The LoHud Yankees Blog

While the Yankees are closing in on re-signing two of their icons, the Red Sox are closing in on reloading their infield. The Red Sox are on the verge of giving up four young players, two of whom are significant prospects, in a trade for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

The trade is essentially a first step toward making up for the loss of free agents Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez. Kevin Youkilis will shift to Beltre’s spot at third base, and Gonzalez seems a natural fit in Martinez’s No. 3 spot in the lineup.

The Red Sox have also shown interest in Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth this winter. Either of those two would bring additional offensive help and solidify an outfield that couldn’t stay healthy last season.

That’s the Red Sox approach to the offseason: Lose offense. Add offense.

The other threat in the East, the Rays, are in something of a restructuring period. It’s not necessarily a rebuilding, but Tampa is certainly transitioning to a new wave of young players. It may be time for Desmond Jennings to get a chance in the outfield, there is talk of trading Jason Bartlett so that Reid Brignac can takeover at shortstop, and Jeremy Hellickson has done all he can do in a Triple-A rotation.

Changes are happening in the American League East, and the Yankees aren’t the only ones making moves.

Still waiting for some sort of official word from the Yankees about Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. As you can probably tell, on-the-record comments are tough to come by at this point, and it will probably stay that way until the signings are official.

The deals may include deferred money, which could obviously help the Yankees make their push for Cliff Lee and secondary pieces.

It also seems the Yankees got creative with Jeter’s fourth-year option, though just how creative remains unknown. The latest from the AP doesn’t include a lot of new information, but this is where we stand right now. At this point, it’s largely a waiting game for the signings to become official.

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees are near an agreement on a three-year contract that would contain an option for 2014.

The deal would include deferred money and average between $15 million and $17 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made.

Jeter’s agent, Casey Close, and the Yankees negotiated late Friday night and early Saturday. The person said “substantial progress” had been made and it was possible an agreement could be reached later Saturday.

The person described the option as “creative” and said the sides had spent much time working on its structure.

Although negotiations with Jeter moved slowly last month, there is little doubt the Yankees captain will remain in pinstripes.

Coming off a $189 million, 10-year contract, Jeter initially had been offered a $45 million, three-year deal.

New York also was in the process of finishing a $30-million, two-year contract with closer Mariano Rivera that also would include deferred money.

Associated Press photo

As you might have gathered, Sam and I are big fans of the West Wing. We quote it in our video chats, we quote it when we sit next to one another in the press box and we go out of our way to quote it in emails to one another. Lucky for us, we sit next to Mark Feinsand at Yankee Stadium, and he’s one of the few people in the world who actually enjoys our President Bartlet references.

And among Bartlet’s go-to phases is this one: What’s next?

Short. Simple. To the point. One thing is done. There’s no need to discuss it any further. What’s next?

For the Yankees, Mariano Rivera seems like a done deal, and Derek Jeter seems close behind him. There’s a chance these deals could be finished by the end of the weekend — by the time Brian Cashman is scaling that building in Stamford in an elf costume — meaning the Yankees can quickly turn their focus to the Winter Meetings and their most pressing need: Fixing the rotation.

It’s not time to shift attention yet. The Yankees still have to lock down their own icons, but that seems like a formality at this point. Then they can get to work on Cliff Lee.

That’s what’s next.

Looks like the Yankees could check two icons off the list before the Winter Meetings even start.

Last night the Daily News reported that Mariano Rivera was on the verge of a deal, and now they’re reporting that Derek Jeter could also sign as early as tomorrow. Given the state of the Jeter negotiations at the beginning of the week, that’s remarkable progress.

The Daily News suggests a three-year deal worth $19 million per year. It could have a vesting fourth year “with reachable parameters”

Amazing just how much the public tone of the Derek Jeter negotiations have changed. At this point, you can’t turn anywhere without reading or hearing something positive about the progress. Here’s the latest from the AP.

NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees have made “significant or substantial progress” on a new contract.

The person spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.

Although negotiations moved slowly last month, there is little doubt the Yankees captain will remain in pinstripes.

A few other notes from around baseball…

• Keep an eye on Boston. Not only are the Red Sox believed to be interested in Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, they’re also reportedly back in trade talks for Adrian Gonzalez. The Red Sox have been connected to Gonzalez in the past, and that would obviously change the look of that lineup.

• Occasionally I get a question about Brandon Webb, and the possibility of the Yankees getting him on a small deal, maybe even a minor league deal. Thing is, Webb seems to be generating considerable interest from teams that can probably promise him a significant role.

• Three years, $35 million for Bronson Arroyo. Nothing flashy about the guy’s numbers, but he’s been good for 200 innings and 15 wins the past three years. The Reds like him, clearly.

• Kansas State accepted an invitation to play Syracuse in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

• Former Cubs great Ron Santo passed away today at the age of 70.

• The Yankees sent two official statements to mourn the passing Elaine Kaufman, owner of the Manhattan restaurant Elaine’s, who passed away at age 81.

Hal Steinbrenner on behalf of the Steinbrenner family: “We mourn the loss of Elaine Kaufman. She was a great friend to my father and our family, as well as a tremendous supporter of the New York Yankees. She was a special person who contributed so much to the rich fabric of New York City. I extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends and loved ones.”

Randy Levine: “My wife, Mindy, and I considered Elaine a dear personal friend and one of the greatest ladies in New York City. Not only was she a famous restaurateur and gracious host, but she was a delightful, wonderful person. We will personally miss her friendship. Elaine was one-of-a-kind, and she will be deeply missed.”

Carl Crawford is out there. He’s a free agent, in his prime, coming off a strong season. The Yankees don’t necessarily need him, but he’s a more complete player than any of their current outfielders.

And the Yankees have had some Crawford conversations.

Question is, are they being aggressive or prepared? Are they seriously pursuing Crawford as a primary target, or are they keeping him in their sights as a big ticket option should Cliff Lee sign elsewhere?

My guess is the latter.

It’s impossible to ignore the 2008 signing of Mark Teixeira, but I’ve written in the past that this is not the same situation as two years ago. The Yankees financial situation is different, and their lineup is different. There is no glaring hole that positively needs a player like Crawford, and the open payroll space is better spent on a shortstop, closer and starting pitcher.

Rule it out? No chance. But talking is not the same as pursuing.

The practice run is over for Brian Cashman. This morning, the Yankees general manager was in Stamford for an early run through of Sunday’s Heights & Lights rappel down the 22-story Landmark Building. The hair Cashman wore this morning was a wig. Cashman called it his alter ego.

Associated Press photos

Having just hit the open market as a non-tender free agent, catcher Russell Martin is the newest name on the Yankees radar.

Late last night — or very early this morning — Michael Schmidt of the Times reported that the Yankees nearly traded for Martin before the non-tender deadline. The Yankees tried to send Francisco Cervelli to the Dodgers, but the deal fell through. Now Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees are among the teams talking to Martin’s agent.

UPDATE: Schmidt says it was the Dodgers who proposed a Cervelli-for-Martin swap, and the Yankees who balked at making the trade.

Clearly, the Yankees like the idea of upgrading their bits-and-pieces situation behind the plate. They could add Martin to a group that already includes the aging Jorge Posada, the inexperienced Jesus Montero and the limited Cervelli.

Martin is far from a perfect solution behind the plate, but the Yankees don’t need a perfect solution. They just need another piece to make the picture a little better.

The bad: Hampered by a bad hip, it’s been two years since Martin was an especially productive hitter. The past two seasons he’s hit a very Cervelli-like .249/.350/.330. Even after a bad 2009, he still cost the Dodgers a little more than $5 million last year, so he’s not a contract you can overlook. He’s going to cost real money.

The good: The Yankees don’t need Martin to catch everyday. They can add him to their stable of misfit toys behind the plate, limiting the injury concern while adding a young but experienced option. Obviously the offensive upside is significant. For a while there, Martin seemed to be developing into one of the best hitting catchers in the game.

After a month of offseason waiting, the Yankees are finally ready to make a big move. Mariano Rivera is reportedly on the verge of a two-year deal that will put the ninth inning back in the hands of the greatest closer of all time. The deal could be finalized by the end of the day.

Granted, it’s a signing that’s been expected since the end of the regular season — before that, really — but there are three names that matter most to the Yankees this winter: Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Cliff Lee. Every other move — unless it’s one of those unexpected, off-radar deals — is minor in comparison.

Bringing back Joe Girardi was a first step. Choosing a new pitching coach was crucial. Deciding who to protect from the Rule 5 and who to non-tender off of the 40-man roster were big-picture decisions that had to be made.

But those moves don’t light up the hot stove.

Getting a guy like Rivera re-signed makes this feel like a real baseball offseason. That’s a significant piece to put back in place.

Associated Press photo

According to the New York Daily News, Mariano Rivera is about to sign a two-year, $30-million deal. The contract could be finalized tomorrow.

The story says Rivera had already received a three-year offer from another team, which led the negotiations with the Yankees to intensify.