MLB

Yankees drawing early buzz at Winter Meetings

INDIANAPOLIS — General manager Brian Cashman was scheduled to arrive at the Winter Meetings after midnight.

Nevertheless, that didn’t mean the World Champions were ignored by the Baseball Universe gathered in the Marriott Hotel lobby yesterday afternoon.

Because of the numbers of scouts, front office executives and agents and the relatively small lobby, you didn’t have to go far to hear people asking about the Yankees.

“Are they getting [Roy] Halladay? What about [John] Lackey? Are they really cutting payroll? Would they trade [Phil] Hughes and/or [Joba] Chamberlain? Are they going to start Hughes and Chamberlain? If they go into the rotation are they interested in [Rafael] Soriano? What are they doing about [Johnny] Damon and [Hideki] Matsui?”

With the first official day of the meetings today, those questions had no definitive answers yesterday. And there is a good chance the answers will not surface by the time Cashman splits Thursday.

All the questions are legitimate.

In order to get a clearer picture of what the Yankees’ plans are you should split the screen: inside and outside of the organization.

Their inside priority is to bring Andy Pettitte back to be, at the time, their No. 3 starter. Then it’s seeing if Damon will accept a two-year deal in the $20 million range. Matsui is third on that depth chart.

Outside, Halladay to the Yankees continued to gain traction, albeit there is a lot of road to go before the Yankees land the stud right-hander from Toronto. Handicapped by several talent evaluators yesterday, the favorites appear to be the Angels and Red Sox because they match up better with the Blue Jays. Nevertheless, the Yankees have several names the Blue Jays like.

The Yankees have no intention of giving Lackey $100 million, and the market likely will dictate that the right-hander will get something in the area of the five-year, $82.5 million deal signed by A.J. Burnett a year ago.

“A little,” said a voice familiar with the Yankees of the team’s interest in Lackey.

For the Yankees, Lackey is more intriguing on several levels than Halladay. One, parting with talent isn’t required because he is a free agent. Two, Lackey will be 32 in October, and Halladay will be 33 in May. As the Yankees proved in the Johan Santana situation two years ago, they were reluctant to part with talent and then money for an extension. Instead, they saved their money for CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Burnett last offseason.

With the Yankees saying that Chamberlain and Hughes will prepare as starters in spring training, they could be interested in free agent right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano, a power pitcher many in the Yankees’ organization like a lot.

“He is going to want at least three years for $8 million a year,” predicted a talent evaluator.

Ben Sheets, whose representatives insist will be ready to pitch at the start of spring training after flexor tendon surgery, could be an option for the Yankees.

As for other deals besides Halladay, the Yankees will monitor what the Tigers do with right-hander Edwin Jackson and center fielder Curtis Granderson.

The Rangers are said to be shopping Josh Hamilton but clubs aren’t biting.

george.king@nypost.com