White Sox pitcher.

* The Phils continue to talk with the Brewers about a deal involving RHP Jon Lieber and OF Kevin Mench. Word is that manager Charlie Manuel spent part of the morning lobbying his Brewers counterpart, Ned Yost, about RF Geoff Jenkins. The Phillies may be interested in prying both Mench and Jenkins from the Brewers, which would enable them to trade Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand.