True to his word, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reached out to C.J. Wilson’s agent yesterday.
“I would describe it as routine,” Cashman said of his talk with Bob Garber, Wilson’s representative.
Wilson, a 30-year-old lefty who went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA for the AL champion Rangers but struggled in the postseason, is the best free agent hurler on the market.
And since Cashman said this week that even after retaining CC Sabathia that starting pitching remains a priority, it figures that Garber and the Yankees will continue talking.
Wilson’s subpar October record certainly is something to pause over but across the past two seasons he has pitched very well in a hitters’ ballpark in Arlington.
Industry insiders predicted during the postseason that Wilson, a starter for two years, could command $15 million a year forfive years.
The Yankees are not allergic to that type of money, but some voices within the organization believe Japanese righthander Yu Darvish might be a better value.
The Rangers are the only organization Wilson has ever pitched for. And though GM Jon Daniels expressed an interest in bringing Wilson back, the Rangers are said to be interested in Darvish. It’s not likely they would sign both.
The Yankees, of course, will monitor the Darvish sweepstakes. Garber isn’t the only agent Cashman has reached out to.
“I haven’t talked to all of them, but I have talked to a whole bunch so far,” Cashman said. “I still have calls to make.”
Other free agent hurlers the Yankees are sure to monitor are Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle and Roy Oswalt.
george.king@nypost.com