Alex Rodriguez, Yankees plan to donate contested bonus money to charity: Report

It sounds like the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez are close to shaking out a compromise regarding the slugger's $6 million dollar home run bonus each party has been contesting — and the real winner here might be both sides.

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, a report claims the Yankees and A-Rod are making "quiet progress" toward finalizing a resolution over the money and plan to donate the money to charity.

But the legal eagles from both corners are still worried the deal might break down and that they might find themselves in arbitration after the season, the report said.

The charities to receive the cash would be picked by Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and Rodriguez, it added.

Rodriguez was set to receive the $6 million when he tied Willie Mays' 660 home runs for No. 4 on the all-time list May 1. The payment was spelled out in a 2007 marketing agreement that also said A-Rod would also get $6 million for reaching each of the following home run milestones: tying Babe Ruth at 714, Hank Aaron at 755, Barry Bonds at 762, and then for passing Bonds.

But that deal was struck was before A-Rod's one-year suspension for steroid use and the contentious and litigious attitude he took against the organization last year.

The Yankees have insisted they aren't obligated to pay Rodriguez. According to a portion of the contract the Yankees released, the only the team can decide whether to initiate the contract, and it hasn't intended to do that.

After hitting the Mays-tying home run in Boston, Rodriguez waited 45 days — the timeframe for A-Rod to file a grievance for the Yankees' nonpayment. But the sides then agreed to postpone the deadline so a deal could be struck.

Calling Yankees 'cheap' really irks Hal Steinbrenner: Report

Want to get a rise out of Hal Steinbrenner without mentioning the name A-Rod? Try saying "cheap."

That's cheap as in skinflint, tightwad or penny-pincher. Words not normally associated with the New York Yankees.

In an interview with the New York Post's Joel Sherman on Wednesday, Steinbrenner said the idea that the Yankees — just two days after losing out on the Yoan Moncada bidding war — have become thrifty just isn't fair.

"[Our payroll] is about as high as it has ever been," Steinbrenner told the Post. "And on top of that add the roughly $30 million we spent last [July] when we saw a pretty good foreign market, one of the best there has been and we got six or seven of the top 10 or 11 guys. So there is money spent for not just now, but the future."

Steinbrenner offered $12.5 million for Moncada, only to double it over the weekend for the Yankees' final offer, a figure GM Brian Cashman said was rejected without a chance to counter. (A $25 million offer would have meant $50 million in all because of the penalty for the Yankees having gone over the international spending limit.)

"For Moncada, that was just how far I was going to go for a player who is 19 years old and at least two years away from the majors," Steinbrenner said. "It was a hell of an offer. It might have ended up at $35 million if I continued to be in it."

And why the sudden frugality?

Here's another C-word to make Steinbrenner bristle — contract. Like the $61 million albatross A-Rod currently holds over the club's head.

Hal Steinbrenner: Yankees expect a 'fit' A-Rod back next season: Report

The New York Yankees seem to be softening their stance on Alex Rodriguez these days — just a little.

With the reality of A-Rod's 162-game suspension ending after this season finally setting in, Hal Steinbrenner said for the first time that the Yankees fully expect him back in uniform for 2015.

"That's what he's planning for,'' Steinbrenner said. "And that's what we're planning for.''

Rodriguez, who turns 40 next July, is owed $61 million by the team over the next three seasons. He has struggled to stay on the field in recent seasons due to hip injuries.

Steinbrenner, who was in Baltimore for the quarterly owners' meetings, took a few minutes to discuss his struggling Yankees and the future of A-Rod, who is serving his Biogenesis-related suspension.

Although Steinbrenner said he has not spoken to Rodriguez, he did hear a positive report from the owner's brother-in-law, Felix Lopez, a Yankees executive who bumped into A-Rod in New York recently.

"He says he looks good,'' Steinbrenner said. "He's fit. Alex is a hard worker. Alex will be ready. And we'll just have to go from there. See how he does. See how he responds to playing every day in spring training.

 "Point is, he's in good shape. And that's not surprising.''

And, from Steinbrenner's perspective, having the pariah back in pinstripes might not be such a bad thing right now.

After watching the team's playoff hopes hang by a thread and given his disappointment with this season's underperforming and very expensive roster, even a substandard A-Rod in the lineup must look pretty good to George's son at the moment.

"The offense has been a bit frustrating,'' he said. "They've been inconsistent. They know that. That's got to change — quickly. But having said all that, we're there. As we were last year at this time. The question is where are we in a month? It's up to them.''

He also left open the possibility that the team's finish could determine the fate of Brian Cashman, whose contract is up at the end of this season. Not counting the 1994 strike season, the Yankees haven't missed the playoffs in consecutive years since 1993, and Steinbrenner spent nearly $500 million to make sure it didn't happen again.

He was asked if he had made any decisions yet regarding the general manager.

"No,'' Steinbrenner said. "We're so busy right now trying to figure out who's going to be playing in any given game. We'll be talking about that soon enough. But you know me, we have enough things to worry about during the season. That's where our focus needs to be.''

And Cashman's fate?

"Let me get to October,'' Steinbrenner said. "Hopefully, the end of October, the beginning of November, and we'll go from there.''

Hal is suddenly sounding more like his late dad these days.

Yankee brass found out about Jeter just like everyone else — via Facebook

Staying true to form and as understated as his style of play, Derek Jeter even surprised the New York Yankees organization with his planned retirement — announced via a Facebook post.

Just like the rest of the world, Yankee executives were caught by surprise at the sudden announcement that their iconic shortstop would hang up his cleats following the 2014 season, reports the New York Daily News.

“We found out about it the same way you did,” Yankees President Randy Levine said of Jeter’s Facebook announcement.

The Yankee captain phoned Hal Steinbrenner Wednesday morning but asked the managing general partner not to tell anyone about his plans. Jeter had kept the news to a tight circle including his parents and a couple of friends.

“Derek called me this morning to tell me that he planned to retire following the season,” Steinbrenner said. “In our conversation, I told him that I respected his decision because I know he put a lot of thought into it. I also let him know that I thought it was great that he was letting fans know now so they will have a chance to say goodbye to him.”

And there won't be any shortage of goodbyes for the baseball great as MLB gears up for the farewell tour of all farewell tours this season.

David Ortiz on Cano contract: I would give him $500 million

Big Papi thinks Robinson Cano deserves a big payday.

"I would give him 500 million," David Ortiz said with a smile Thursday of the rumored $300 million-plus the Yankees second baseman is seeking. "He deserves it."

The Red Sox slugger, a friend of Cano's, was joking. Wasn't he?

The Boston designated hitter believes Cano, who will turn 31 Oct. 22, should cash in big on the free-agent market while the going is good

"Good players deserve to get paid," Ortiz said after his team's workout at Fenway Park. "He's one of the top three players in the game, so somebody's going to have to."

Asked if he can picture Cano in a different uniform, Ortiz said "it might happen," but he believes the Yankees will ante up for their only real All-Star.

"Every team needs a player like him," Ortiz said. "I definitely believe the Yankees are going to come through. You don't let players like that go. That's a keeper. But you never know. The game is crazy. There's a lot of teams out there with money chasing players like that."

Cano is believed to be looking for a contract of eight to 10 years. The Yankees, already burdened with long-term deals with old and injured stars like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia, want to avoid that kind of commitment.

Ortiz said Cano is worth both the money and the years.

"At the end of the day, can you expect production from Cano for the next 10 years?" asked Ortiz. 

"Yes. Cano makes the game look too easy. I hit the ball so hard toward him this year, and it was like he was expecting it. He anticipates the way you are going to hit, he knows the hitter's swings. He is an extremely smart player. I have never seen a ground ball go by him."

Ortiz's teammate, Dustin Pedroia, signed an eight-year, $110-million extension in July, the kind of deal the Yankees would do with Cano in a second. Pedroia and Cano are widely considered to be the top second basemen in the American League, but Cano is looking for far more money.

"Those are two different players," said Ortiz, who declined to speculate how Pedroia's contract might impact Cano's. "I don't think you can compare them [to each other]. They're good at what they do individually."

Cano hit .314 with 27 homers and 107 RBIs with a .383 OBP and .899 OPS in 160 games. He hit .329 against righthanders and .291 against lefthanders.

"I wouldn't be surprised if next year if the whole Yankee lineup is healthy, he ends up being the batting title champ," Ortiz said. "It wouldn't surprise me because that's him, he can hit against anybody. Lefty, righty, he has no weakness."

I think I just heard Hal Steinbrenner say Shut up.

Hal Steinbrenner says Yankees 'need' A-Rod, but he must 'act professionally'

Hal Steinbrenner ignored the pink elephant in the room when asked questions about Alex Rodriguez's looming 211-game suspension and legal woes with Major League Baseball. But the New York Yankees owner said he made it clear to his embattled third baseman about the team's expectations when he donned the pinstripes once again.

“Look, as I told him when I talked to him in Tampa, we need him. We do. That’s just obvious,” Steinbrenner told the N.Y. Daily News before Tuesday’ game against the Angels at Yankee Stadium. “We’ve still got our injuries and my hope is that he comes back and continues to improve and stay healthy. He has to perform, and he has to act professionally.”

When we last heard from Steinbrenner discussing the A-Rod situation back in June, he acknowledged "there have no doubt been times that we’ve been disappointed" in A-Rod since he signed his $275 million contract in 2007, adding that the organization wanted Rodriguez “to act like a Yankee” if and when he returned to the team.

The three-time AL MVP played in his seventh game Tuesday following offseason hip surgery and since MLB slapped him with a ban last week that was intended to cover the remainder of this season and all of 2014 for the 14-time All-Star's involvement in the Biogenesis/PED scandal. Because he was suspended under the joint drug agreement in the CBA, Rodriguez is eligible to play until his appeal his heard.

“I’m not going to get into that, at all. We’re just waiting to hear the way everybody else is,” Steinbrenner said.

When asked if he’s disappointed that A-Rod and other past and present Yankees — including Francisco Cervelli — who accepted a 50-game ban — have been linked to PEDs, Steinbrenner added, "Like I said, I don’t have any comment on it."

As for Yankees' disappointing showing so far this season — they were 61-57 and 5.5 games out in the race for the second wild card berth in the American League, but have won 4 of the last 5 on the current homestand —  Steinbrenner pointed to the unusually high rate of injuries his high-priced team has endured all year.

"It’s bad policy to lean on excuses, but it’s also bad policy to ignore the facts. We’ve had at least 15 different guys on the DL, several of them multiple times. It’s mostly been on offense. When you’re playing with those kinds of injuries it’s tough to play against teams that are fairly healthy. That’s just a fact,” Steinbrenner said. “But I will say the (recent 2-6) road trip was very disappointing to me."

Like it or not, it sounds like there's a pinstriped elephant in the room now.

Hal Steinbrenner says 'scrappy' Yankees can win with $189 million payroll

One word which is never usually associated with the New York Yankees is "scrappy." Powerful, favored, high-priced and sometimes maybe even underachieving are words more apt to be used in describing the makeup of the team.

That was until Hal Steinbrenner referred to his team with the S-word in describing the depleted Yankees' surprisingly success a quarter into the 2013 season and holding forth on his commitment to get the payroll below the luxury-tax threshold of $189 million for 2014.

"I'm proud of them, my family's proud of them,"said Steinbrenner following an owner's meeting at Major League Baseball's Manhattan headquarters Thursday. "They've been fighting hard all year long, and despite significant adversity, they've persevered. It's fun to watch. They're scrappy. Coming from behind, it seems like certain times in the past, it's not something you had confidence in."

The Yankees are 25-16 and in first place, a game ahead of the Red Sox, despite using a team with a current on-field payroll of about $140 million — and that includes the return of Curtis Granderson ($15 million) this week. With Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez watching from Tampa, that, amazingly, leaves still more than $70 million still on the DL.

"I always believed it could work if ... the young players, which I've been saying all along, pan out and do their job," he said. "We still have [Michael] Pineda coming back, so we'll see how he does. I think he's going to do great.

"But the key is going to be the young players stepping up and really making contributions like they're doing right now."

Keeping the payroll under the threshold is going to be tricky for the Yankees if they plan on signing their best player Robinson Cano.  

Steinbrenner sounded optimistic about keeping his All-Star, and not because Cano's firing of Scott Boras and signing with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. 

"I still have faith that the player has a big say in it," Steinbrenner said. "I know that Robby wants to be there, and Robby knows that we want him to be here. We want him to end his career here. I think to me, whether I'm right or not, that plays a big part in it regardless of who the agent is. But we're going to continue to try and push ahead and get something done. We want him to be a Yankee."

And as for recent speculation about the Yankees being put on the market in the near future, Steinbrenner channelled his inner George. 

"Absolutely not selling the team," he said. "Have not been talking to anybody about selling the team. Have no intention of selling the team. What would I do?"

For now, the Yankees will stay the course by trimming the payroll and lowering the average age of the roster — for now.

"The math works to me if the young kids do their job," said Steinbrenner. "It has to happen. And I've been saying that for over a year now — that's the goal we're going to push for. But again, I'll reiterate what I always reiterate, which is we're always going to field a championship-caliber team."

There's that other S-word — succeed.

A-Rod making more than Astros' entire 2013 payroll

Here's something for the New York Yankees to chew on while they make an attempt to slim their payroll below the luxury tax threshold.  Alex Rodriguez's $29 million salary is more than the entire Houston Astros payroll combined — over eight MLB minimum wage contracts more.

And the injured Yankees slugger won't even be playing a game before the All-Star break — if at all.

A-Rod's bloated salary tops the major leagues for the 13th consecutive season, according to a study of major league contracts by The Associated Press while the Yankees' — with all their talk about austerity — $228 million opening day payroll is tops in the major leagues for the 15th straight year.

A-Rod and friends at Sony Open

With both teams ready to set opening day rosters Sunday, the Yankees' payroll is almost 10 times the size of the Astros — who have shrunk their spending to a minuscule $25 million. Carlos Pena is their top earner at $7.25 million.

"When we get on the baseball field with whomever the opponent is, they are not sitting there saying: 'Well, their players make more money than us so therefore you're deemed a winner and we're deemed a loser,'" Astros manager Bo Porter said Thursday. "Games are won and lost on the baseball field, and it doesn't matter what somebody is paid every two weeks. At the end of the day, that person has to be better than you today."

The ailing A-Rod — recovering from January hip surgery — has been recently spotted hitting restaurants in Miami and taking in the Sony Open with his girlfriend Torrie Wilson while the Astros have plodded through their inaugural American league spring training schedule with a 14-16 record.  The Bronx Bombers are 13-18. They will meet for a three-game series at the end of April.

The Yankees have four of the top six salaried players in the majors and will begin the season with two of them (Mark Teixeira, $23.1 million, is the other) on the DL.  Houston has no such worries about millions lying around.

As Hal Steinbrenner slashes the payroll to get under the $189 million tax threshold by 2014, the Yankees will still pay the fat-cat tax for the 11th consecutive year.

Yanks' Cashman to parachute with Golden Knights

Brian Cashman's "significant offer" to Robinson Cano may be the biggest leap of faith he has taken over the past few weeks.

At least until the jump he takes Monday morning.

The New York Yankees general manager will parachute over Miami early that day with the Golden Knights of the U.S. Army to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.

"It's an opportunity to do something that a lot of people don't do or will never do, so that's awesome," said the daredevil Cashman. "It's called living.  But it's not like on my list of something I've always wanted to do.  I'm kind of excited for the opportunity to do it but at the same time, big-time nervous about doing it."

When someone asked Cashman about the Cano deal, he replied," I've got no comment.  I want to make sure I have a parachute."

Cashman wouldn't go into details about his tandem jump strapped to one of the elite Golden Knights and didn't want to know either.

"The less you know, the better you are," said Cashman who has rappelled own the side of a Connecticut office building for charity the last two holiday seasons.

"It's harder probably to be GM of the Yankees than jump out of an airplane," he reasoned.

At least we know one has a golden parachute.

Steinbrenners approve of A-Rod's portrayal in Yankees animated movie

While the New York Yankees played against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater Tuesday, the team's braintrust, Hal and Hank Steinbrenner took in an animated movie during an afternoon matinee.

The film called "Henry & Me" — which is nearly completed and had been six years in the making — serves as an homage to Yankees' history and includes a virtual Who's Who of Bronx Bombers past and present.

It had been so long in production the producers faced a possible conundrum with Alex Rodriguez playing a small but pivotal role in the uplifting film.  In it, A-Rod hits a big home run with the help of the movie's protagonist, Jack, who is battling cancer and is given life lessons by current and former pinstriped stars.

The dilemma for the Yankees and producers was whether nor not it was appropriate to portray the third baseman in such a positive light given A-Rod's reported PED link in the Biogenesis scandal.

After seeing the rough cut of the project, Hank Steinbrenner, who is the voice of his father George in the movie, gave it a thumbs up.

"I think it doesn’t matter," Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ co-chairperson with his brother, told The New York Post. "The move is about a child with cancer and his love of the Yankees. Everybody else is in it, too, Ruth and Gehrig and everybody else, so it’s really a small part of it.

"The focus really needs to be on what the movie is about. It’s really sad at the beginning and luckily a happy ending. It’s not about whether Alex is in it or not. Maybe it is to the baseball press, but it’s not going to be to anybody else."

The film’s producers, Joseph Avallone and Joe Castellano, and director Barrett Esposito presented the movie along with executive producer Ray Negron, the Yankees adviser who was personally hired by George Gteinbrenner as a Yankees batboy when he was a teenager.  Negron's Yankees-centric children’s books are the foundation of the story.

"This is my tribute to The Boss and the Steinbrenner family and [team president] Randy Levine for all the things they’ve done for me," said Negron.

The film has a star-studded voiceover cast including Yankees fans Richard Gere as Lou Gehrig, Chazz Palminteri as Babe Ruth and Paul Simon as Thurmond Munson.

Yogi Berra, Bob Sheppard, Bernie Williams, CC Sabathia, Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman play themselves as toons.

A-Rod himself met with the producers two times to record his lines, once in 2009 — a few months after he confessed to using illegal PEDs — and in 2010 after a great postseason.

On whether or not A-Rod's troubles off the field taint his role in the film, Avallone was practical and philanthropic.  

"We could change it," said the producer. "Give me another million, give me another year, we could change it. We don’t have a million. We don’t have a year. And you know what? It’s really bigger than Alex. It’s about giving back. It’s about the children."

The producers plan to donate $2 from each DVD purchase or download to the charities of the film's actors.

The Yankees next animated role for A-Rod might be in Spirited Away but that would have to be after he plays a Centaur in a remake of Beauty and the Beast. 

Yankees have talked to Cano about a 'significant long-term contract'

Are the New York Yankees suddenly caving in to the thought of Robinson Cano bolting the Bronx before the team's best all-around player hits the free agent market after this season.

Cano's agent, Scott Boras, has made it clear that he won't ignore lucrative offers from other clubs but, at the same time, informed the Yankees he won't ignore overtures from them.

The Yankees might have to shift away from their policy of not extending contracts before they are up if the team doesn't want to lose their Hall of Fame-caliber player still in his prime.

With the remnants of Alex Rodriguez's bloated 10-year contract and Boras' penchant for testing the free agent waters on his mind, Hal Steinbrenner sounds ready to break the Yankees' routine.

"We expressed to Scott what a great Yankee [Cano] has been and we hope he continues his career here for a long time to come. We indicated to him on a very preliminary basis that we were willing to consider a significant long-term contract," Steinbrenner told reporters after the team’s workout yesterday. The talks were held before camp opened. "Nothing has happened and there is nothing to report since then."

Boras reminded Steinbrenner that there will be plenty of money floating available outside the Bronx, but he will be listening to the Yankees jingle their pockets.

"I told Hal, Randy [Levine] and Cash [Brian Cashman] it's something we will have a conversation about," said Boras.

Two weeks ago, Steinbrenner said he hoped Cano would be in pinstripes "his entire career" but is still not committing to anything in stone. And he's done it before.

The Yankees didn't negotiate with Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera or Jorge Posada until they were free to go.  Even Derek Jeter went through contentious talks with Steinbrenner when the Captain was a free agent two years ago.

"The main purpose of the conversation was to let [Boras] know that we want Robby to continue to be a Yankee and we appreciate all of his contributions," he said yesterday.

The Yankees maintain they have enough cash to keep their All-Star but Boras doesn't want the constant whirl of contract rumors disrupting his client's focus during his take it or leave it season.

"If we do talk, it will be done very privately," said Boras. "There will not be something to report until it's reported.  Robbie wants to play without distractions."

Good luck with that, Scottie.

Hal Steinbrenner says Yankees will spend more if team isn't 'championship-caliber'

Hal Steinbrenner has made it clear that the New York Yankees are steadfast in getting the team's payroll under $189 million by the 2014 season — even if it means not re-signing valuable Yankees players and passing on desirable high-profile free agents.

Much to the chagrin of longtime Bronx Bomber fans, Hal and his brother Hank are committed to showing everyone this ain't their daddy's Yankees.

But, as Hal left the  Major League Baseball owner's meeting in Arizona Thursday, the Yankees' managing general partner insisted that trimming the payroll will occur only if the Yankees can still contend for a title while doing so.

“All I can continue to tell everyone is our commitment to the fans is never going to change,” Steinbrenner said. “We will always field a championship-caliber team. Is our goal 189 next year? Yes. But only if I’m convinced if the team I see, that we’ve put together, is a championship-caliber team.”

Asked if that meant the $189 million luxury tax threshold was a number carved in stone, Steinbrenner said, "I've been resolute that that is our goal, and that is our goal.  But I've also said, including spring training a year ago, that to achieve that goal, these young players have to step up and get the job done."

Steinbrenner specifically mentioned Manny Banuelos and Michael Pineda — two young pitchers who  suffered injuries last season after being touted as key additions.  Losing two young players is a big deal on a team that makes the Knicks look downright youthful.

Getting under the luxury tax's Mendoza Line won't be easy with Alex Rodriguez's $114 million, five-year logjam of a deal and the upcoming free-agency of the Yankees best player — Robinson Cano — which could break the bank.  Still, the lower payroll is a team priority, according to Steinbrenner.

Concerning the criticism by some old school fans who yearn for the free-spending ways of his dad, George Steinbrenner, Hal sounded like he was satisfied with Brian Cashman's off-season pick-ups.

"I'm surprised to hear that there's anger, if you see what we've done this off-season ... we've signed three or four of the top free agents that were on the market, because we're going to continue to field a championship caliber team."

Cano will probably leave Yankees for free agency after '13, say sources

In a scenario New York Yankees fans would have scoffed at last season, the possibility of seeing Robinson Cano, the team's best all-around player, in anything but pinstripes just might become reality after the 2013 season.

According to two industry sources familiar with Cano's situation, the Yankees' Gold Glove second baseman may very well leave the team once he becomes a free agent, reports the New York Daily News.

"I don't think he'll be with the Yankees beyond next season," one of the sources told the Daily News.  "He's not giving them a hometown discount, and they seem to be more interested in keeping their payroll down than winning."

Say hello to the new Yankees philosophy.

Cano, who was attending the celebrity golf tournament sponsored by his friend David Ortiz this weekend at the Dominican Cap Cana resort, told the newspaper that he would "love" to remain a Yankee for life, but added: "I know this is a business ... it's up to them."

Three major factors will help determine whether or not the Yankees All-Star second baseman stays in the Bronx.

First, is the Yankees' new payroll belt-tightening by Hal Steinbrenner — who hopes to get the team's payroll down to $189 million before 2014 to avoid a huge luxury-tax.  Cano will be asking for everything but Derek Jeter's black book.

Second, is the fact that Cano is represented by super agent Scott Boras, who was behind teammate Alex Rodriguez's record $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers in 2001 and before the current 10-year, $275 million dollar contract A-Rod signed with the Yankees in 2007.  He will make sure Cano doesn't come cheap.

Finally, is the lesson learned from signing the then 32-year-old A-Rod to a 10-year deal when he was heading towards the downside of his career.  The Yankees are now strapped with the declining and now injured third baseman for another five years.

Cano will be 31-year-old next year and the source said he will seek a similar deal similar to A-Rod's — money that the Yankees probably won't want to tie up for a decade.

"He's the best player on the Yankees," the second source said.  " There's no reason for him not to be paid that way."

Boras said during this week's winter meetings that he doesn't plan on discussing a new contract for Cano until next offseason.

It's a moot point.  The Yankees have a strict policy of not starting contract discussions until after the final year of the contract. Who can forget Derek Jeter's contentious talks before the 2011 season. This could be just as interesting.

"I think the Yankees policy is very clear, that they always walk through the contracts and then address them when they end," said Boras.  "We just will get [Cano] ready to play the season, play out the season and then evaluate things at the end of '13."

Asked about the possibility of Cano bolting for free agency, a team official declined comment, calling it "typical offseason speculation."

Cano has already been warned by his peers about the rough waters he is about to tread as a free agent for the first time.

"I've never been in that position before.  I hear guys saying it's not fun when you're going to be a free agent, stuff like that," said Cano about the road ahead come next winter.

Still, he was optimistic he will be playing in pinstripes for the remainder of his career.

"Why not? It's like where you grew up — as kids, you always want to stay with your people," the laid-back Cano said.  "But I know this is a business.  That's what it is."

Yankees sign Andy Pettitte to $2.5 million minor league contract

It didn't take long for the pitching bug to bite Andy Pettitte— while he was hanging around the New York Yankees during spring training— and bring him out of retirement.

The Yankees have signed the Yankee great to a one-year minor league deal, according to the YES network's Jack Curry.  The deal is reported to be worth $2.5 million.

Pettitte— who retired after the 2010 season— had been in camp this year as a special guest instructor.  During that time, he admitted that being around the Yankees could tempt him to come out of retirement and make a comeback.

Pettitte retired from the team to spend time with his family and must have discovered that he can still do both at the same time.  Two and a half million doesn't hurt either.

He retired after having one of his best seasons (11-3, 3.28) in 2010 even after injuries dogged him during the end of that summer.

The lefthander was in Orlando with the team throwing batting practice before a game with the Atlanta Braves when Hal Steinbrenner gave his permission to increase the budget and sign the 39-year-old Pettitte.  The Yankees had been making a lot of noise about cutting the size of their payroll, but this is a clutch playoff pitcher we're talking about.

The fan favorite must have felt that the lure of getting career win No. 241 was just too great.

Adding Pettitte to the rotation presents a small problem for the Yankees who already have six arms vying for one of the five starting roles.

Freddy Garcia is out for a few days after getting hit with a ball on his right hand and, after CC Sabathia, the other four positions are up for grabs.

Just when when you thought the Core Four was cut in half, here comes Pettitte to make it the Key Three once again.

Can Jorge Posada be far behind?

Could Soriano Save Brian Cashman's Off Off-Season?

It hasn't been the best of times for New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman in recent months.  It started after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs by the Texas Rangers. Since then,  Cashman has been rejected, accused, jerked around, questioned and now, overruled.

At Christmas, Cashman rappelled down the Landmark Building in Stamford, Connecticut.  He must have the same dangling feeling right now in the Yankees front office.

The signing of set-up man Rafael Soriano was the first significant addition to the team after a winter of rejections.  It may be the only saving grace for the Yankees dismal off-season acquisitions--but it did not come without controversy.

The battered GM admitted he recommended the Yankees pass on signing the 31 year-old Soriano, but said he was overruled by ownership.  Soriano has 88 career saves over eight seasons.  45 of them last year.

Cashman, who was given full control of baseball operations in 2005, said the signing will help the team but was against it because of the financial commitment and draft pick considerations.  Cashman insisted all winter that these factors would be deal breakers.  The Steinbrenners thought otherwise.

 "It's not my team.  I don't own it. They [Hal and Hank Steinbrenner] do," said the GM at Soriano's press conference.  "I'm a big boy.  In any job you better be prepared for every decision to not go your way."

Cashman continued by saying there were "internal debates and discussions" on how to proceed.  "Ultimately, Hal's in charge of making the final call in what he feels is the best direction at that time frame.  He made that call.  This is Hal Steinbrenner's and his family's franchise.  It's not mine and it's never been, obviously," he said.  "But this is not something that was done without me being aware of it.  I had my say," he made clear.

Being overruled by the boss (or Boss' sons) is not so bad as compared to the other career lows of Cashman's miserable recent winter.  It has been rough.

First, the whole Cliff Lee fiasco ended with the highly desired pitcher spurning Cashman's front-runner status and refusing the Yankees record-breaking contract to return to the Philadelphia Phillies.  For millions of dollars less!  It was a supernova implosion in the Yankee Universe.

Then, there was the drawn out he-said/they-said squabble over Derek Jeter's contract talks, culminating with the face of the Yankees calling out the team brass for leaking details of the negotiations to the press.  The future Hall of Famer was not so happy with Cashman and made it public.

Combine those ulcer-inducing episodes with the pressure to replace Lee with another top-notch starter and playing pattycake with 'will he or won't he return' Andy Pettitte.  Pettitte is still flapping in the wind.

The GM meekly admitted he even had discussions with Carl Pavano's agent about bringing back the loathed Yankee castaway and the PR nightmare it would cause.  Yankee fans could only hope the Steinbrenner boys would have overruled that move too.

Yesterday,  Cashman was thrust into the awkward position of introducing to the press a player he didn't even want.  If Soriano's press conference was any indication, Cashman probably told the party planner to use a Mets budget  The event was franks and beans compared to the festive soirees given to CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira or even Curtis Granderson at their intros.  You would think the Yankees would give the give their new 3-year, $35 million possible successor to Mariano Rivera a better coming out bash. 

The modest fete had none of the Steinbrenners or star players present and, instead of the Legends Room, it was held in the less opulent conference room.  Oh yeah, there was an interpreter and a table of coffee and donuts on the side.

Now, the only thing left for Cashman to do now is convincingly promote his new relief pitcher who makes "closer's money."

Cashman began by acknowledging that Soriano led the AL in saves last season for the Tampa Bay Rays and the righthander gives the Yankees a "dynamic punch" in the later innings.  Wow.

"Let me put it this way, I think 29 GMs would love their owner to force Rafael Soriano down their throat," said Cashman.  "It doesn't mean that I was right, or that it's the best approach, but it's who I am and still am.  But we are better in 2011 for this, there's no doubt about it."

Cashman, whose contract runs out this year,  made it clear he doesn't think the Steinbrenners have started a trend by overruling his input.  " If I have 10 recommendations, nine or ten get followed, but not every one of them," he reasoned.

Soriano, arguably,  does give the Yankees one of the best bullpens in the league.   Cashman can also take comfort in the fact that even though the team didn't get Lee or outfielder Carl Crawford, the Steinbrenners have a little George in them and will spend whatever it takes to help the team and save face.  Even overspend.