Brian Cashman has not altered his priorities at all since the season ended. The Yankee GM is focusing on starting pitching, followed by starting pitching and then some more starting pitching.
In this period when teams can express interest to free agents but not yet offer firm dollars, Cashman has called the representatives for both CC Sabathia and Derek Lowe to state the obvious: Boy, are the Yankees interested.
And A.J. Burnett soon might fall into that category, as well. Cashman reiterated yesterday – on the first full day of the GM meetings in Dana Point, Calif. – that “We don’t need one, we need multiple starters.” He considers only Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain as rotation certainties for 2009.
Sabathia and Lowe would be at the head of the wish list, but the Yankees privately still are not sure either truly wants to wear pinstripes. However, the industry expectation – especially when it comes to Sabathia – is that the Yanks are going to make a financial offer hard to refuse. That would be north of the pitching-record six-year, $137.5 million deal the Mets bestowed on Johan Santana.
Burnett’s agents are expected to meet with Toronto brass today to see if the sides can work out an extension, or if the righty will exercise an opt-out clause. He has two years at $24 million left on his pact. The Blue Jays are expected to make an offer in the four-year, $56 million range to try to retain the righty. If Burnett rejects the extension bid, he would become a free agent and almost certainly a Yankee target.
“For us to be able to talk to other clubs, he has to be a free agent,” said Darek Braunecker, one of Burnett’s reps. “We haven’t exercised the out yet.”
Also on the docket for Cashman is finding a first baseman and, perhaps, a center fielder. But for anyone who is pushing Manny Ramirez scenarios – particularly this early in the offseason – the Yankee GM said of his focus, “We have to fix the pitching or else we can’t get where we want to go.”
To that end, he still does not know if he will have 20-game winner Mike Mussina back. Agent Arn Tellem met with Mussina over the weekend and reported, “He hasn’t made a decision. As of right now, he is considering everything. There is no timetable. It’s a big decision, and it takes time.”
For that reason, Cashman said he is operating as if he does not have Mussina, saying, “That would be presumptuous of me to be counting on him, because he has the ability to direct some things. I don’t know what his plans are.”
The Yankee GM also touched on several other pertinent subjects:
* Chamberlain will start next year. Period. Unlike last offseason, the Yanks are not coming up with relief/starter strategies to keep Chamberlain’s innings from rising significantly.
The Yanks probably will design a plan to limit Chamberlain to 25-27 starts. “We’ll just have to work around it [Chamberlain’s lack of innings] and protect the asset,” Cashman said.
* Ian Kennedy will begin pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League this week to build up his innings.
* The Yanks are going to allow Robinson Cano to DH for a month (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) in the Dominican Winter League. They want to keep the new stance/approach Cano used late in the season fresh. They plan to have hitting instructor Kevin Long work with Cano before and, somewhat, during the Dominican season.
* The Yanks want to add a first baseman more than an outfielder. Cashman imagines that among Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner and Johnny Damon, center field can be covered if nothing arises this offseason that makes sense. However, he said he prefers Damon “as our left fielder and leadoff hitter.”
* The Yanks reached agreement on a split contract with pitcher Sergio Mitre. The righty did not pitch last season and needed Tommy John surgery last June. The Yanks expect him to be available sometime during the season as either a starter or reliever.
* Carl Pavano? His agent, Tom O’Connell, said: “We’re going to sit down with Brian and see what his thoughts are.” Chances of Pavano’s return are highly unlikely.