Get ready for a heavy dose of Cliff Lee across the next four days.
With Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera waiting on physical-exam results before officially rejoining the Yankees, the Winter Meetings starting-pitching focus is fully on Lee, with a side serving of Andy Pettitte.
The 32-year-old, left-handed Lee is the class of a very shallow free-agent pitching pool — and an arm the Yankees can’t let get away.
“My priority list is pitching, pitching, pitching, pitching, pitching — I’ve been focusing on pitching,” GM Brian Cashman said yesterday after rappelling down a Stamford building, then flying to the Meetings last night.
“I’ve been focusing on the legacy guys, but I really need to take care of our pitching.”
In other words, making sure Lee lands in pinstripes.
The Yankees believe Lee is looking for $140 million for six or seven seasons. They also need bullpen help.
The Yanks are engaged with free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford, but he is a backup option if Lee doesn’t sign. The Bombers also want to drive up the price on the Red Sox, who are talking to Crawford.
“We’ve got a lot more work to do, to be honest,” Cashman said. “That’s why I’ve got to get on a plane tonight [last night]. I could have flown down tomorrow [this] morning, but I’m going to get down to Orlando tonight [last night] because I’ve got to hit the ground running first thing,” Cashman said.
There is no question Cashman’s quest is Lee, but he would slot in between ace CC Sabathia and 18-game winner Phil Hughes.
“When you’re a free agent, we kind of have to dance to their dance card,” Cashman said. “I’ve kind of been reacting to them.
“I flew into Arkansas especially to meet with Cliff Lee and his wife and his agent. I did that very early in the process. I was the first one out of the gates there.
“So, everybody knows I got ahead of everybody else. But it’s their dance card. They’re setting the pace of this thing. I can only wait and respect the process they put themselves in. It took them a long time, they fought through a lot of different cities to get to this point. I’m hoping this will be the last city he ends up in, in New York.”
The Rangers and Yankees are the only serious contenders for Lee, who pitched the Rangers to the World Series.
Dareck Braunecker, Lee’s agent, expects the action to increase during the Winter Meetings.
“I don’t know. That’s really up to Cliff Lee,” Cashman said. “We’re ready to be there, rock and roll, whenever they say they’re ready to talk. I’m ready to talk. I’ll talk right now.”
Does Cashman expect Pettitte to join Rivera and Jeter in returning?
“We’ll see,” he said. “He’s really dictating it on his end. … I’ve just got to wait to see if they gravitate back to wanting to play.”
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Cashman doesn’t believe there is lingering bad feelings after the Jeter negotiations.
“We’ll have a press conference about that,” he said. “Everybody’s professional.”
Cashman on Jayson Werth signing a seven-year, $126 million deal with Washington: “At least it wasn’t Boston.”