The players the Rockies will receive have not been decided, and the deal likely will not be finalized for approximately 48 hours, sources said.

Over the weekend, the teams discussed A's outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, left-hander Greg Smith and reliever Huston Street, according to one source. Those are the players believed to be in the deal, though the names are subject to change. An official announcement will not be made until each of the players in the trade passes a physical, sources said.

Gonzalez and Smith are two of the six players that the A's acquired from the Diamondbacks last offseason for right-hander Dan Haren and minor-league pitcher Connor Robertson.

"Talks are continuing. They're very fluid and at this point, everything's speculation," Rockies spokesman Jay Alves told The Associated Press, speaking on behalf of general manager Dan O'Dowd.

Oakland owner Lew Wolff, attending a regional luncheon of Associated Press Sports Editors, wouldn't confirm or deny a trade but said he had already spoken with general manager Billy Beane three times on Monday.

"Billy's doing different things right now," Wolff told AP.

Holliday will earn $13.5 million in 2009, then become a free agent.

The A's are not acquiring him with the intention of flipping him or even trading him in July. The team is in position to increase its payroll to as much as $80 million, and plans to contend next season.

To that end, the A's also are targeting free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, and have even requested medical records from his agent, Paul Kinzer. Furcal is drawing interest from about 10 clubs, according to Kinzer. The acquisition of Holliday could help persuade Furcal that the A's are serious about competing for a postseason berth in 2009.

If the Rockies obtained Smith, they almost certainly would insert him into their starting rotation. The addition of Street would represent a buffer against the pending loss of free-agent closer Brian Fuentes.

Gonzalez could enter the team's outfield mix, or the Rockies could flip him to another club for additional players. The Nationals are known to have interest in Gonzalez.

Colorado Rockies News News » Sources: A's close to deal for Rockies star Holliday 2008-11-11
Sources: A's close to deal for Rockies star Holliday 2008-11-11
The A's are close to acquiring left fielder Matt Holliday from the Rockies, according to major-league sources. Bay Area Holliday