MLB

Yankees have survived worse hits than this

The last time the unquestioned best starter on the market spurned the Yankees’ lavish bid, he also went to an NL powerhouse to join an already elite rotation.

Greg Maddux rejected the Yanks after the 1992 season, taking less money to join a rotation with Steve Avery, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz on the two-time defending NL champion Braves. That seemed to assure Atlanta dynasty and the Yankees despair.

Yet by the strike-shortened 1994 season, the Yanks had the best record in the AL, and by the end of the decade, the Yankees were the dynasty, not the Braves, despite Maddux’s majesty.

The Yankees thrived sans Maddux due to a series of shrewd trades (think David Cone and Tino Martinez, among others) and gambling correctly on their high-end farm products (Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte).

So the Yanks know that losing an ace in the offseason is not a knockout blow, regardless of the current pain.

Lee, a control artist like Maddux, rejected the Yankees, taking less overall dollars to join a rotation with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt on the four-time defending NL East champion Phillies.

There is no way to spin this as a positive for the 2011 Yankees, no matter how much team officials tried yesterday. We can go through all the reasons the upcoming Yankees rotation is tremulous, such as CC Sabathia’s workload, Andy Pettitte’s employment indecisiveness and Phil Hughes’ inexperience. But just know that, as matters stand right now, the Yanks need A.J. Burnett to be trustworthy and good in 2011. That is the premise for a horror movie, not a quality rotation.

Yet despite all the obvious upgrades that have sent the Phillies and Red Sox into the Evil Empire’s payroll and expectation stratosphere, wouldn’t you — if asked to stake your life savings on five teams that could win the 2011 World Series — put the Yankees on your list? Of course you would. Because the Yankees might be Lee-less, but they are not lifeless.

They have a high-end core that includes a near MVP (Robinson Cano), a Cy Young winner (Sabathia) and the still closing champion of the world (Mariano Rivera). They also have one of the sport’s best farm systems, and now even more cash to scavenge without Lee. They are in a better position today than they were in their Maddux-free 1993 season.

“I think we have a terrific present and a tremendous future,” GM Brian Cashman said.

He is paid to say it and believe it, and there might be happiness in a few years that the Yankees do not have Lee as just another member of a high-paid geriatric roster. For now, though, Cashman knows he cannot adequately replace him. They do not think Zack Greinke can handle New York, and there are no other high-end starters available in free agency or trade.

Thus, the Yankees must build a roster in a different way, at least until July. Since the end of the 2006 season, Lee has been traded three times, Dan Haren twice, and Sabathia, Halladay, Oswalt, Jake Peavy and Johan Santana once each. So high-end starters do get moved and, therefore, who knows what unexpected goodies (Felix Hernandez? Chris Carpenter? Haren?) might be available to the Yankees in midseason.

It will be easier to survive until then if Pettitte comes back. But even with Pettitte, the Yankees would be handing the No. 5 job to Ivan Nova, who some in the organization believe was scared late last season. And if Pettitte actually is retired, Nova becomes the No. 4 starter.

Which would force the Yankees into a free-agent market of broken toys (Brad Penny, Brandon Webb, Chien-Ming Wang) after already coming to agreement with one yesterday in one-time Cubs ace Mark Prior — who actually will come to camp on a minor-league contract as a reliever.

There could be a mid-rotation trade market from the White Sox (Edwin Jackson, Gavin Floyd), the Twins (Scott Baker) or the Angels (Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro). The Yankees have organizational pitching depth, but nothing clearly ready for action on April 1, 2011.

Whatever the Yankees do with the rotation, they plan to bulk up around it by adding greater pen depth (a righty such as Kerry Wood or Jesse Crain, a lefty such as Brian Fuentes or Pedro Feliciano) and a righty-hitting fourth outfield type. The Yankees are used to being top-heavy in their payroll with players such as Lee. Now with the Lee money not spent, the Yankees will try to be a deeper team 1-through-25.

Maddux taught the Yankees there is life after being spurned in the free-agent market. In fact, there was a dynasty. Can they follow that blueprint again?

joel.sherman@nypost.com