The baseball season is months away but it looks like it's already "game on" between the Yankees and Red Sox. The ancient rivals have taken the competition into the offseason by injecting themselves into each other's free-agent pursuits.
The Red Sox fired first by making an offer to the Bombers' free agent closer Mariano Rivera shortly before, as the Daily News first reported, Rivera and the Yanks agreed to terms on a two-year, $30 million deal Thursday night. The Yankees have counterpunched by getting involved with free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford, most recently of the Tampa Bay Rays. Boston is in serious pursuit of Crawford and already has met with his side. A major league source confirmed the contact between the Yankees and Crawford.
"I really couldn't comment about that," Cashman said Friday morning in Stamford, Conn., where he rehearsed for Sunday's Heights & Lights show by rappelling down the side of a 350-foot building five times.
"I'm doing everything I can to put the best team on the field," Cashman added. "I wouldn't want to say specific players. ... I'd rather not point out individual players. I've reached out to some players that are obvious and some players that people would be surprised about."
Has the interest been genuine or just gamesmanship to jack up the asking prices and possibly limit an archrival from making further moves?
The Red Sox have a closer in Jonathan Papelbon, who saved 37 games last season despite a career-high 3.90 ERA and the most baserunners allowed since he became the closer in 2006. They are likely to work out a one-year deal with the righthander or go to arbitration - either would earn him a raise on the $9.35 million he got in 2010 - plus they have Daniel Bard, a closer-in-waiting who throws 100 mph.
The Yankees, meanwhile, profess confidence in their current outfield of - from left to right - Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher. Acquiring Crawford might be a backup plan if the Bombers fail to land their top free agent target, Cliff Lee; talks with Lee and agent Darek Braunecker have been stagnant but should resume next week at the winter meetings in Orlando.
But it also might be a way to strengthen the outfield - with Gardner becoming the best fourth outfielder in the AL - or create an extra piece for a trade. Swisher hit 29 home runs each of the last two years and is in the final year of his contract, while Gardner stole 47 bases and scored 91 runs while making just $452,500 in 2010. Both could attract high interest on the trade market.
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