Rather than trade young assets such as Phil Hughes for Santana, they simply waited for Sabathia — who beat Santana for the 2007 American League Cy Young Award and outpitched him in the NL last season.

Long-term contracts for pitchers are always risks, and both Sabathia and Burnett are coming off heavy workloads in '08. But Burnett, who turns 32 on Jan. 3, will be the oldest of the Yankees' top four starters.

Meanwhile, the Yankees still have Hughes, who eventually could figure into their rotation. They used Jeff Marquez, another pitcher in the Santana discussions, to help land Swisher. And Cabrera, who also would have gone to the Twins for Santana, ultimately could bring them Cameron.

WWTD: What will Teixeira do?

Like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira is considered an ideal Scott Boras client, one who understands the value of a landmark contract and follows baseball economics closely.

The parallel is intriguing: A-Rod went for top dollar when he signed his 10-year, $252 million contract with the Rangers in 2000. Teixeira might do the same and accept a monster bid from the lowly Nationals.

The difference is, A-Rod did not have a successful team such as the Red Sox as a reasonable if less lucrative alternative in free agency.

Boras always has insisted that at least one other team made a strong run at A-Rod, but the consensus within the industry is that the Braves made the second-highest bid and did not come within $100 million.

The Nats will not outbid the Red Sox by that amount for Teixeira. The Yankees are at least on the periphery. And the Angels announced Friday that they have made Teixeira an eight-year offer, perhaps to demonstrate the seriousness of their intentions at a time when their chances appear to be diminishing.

The Nats have offered Teixeira $160 million for eight years, according to The Washington Post. The Red Sox might not be at eight years and might not be at $20 million per season. The Yankees' interest could be sincere or it could be a ruse by the team and/or Boras.

As one general manager said, "There is a lot of bluffing going on trying to get the Red Sox to go higher."

WWDD: What will the Dodgers do?

The question applies not only to Manny Ramirez, but also to Rafael Furcal. The A's are again offering Furcal a four-year deal, the Blue Jays and Royals continue to show interest and the Dodgers are ... where exactly?

Lying in wait.

The Dodgers obviously do not want to give Furcal a three- or four-year contract unless the deal includes provisions that protect them against injury. To some degree, they're daring Furcal to leave for a lesser club.

The A's, for example, will be a longshot to win the AL West no matter how the Angels' off-season evolves. If the A's trade Matt Holliday before July 31 — or, more likely, lose him as a free agent — Furcal might be stuck with a weaker club. Meanwhile, neither the Royals nor Blue Jays figure to contend next season.

One agent says it is obvious that Furcal wants to remain with the Dodgers; otherwise, he already would have accepted the A's offer. If the Dodgers lose Furcal, their other options would include free agents Orlando Cabrera and Angel Berroa and a trade for the Pirates' Jack Wilson.

J.J. almost an Indian

The Indians attempted to trade for J.J. Putz, but the Mariners wanted a highly regarded prospect in addition to outfielder Franklin Gutierrez.

Instead, Gutierrez went to the Mets, who spun him to the M's in a three-team, 12-player deal that brought Putz to New York and reliever Joe Smith and infielder Luis Valbuena to Cleveland.

Smith will join Kerry Wood in a revamped Indians' bullpen that still includes left-hander Rafael Perez and righties Jensen Lewis and Rafael Betancourt. Valbuena, the Indians believe, has the potential to be an everyday second baseman; one club official likens his swing to "Robinson Cano lite."

San Francisco Giants News News » Yanks shedding salaries to go after more players 2008-12-14
Yanks shedding salaries to go after more players 2008-12-14
Scream all you want about the Yankees' spending. Club officials continue to say that the team's projected payroll will be lower than it was last season. Roster changes