LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — There is more than one bridge for Johan Santana to cross before making the short voyage from Queens to The Bronx, but a mini-step has been taken.
In text messages with Santana’s representatives, general manager Brian Cashman received a list of their free agents, and Santana was among them.
“I don’t know what to think of Johan right now, I haven’t looked at his medicals,’’ Cashman said Wednesday at the Winter Meetings that end Thursday. “We agreed to have a conversation at some point, and we haven’t done that yet.’’
The Yankees are one of a dozen teams to have talked to Santana’s agents.
For many reasons, Santana, who will be 35 in March, is a low priority for the Yankees at this point. They need two starters, a second baseman, bullpen help and possibly a third baseman, depending on what happens with Alex Rodriguez’s suspension. And nobody, including Santana, knows when he will be ready to pitch — although the lefty’s goal is by Opening Day.
“[Agent Peter Greenberg] reached out to me about his list of free agents and he wanted to have a meeting, and I asked him on who because I have been so busy,’’ Cashman said. “He gave me a list of players, and I told him on that list who I would like to find out more information on.’’
Santana underwent major surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his left shoulder last April, his second such procedure in 31 months. After a going 6-9 with a 4.85 ERA in 21 starts in 2012, Santana hasn’t pitched since Aug. 17 of that year, when he lost the last five starts.
Santana has increased a throwing program in Fort Myers, Fla., from 150 feet to 180 feet in his one-day-at-a-time schedule .
With the price of starting pitchers high — Ervin Santana is looking for a five-year deal for $80 million and may get more — and the Yankees having more than one hole to fill, it’s not out of the question they could take a chance on Santana, who is 139-78 with a 3.20 career ERA in a dozen big league seasons for the Twins and Mets.
“The starting-pitching market is a lot thinner than what the position player market is,’’ said Cashman, who bagged free-agent outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran and pitcher Hiroki Kuroda before the Winter Meetings opened.
CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Kuroda make up the Yankees’ rotation, which needs help beyond what David Phelps and Adam Warren can provide.
The first priority is right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, who may or may not be posted by the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan. Under the new posting procedure, all MLB teams can post up to $20 million. Then Tanaka can negotiate with as many teams submitted the highest bid.
Until Tanaka’s situation is resolved, the free-agent pitching picture — which includes Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Santana — is on hold.
“I am prohibited by rule not to speak [about Tanaka],’’ Cashman said. “I got an email a long time ago that we are not allowed to talk about the posting system.’’
Santana made $137.5 million on his previous four-year contract with the Mets and received a $5.5 million buyout for a 2014 option.
Until Santana, the only pitcher in Mets history to throw a no-hitter, gets on the mound and starts throwing, neither he or the teams with interest will know if he is worthy of a major league or minor league deal.