Piniella, who said the Yankees are trying to trade Winfield, has reportedly spoken with many other teams about Winfield, including the Phillies, who said they were not interested.
"We talked to the Orioles," Piniella said. "If we're going to trade him, the sooner the better. It's become a disruptive influence to the team."
Winfield has two years remaining (at approximately $3.6 million) on a 10- year contract. Lynn, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, is signed through 1989. He will make $1.45 million this year, $1.55 million next year.
"As far as I know I'm still an Oriole," Lynn said last night. When asked if the Orioles have talked to him about waiving the no-trade clause, he hesitated, stammered and said, "I . . . I can't comment on that."
Orioles general manager Roland Hemond would not name players he would consider trading, but said he is "active with several clubs," including the Yankees. He called yesterday "a relatively quiet day, but you never know about a trade."
Winfield's no-trade rights are causing great confusion with the Yankees. Winfield claims that his rights as a 10-and-5 player (one entitled to veto a trade) supersede anything else. But each year, he has submitted a list of seven teams to which he would accept a trade. His last list included the six other American League East teams and the Seattle Mariners.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said because Winfield has submitted a list of seven teams each year, it supersedes Winfield's 10-and-5 rights.
"We're confident we can trade him," Steinbrenner said yesterday.
In other developments:
* Don Fehr, the head of the players' union, said no decision has been made whether to fight Cincinnati Reds outfielder Eddie Milner's one-year suspension for again using cocaine.
"We won't decide whether to file a grievance until we have a complete opportunity to investigate what happened," Fehr said.
Two baseball officials said Milner could appeal for a reduced suspension after he completes a rehabilitation.
"There's always the availability of the player making an appeal to the commissioner," said Ed Durso, executive vice president of the commissioner's office.
Barry Rona, head of the Player Relations Committee, said, "Nothing is cast in stone. There's always room for an appeal."
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the players association objected after Milner was suspended without pay by commissioner Peter Ueberroth just hours after Milner told the Reds he had used cocaine.
It was the second offense for Milner, 32, who underwent rehabilitation for cocaine use last May when he was with the San Francisco Giants.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates traded righthander Mike Bielecki, a former minor league player of the year, to the Chicago Cubs for lefthanded pitching prospect Mike Curtis.
