NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The first casualty of the Yankees’ frugality is probably going to be their offense.
Under their current, more restrictive financial policies, the Yankees will find it difficult — perhaps impossible — to replace the production of Russell Martin and Nick Swisher. Thus, they likely will have to step away from one of their key identities as a regular-season run-scoring powerhouse.
The ramifications could be severe. Over the last 11 years, the Yankees have finished first in the majors in scoring five times, second four times, fourth once and 10th once. The 10th-place finish came in 2008, the only season since 1993 in which the Yankees did not make the playoffs.
The problem for the Yankees is that the lineup issues do not end at catcher and right field. What will they get from Derek Jeter in his age-39 season coming off a fractured left ankle? Does Alex Rodriguez have anything left? The Yankees need left-side-of-the-infield insurance more than ever.
This leaves the Yankees with more lineup uncertainty than any time in years — and fewer budgeted dollars with which to address the needs. They could hardly have picked a worse offseason for economic prudence due to how freely the money is already flowing throughout the game for the kind of second- and third-tier options the Yankees would be eyeing. Forget about Josh Hamilton (the Yankees certainly have), even Scott Hairston might be beyond their self-imposed budget.
A funny thing happened on the way to the Winter Meetings: The Yankees and Mets both showed up needing a catcher and outfielders — and with the same willingness to spend.
The Yankees have not gone completely into financial hibernation. They invested $37 million in 2013 dollars the past two weeks on Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. But these are not the stereotypical Yankees, wallets ablaze. The 2013 payroll will again be around $200 million, when it would need to be larger to adequately answer all of the shortcomings. More important, the Yankees will spend little or no further money on 2014 in quest of going under the $189 million luxury tax threshold.
Consider that last offseason the Yankees offered Martin a three-year, $18 million deal with a willingness to consider going to $24 million, The Post has learned. Martin countered at four years at $40 million. But this offseason the Yankees would not even match the two-year, $17 million deal Martin inked with Pittsburgh.
Yes, Martin hit just .211. But he had 21 homers, 53 walks, a .713 OPS and every at-bat he took was one fewer for the powerless Chris Stewart (.611 OPS). Now Stewart, Francisco Cervelli and Eli Whiteside — all backup types at best — are the available options unless Austin Romine is ready after missing most of 2012 with a back ailment and with many outside scouts questioning his bat speed.
Yes, Swisher was a perennial October dud. But from April through September he was a metronome in four Yankees seasons, producing between 23-29 homers, 82-93 RBIs and an .822-870 OPS. You have to be in the playoffs to win it, and Swisher helped the Yankees get in annually.
Now what? The Yankees had talked about a Raul Ibanez-Hairston platoon in right. Ibanez loved being a Yankee so much he will wait and almost certainly take a one-year deal to return, albeit in his age-41 season. However, after Jonny Gomes got a two-year, $10 million deal (he made just $1 million last season) why would a similar southpaw-smashing, defensively limited player such as Hairston ($1.1 million last year) accept a penny less? Once 2014 dollars are involved, the Yankees probably aren’t.
The Yankees could check the trade market for a righty-hitting outfielder, someone such as Washington’s Michael Morse or Tyler Moore, who could be available now that the Nationals have obtained Denard Span. Lefties such as Ichiro Suzuki and Nate Schierholtz are available, but the Yankees are prioritizing power. Maybe a lefty-hitting catcher with some pop, such as Oakland’s George Kottaras, could be obtained.
The Yankees have done a very good job finding offense at the margins the past few years with players such as Ibanez, Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones. But this is not at the margins. The Yankees need a starting catcher and right fielder plus left-side-of-the-infield protection (maybe Eduardo Nunez and a re-signing of Chavez) more than ever.
They need to find that with at-the-margin dollars or else the budget cutting will slash their offense in a significant way, too.
Zack set to rake in big bucks
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Zack Greinke might exceed the seven-year, $161 million pitching record contract the Yankees gave CC Sabathia because there are at least four motivated pursuers after the right-hander — the Angels, Dodgers, Rangers and Nationals.
The Angels badly want to retain Greinke after giving up three prospects to obtain him in July. They also want to keep him away from their AL West foes, the Rangers, and Southern California rivals, the Dodgers.
The Dodgers have made landing a top-of-the-rotation starter their priority this offseason (Anibal Sanchez also is a possibility). There are many executives who perceive Los Angeles as the Greinke favorite because the Dodgers are essentially operating financially and tactically like the Yankees did for so many years — letting the player they want most know to get his best offer elsewhere and they will beat it. Team president Stan Kasten would not comment on whether this strategy is being deployed.
But the Dodgers are letting teams know that they have starting pitching to deal, particularly if they can land Greinke. Former Met Chris Capuano is the most likely trade candidate.
The Rangers can make one huge financial play this offseason and are determining whether to do so on Greinke or retaining Josh Hamilton.
The Nationals also are focused on adding another top-of-the-rotation element to join Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman. If they fail to land Greinke (or Sanchez), the Nats very well could trade forthe Rays’ James Shields, particularly if they are able to retain free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche. If LaRoche is retained, Michael Morse, Tyler Moore or both would become expendable. Washington could use one of them in conjunction with second baseman Danny Espinosa to create an attractive package for the offense-needy Rays.
* While the market for the best pitcher available, Greinke, has become more overt, the same cannot be said for Hamilton, the best hitter in free agency. Hamilton, by coincidence, flew to Nashville on the same flight as Rangers executives.
* Boston president Larry Lucchino told Sirius Radio the Red Sox were interested in Hamilton, but not on a deal that would exceed five years. Orioles general manager Dan Duquette told CBSSports.com that the team did not have enough funds for Hamilton. However, an executive who spoke with Duquette said he thought the GM was publicly downplaying the matter, but privately was targeting Hamilton to provide a) dramatic power at Camden Yards and b) reiterate to a returning fan base the organization is now all-in to win.
* The Yankees have been associated with free agent Stephen Drew as possible left-side-of-the-infield insurance for Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
However, two executives who have negotiated with the Drew camp did not see that as a strong possibility because Drew has not played third base and does not want to play third. The Diamondbacks, before dealing Drew, had talked to the lefty swinger about playing the hot corner and he refused. In addition, the two executives said shortstop is a position in great need this offseason and did not see agent Scott Boras diminishing Drew’s financial attractiveness by asking him to essentially become a utilityman.