TAMPA — The man who signs the checks believes the additions of Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda improved the Yankees from a year ago.
Hal Steinbrenner also thinks a stable of young arms, which Pineda is a big part of, needs to deliver so the Yankees can cut payroll by the 2014 season to avoid going over the $189 million luxury-tax threshold.
“On paper we are definitely a better team than last year,’’ Steinbrenner said yesterday of the defending AL East champs, who led the AL in wins (97) but were bounced from the ALDS by the Tigers in five games when the middle of the order went limp. “Our starting pitching improved, and that was one of our goals.’’
With big, long-term money tied up in Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and expensive deals for Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano looming, Steinbrenner isn’t looking to spend large on free agent pitchers.
“I don’t think [$189 million] is an unrealistic goal. I think right now we’re going to be around $210 [million] this year. We’ll see who comes off in the next couple of years,’’ said Steinbrenner, who can save $50 million in luxury-tax rate and revenue sharing rebates if the payroll doesn’t exceed $189 million in 2014. “We’ll see how [Dellin] Betances, [Manuel] Banuelos perform toward the end of this year and into next year. They are going to play a big part of that. The young kids are going to play a big part of being able to lower this payroll. ‘’
Included in the group of young major league arms Steinbrenner is talking about are Phil Hughes (25), Ivan Nova (24), and Pineda (23). Beyond them are the highly-touted Banuelos (21 this month) and Betances (24 this month), who will open the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but could be in The Bronx this summer.
With Cano and Granderson free agents following the 2013 season, the Yankees will have to spend big money to keep them. The Yankees usually avoid contract extensions, but Steinbrenner didn’t rule out making exceptions for Cano and Granderson.
“I’m not big on doing extensions, so we’ll just have to see. Right now I just want to get through this season before we talk to anybody,’’ Steinbrenner said. “I want to get through this season, I know the players want to focus on that and concentrate on that. Toward the end of this season, I’ll consider anything.
“We’ve got some room to do things, but I am going to need some of these young pitchers to step up, no doubt. We’re not far off.”
Steinbrenner was asked if $189 million was a goal or a requirement.
“Well, I’m looking at it as a goal, but my goals are normally a requirement. Is it a requirement with baseball that we be at $189 [million]? No, it’s not a requirement,’’ Steinbrenner said. “But that is going to be the luxury-tax threshold, and that is where I want to be. I’m just not convinced we need to be as high as we’ve been in the past to field a championship-caliber team. That $189 million is a real number, and we are going to be shooting for it.’’
Steinbrenner said it shouldn’t be a shock the payroll is going to shrink.
“I don’t think it’s a big surprise that one of my goals has always been to try and lower the payroll,’’ Steinbrenner said. “Plenty of teams win without the payroll that we have. I am excited about the young kids. That definitely helps. We are going to shoot for that. Budgets matter and balance sheets matter. I feel if you have a good farm system you don’t need a $220 million payroll.’’
george.king@nypost.com