"Try harder?" asked Ken Williams. "I don't think that's possible. "This has not been a case of our unwillingness to take a hit on the prospect front or on the financial front. But you can't force anybody to make a deal they don't want to make." That seemed to be a veiled reference to talks with Cincinnati for Ken Griffey Jr., a deal still believed to be on the table but not acceptable to Reds ownership. Kansas City's Mike Sweeney reportedly has cleared waivers but probably doesn't excite Sox management much, considering he would be owed $25 million for the next two years and the Royals are asking for big-time players. The Mets' Cliff Floyd also is believed to have cleared waivers, but the Mets don't want to trade him because they are in the wild-card race. Williams appears to be hard-pressed to make a move, despite the growing number of impatient boos and calls for "Griffey" at U.S. Cellular Field. Asked if he felt he absolutely had to do something to get his team's lackluster offense going again, Williams replied: "If I say no, that means I'm satisfied with what's going on, even if I answer it in a supportive mode. And believe me, I'm behind these guys 100 percent. "If I answer yes, then I'm disrespecting [these players] and what they've accomplished. While I definitely know the question has to be asked, there is no answer to give that is conducive to us having harmony, for lack of a better word."