The Yankees all but had Cliff Lee on their roster two weeks ago. They are going to make sure they do not do anything to let him slip away again. That is a major reason they are hesitant to obtain Dan Haren from the Diamondbacks.
Now is the moment to stop reading if you believe the Yankees have no payroll guidelines. But if you believe Hal Steinbrenner is going to hold the payroll to about $200 million again in 2011 — and that is how the Yankees’ front office is operating — then it will be difficult to obtain Haren and still find the $25 million or so under the seat cushions for Lee. And Lee clearly is the Yankees’ top free-agent target of the coming offseason, just like he was earlier this month in the trade market
How much do the Yankees think of Lee? No disrespect to CC Sabathia, but the Yankees almost certainly would pick Lee over any pitcher in baseball to start a must-win game. Because of that the Yanks were willing to trash their philosophy about not giving up top prospects for a player they would then also have to give a top-of-the-market contract.
The Sabathia/Lee combination was too irresistible for the Yanks to ignore. So they were willing to give up top catching prospect Jesus Montero to front a three-prospect package. At some point, though, they refused to include infielder Eduardo Nunez or Triple-A right-hander Ivan Nova as the second piece. It probably did not matter because once Texas offered Justin Smoak, he was the prospect Seattle preferred most of all.
The Yankees are not nearly as motivated to move heaven, earth and Montero for Haren. His 2010 statistics (7-8, 4.60 ERA, .792 OPS against) are not much different from those of A.J. Burnett (8-8, 4.77, .799 OPS against) and Haren is in the NL, though Burnett’s erratic work in the AL is one reason the Yankees are considering adding a veteran starter. There are officials around the sport who think Haren is hurt. But a person close to the Diamondbacks trusted by the Yankees has assured the Yankees that Haren, who does not turn 30 until September, is healthy.
One theory is that Haren has lost his edge playing for such a poor team and would be re-engaged in a championship chase with the Yankees. After all, he is throwing as hard as usual in his recent seasons and his peripheral numbers are mostly similar to his best years. It could be he is mainly unlucky because his batting average on balls in play is unusually high. But it also is possible he is trending the wrong way. He is a flyball pitcher who is even more susceptible to the long ball, giving up the second-most homers in the majors (23)
What is good about Haren? He is a workhorse; since the righty became a full-time starter in 2005 only Sabathia (1,257.2) has thrown more innings than Haren (1,249). He is an extreme strike thrower; in the same time span the only active pitchers with a lower walk rate (minimum 500 innings) than Haren’s 1.87 is Roy Halladay’s 1.41 and Carlos Silva’s 1.47 — Lee follows Haren at 1.91.
Haren actually is a lot like Javier Vazquez: A strike-throwing, innings-eating righty, though at his best Haren is better than Vazquez. But do the Yanks want to gamble that they get his best and he pitches deep into games to protect a dubious pen? The Yanks believe Andy Pettitte will miss about seven starts and be back for the stretch run, and they already have the best record in the majors and a high probability of making the playoffs without adding Haren’s question marks and salary?
And remember that their salary considerations with Haren extend beyond his season. At this moment, the Yanks have nine players signed for $137.35 million next year. That includes $5 million in combined raises for Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher. It does not include arbitration raises for Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes (probably another $4 million to $5 million). More important, it does not include the re-signing of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Pettitte. That trio is making $47.75 million this year and no one should expect that number to dip precipitously, if at all. That would put the Yankees at about $190 million for 14 players.
Haren makes $12.75 million in both 2011 and ‘12, with a $15.5 million option or $3.5 million buyout for 2013. So Haren would push the Yanks over the $200 million in 2011 before they ever negotiated with Lee or filled out the rest of the roster.
Now the Yanks will investigate dealing Burnett, Granderson and/or Chamberlain. But they cannot know now if that is possible. Jeter, Rivera and Pettitte might take fewer dollars, but don’t bet on that; keep in mind how mad Pettitte remains about how the Yankees sliced his base salary from $16 million to $5.5 million in 2009.
In fact, that could be the model with Lee. To fit Mark Teixeira into tighter payroll rules, the Yanks negotiated hard with Pettitte.
The Yankees also could pick up extra salary space if Pettitte retires. But, again, the Yanks cannot know his plans now, and would prefer Pettitte on a year-by-year basis than Haren anyway. They have to proceed on their Haren decision as if their key veterans will return next year.
The Diamondbacks, according to a person familiar with their thinking, want to get to a $60 million payroll for 2011, which motivates their urgency to deal Haren now. They are familiar with the Yankees system, having scouted it extensively to land Ian Kennedy in the three-team trade that sent Granderson to the Yankees.
They particularly Nova and Manuel Banuelos, a 19-year-old lefty at High-A. But GM Brian Cashman has been protective of his better pitching prospects. The Yanks’ long-term plan is to have Sabathia and Lee as workhorse aces atop the rotation, allowing the Yanks to break in a starter a year if possible as part of a way to save money to afford players such as Lee. Hughes is being broken in this season, and Nova or David Phelps would be the most likely candidate for next season if there is a spot.
Cashman needed a starter far more last year than this season, and still refused to give up a package he felt unacceptable to obtain Jarrod Washburn from Seattle. The Mariners wanted Austin Jackson and either Banuelos or Zach McAlister, whose father, Steve, is — coincidentally — a Diamondbacks amateur scout.
Cashman was criticized for whiffing on a starter. But Washburn actually ended up being damaged goods, pitching poorly for the Tigers and being a reason Detroit faltered and did not make the playoffs. Cashman decided to address just his bench last season, obtaining Eric Hinske on the final day of June and Jerry Hairston at the deadline, the final day of July.
These Yankees don’t trust Marcus Thames in the field and want to find a righty hitter with acceptable defense that would put Granderson on the bench vs. southpaws. In addition, they crave a better-hitting infielder than Ramiro Pena for when Alex Rodriguez needs a day off the field. That the Yanks signed veterans Eric Bruntlett and Chad Tracy to play at Triple-A suggests they are not overly optimistic about finding that third baseman. They do like Baltimore’s Ty Wigginton. As for outfielders, they have inquired about Florida’s Cody Ross.
For now they find the prices even for bench help unacceptable. But it remains more likely that they will fix that area then take on Haren, whose salary for 2011 is not friend-Lee in the Yankees’ minds.
joel.sherman@nypost.com