MLB

Luxury tax concerns keep Yankees out of hunt for Hunter

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The Yankees are so serious about dropping under that $189 million luxury tax threshold for 2014 that, according to a source briefed on their plans, they would not even do a two-year contract in the $20 million range with Torii Hunter, The Post has learned.

Though Arizona’s Justin Upton has become available at the GM Meetings, a person involved in discussions said, “The Yankees are not on him.”

Yankees officials are insisting that you either commit to a philosophy or not, and they remain galvanized on gaining the financial benefits that are available via the collective bargaining agreement if they slip below $189 million.

Many outside executives remain skeptical, especially wondering if the Yankees truly will have this discipline should they miss the playoffs in 2013 and/or attendance plummets. For now, though, general manager Brian Cashman could not have been more definitive: “We are not going to be over the $189 million.”

That is why they are fixating as much as possible again on one-year contracts. Some of that will be easy. Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte (assuming his likely return) will go one year at a time. It is possible that by tomorrow’s 2 p.m. deadline Hiroki Kuroda could accept the Yankees’ $13.3 million 2013-only qualifying offer and the same may be true of Rafael Soriano.

But the Yankees know Nick Swisher is gone and right field must be addressed.

Upton, a talented, but enigmatic player, has three years at $38.5 million left on his contract and would count as just $8.54 million (the average annual value of his deal) toward the luxury tax payroll. Nevertheless, even committing those kind of dollars plus the cost-effective prospects necessary to land a player of Upton’s ilk currently is against the Yankees strategy. The Rangers and Rays (who are losing Upton’s brother, B.J., to free agency) were considered the early favorites to get Justin Upton, according to a person involved in talks.

FOLLOW POST WRITERS FROM THE GM MEETINGS

The Yankees want to solve right field by committing as few (maybe zero) dollars to 2014 as possible. In fact, if they need to go to two years to keep Kuroda (which they might not agree to do either), it would all but assure not one cent of 2014 money is put toward right field.

Because the Yankees have become a place veterans like to play because of the promise of championship contention and a large bloc of like-minded, similar-aged players, Hunter could follow the lead of vets such as Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez and spurn better offers to play in The Bronx on a one-year deal.

But that is not the industry expectation because he has several suitors. So how do the Yankees’ find a replacement to Swisher that a) costs little and b) approximates the 24 homers, 93 RBIs and .837 OPS (remember, the Yankees will be looking for power here, especially because they are committed to Brett Gardner in one of the other outfield slots)?

The answer could be a lefty-righty platoon. For example, they could re-ink Ibanez to face righties and sign a free agent such as Scott Hairston, Jonny Gomes or switch-hitter Melky Cabrera to face lefties. Mets officials think Hairston will get a two-year deal for between $8 million-to-$10 million, which may be too rich for either New York team. Arizona’s Jason Kubel, Pittsburgh’s Garrett Jones and Oakland’s Seth Smith all are lefty hitters with pop who probably could be had in trades.

That the Yankees have to consider players of this low-stature caliber demonstrates how seriously they are taking their payroll mandate of 2014.

Cash hopes Andy plays

Andy Pettitte left his career-long association with the Hendricks brothers to follow Jim Murray to Excel Sports, whose baseball division is run by Casey Close, the agent for Derek Jeter.

Close said Pettitte has yet to make a firm decision about pitching in 2013. General manager Brian Cashman said, “I hope he plays and I believe it is in his blood that he wants to play.”

* Zack Greinke, the top starter available, is going to benefit from having the two Los Angeles-based teams perhaps create a bidding war for his services. But here is another subtle reason why Greinke is likely to get paid top-of-the-market dollars: This free-agent class is thin in high-end starters and next year might be worse, meaning teams cannot just try to plug and stall until then.

The best starters projected from next year’s free-agent crop are J
osh Johnson and Tim Lincecum, who both lost value in 2012 because of down and/or injured campaigns.

* That thin starting market has motivated the Reds to strongly consider moving Aroldis Chapman to the rotation as long as they can find a suitable closer replacement. Cincinnati likes two of its own free agents, Jonathan Broxton and Ryan Madson, and also Joakim Soria.

Reds officials feel Chapman has a good changeup that he does not use as a closer, but that could be added to his elite fastball/slider combo. They see Chapman joining Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos and Homer Bailey to form a power rotation quartet with Bronson Arroyo soaking up innings in the fifth slot.

The Reds’ intention when they signed Chapman for six years at $30.25 million was to use him as a starter, and they simply do not see a way to add a starter near his upside at near those relatively inexpensive dollars.

* The Mariners are deep in near-major-league-ready pitching prospects and need hitting while Kansas City and Minnesota have just the opposite traits, and are said to be talking to Seattle, which would love to see if it could pry the Royals touted outfield prospect Wil Myers or reach into the Twins’ center field depth in Aaron Hicks and Ben Revere.