INDIANAPOLIS — Johan Santana and CC Sabathia are the aces of New York.
They also are the biggest reason Roy Halladay is unlikely to join that club.
The Yankees have heard the price for Halladay and, for now, consider it way too costly in prospects, The Post has learned. Blame Santana and Sabathia.
Yankees officials consider the trade packages Santana fetched after the 2007 season and Sabathia did during the 2008 season as far inferior to what the Blue Jays are demanding to just pay the ante on Halladay: top hitting prospect Jesus Montero and either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes.
HARDBALL AT THE WINTER MEETINGS
“Why should we pay double the sticker price now than was paid for Santana and Sabathia?” one Yankees official said.
If the asking price comes down — like last year with Mark Teixeira — then GM Brian Cashman could ask Hal Steinbrenner to expand the payroll beyond $200 million again, after the initial plan was to fall below that.
And what the Yankees announced yesterday — that a trade for Curtis Granderson was completed and that Andy Pettitte had re-signed — allows them to wait patiently to see if the market for Halladay or Johnny Damon or other players falls to their liking. The Yanks believed that if they secured Pettitte to rejoin a rotation Big Three with Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and added Granderson to bring lefty power to a prime position in center field then, even if they did nothing else, they could put a strong team on the field.
Of course, they are going to do more. Cashman even said, “We are not a finished product.” But as opposed to last year when desperation forced Cashman to pay whatever necessary to land Sabathia and Burnett to mend a broken rotation, there is no part of the Yanks that needs such attention.
So the Yankees can bargain hunt. For example, Toronto has a Halladay price now. Maybe it never changes. But remember, the Yanks obtained Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez in February from desperate teams. So if the Blue Jays’ real aim is to move Halladay before the season, maybe the price changes late.
The Yankees might be more amenable to building a trade simply around Montero. The Blue Jays love his bat, but view him as strictly a first baseman. The Yanks want to believe he still is a catcher. If he is not, however, first base is blocked by Teixeira, and the organization would not want such a young DH. In addition, the Yanks are deep in catching prospects, notably Austin Romine and John Murphy, and to a lesser extent Francisco Cervelli and Gary Sanchez.
An executive who spoke with Toronto officials said the Jays are still going round and round to determine serious pursuers and what they are willing to give up. The expectation is Toronto would not be in position to make a Halladay deal before the end of this month as it completes this fact-finding mission.
The Phillies are also a potential landing spot for Halladay, but the Angels were perceived as the frontrunners and the Toronto Sun reported that they’ve offered left-hander Joe Saunders, shortstop Erick Aybar and Double-A center fielder Peter Bourjos. It’s possible that if Saunders is dealt, the Yanks could try to create another three-team trade to get him. Because of all the items left on the agenda, the Yankees are prioritizing finding another starter most of all. They have met John Lackey’s rep, but the Yanks are concerned about doing another long-term deal with a thirtysomething pitcher.
And Cashman described the financial state of the free-agent starting market as “a headache.” But it is a minor headache because the Yanks can wait to see if someone they like, perhaps a reclamation project such as Ben Sheets, has his price fall.
They will do the same with Damon. I continue to suspect the Yanks think Damon has very little market and, therefore, will offer Damon a one-year contract in the $8 million range that he probably will feel compelled to reject.
But the positive for the Yanks about getting Granderson and Pettitte done is that it empowers them to do business now at their pace and their prices.
joel.sherman@nypost.com