MLB

Still plenty left, but outfield help worth exploring for Yankees

Raul Ibanez took early batting practice yesterday. Talked mechanics with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long for another five minutes or so. Dialogued with reserve Jayson Nix for a good 20 minutes. Watched video that bench coach Tony Pena took of the early batting practice on a smartphone.

“I do like talking shop,” Ibanez said, after he spoke with Nix and before Pena sat down next to him. “But I’ll talk more about the craft when I don’t really feel right, or somebody asks me. When I feel right, you don’t want to bring awareness.”

“So does that mean you’re not feeling right at the moment?” The Post, utilizing years of field experience, followed up.

“We’re working on stuff, for sure,” Ibanez said, smiling.

Then Ibanez crushed a tie-breaking, eighth-inning grand slam off Toronto’s Jason Frasor, giving the Yankees a 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.

On the same day the Yankees learned that Brett Gardner suffered a third setback to what has been called a strained right elbow, Ibanez offered the Yankees yet another argument to stick with what got them here. The owners of baseball’s best record have received more from the left-field platoon of Ibanez and Andruw Jones than they ever could have reasonably hoped.

“He’s come up with so many huge hits for us,” manager Joe Girardi said of Ibanez, one of the Yankees’ better hitters with runners in scoring position.

Does that mean the Yankees absolutely should go the rest of the way with Ibanez, 40, and Jones, 35, if Gardner’s MRI today reveals that he needs season-ending surgery? Of course not. The Yankees owe it to themselves to explore the trade market leading up to the July 31 non-waivers trading deadline, and they should pay particular attention to the Phillies’ Shane Victorino.

Here’s what Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said on Sunday: “Are there players out there that are better than what I have? I’m sure. But at the cost associated with acquiring those, that’s what’s going to turn me off, in my opinion.”

Of course, Cashman also said, “I believe Brett is gonna be back.” And here’s what he said back on June 9, the last time Gardner came up sore: “I don’t want to overexpose the old guys.”

Both Ibanez and Jones provide pop from the plate and, if they aren’t Gold Glove candidates, they know what they’re doing out in left field.

Can they both hold up through October, however? That’s what the Yankees will be asking themselves. It’s similar, actually, to last July, when the club wondered how much more it could get from surprise contributors Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia.

Internally, the Yankees just added veteran Kosuke Fukudome (who is just three days younger than Jones) to their roster at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Maybe he can help. Then again, the Yankees received the opportunity to sign Fukudome because the White Sox released him.

Victorino, 31, will make $9.5 million this season. When you factor in his poor season (a .311 on-base percentage and .379 slugging percentage heading into last night), his high salary and the fact that he wouldn’t bring back compensatory draft picks if he signs elsewhere this winter, Victorino is unlikely to bring back a considerable trade return. The Yankees would be far more open to a salary-dump rental than to either trading prospects or taking on someone who has a financial commitment through 2014, when the Yankees want to get their payroll down to $189 million.

Victorino has experience with a Northeast contender, he can run the bases — he entered action last night with 19 stolen bases while getting caught just twice — and he can play the outfield well. With the Yankees, he’d be asked to switch from center field to left field, where he hasn’t played since 2006, yet that shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Among outfielders available, the asking price for Arizona’s Justin Upton figures to be too prohibitive. Kansas City is said to be dangling former Met Jeff Francoeur, but he’d represent a downgrade from Ibanez and Jones.

After arguably his biggest hit as a Yankee, Ibanez smiled late last night when asked if he was closer to feeling right. “We’ll just keep working,” he said.

Likewise, the Yankees will keep working on the trade front — while hoping that the old couple doesn’t slow down.