Davidoff: Signing top starter tougher than in 2008

This impending Cliff Lee free agency has the Yankees in quite a pickle. It's squeezing them from both ends in a way that didn't occur when they acquired CC Sabathia two years ago.

When Sabathia signed with the Yankees for seven years and $161 million in December 2008, the team he departed - the Brewers - didn't possess the financial wherewithal to compete with the Yankees on dollars. That's not the case with Lee and the Rangers, who have a huge television contract ready to arm their pursuit of the lefthander.

And although the Yankees set the market in getting Sabathia, had the California native simply not wanted to come to New York, Brian Cashman could have turned to other targets such as free agents A.J. Burnett (who of course joined Sabathia) and Derek Lowe.

This offseason? The second-best starting pitcher on the free-agent market is Andy Pettitte, whom the Yankees want to re-sign.

The third-best? Carl Pavano, without question. And no, as a follow-up to Javier Vazquez's failed Bronx sequel, we will not see Pavano back in pinstripes.

Pavano should generate plenty of interest, however, as the big lug turned around his career the last two seasons. Long Island native Tom O'Connell represents Pavano and intelligently advised his client to accept the Twins' arbitration offer last winter, when Minnesota extended that olive branch during Pavano's free agency.

Both sides benefited from that decision, as Pavano helped pitch the Twins back into the playoffs with a 3.75 ERA and 1.195 WHIP in 221 innings. You can expect the Twins to bid heavily to retain the right-hander, who turns 35 in January, and many other clubs to express interest.

So what other options exist for the Yankees? Kansas City will listen to trade offers for ace Zack Greinke, but it isn't clear that Greinke - who has some no-trade protection - would agree to come to New York. The list of free-agent starting pitchers also includes Jorge de la Rosa, Kevin Millwood, Jake Westbrook and, well, Vazquez.

No other top-flight pitchers appear likely to be traded. The Yankees will have to be very creative if Lee turns them down.

Playoffs?!

Bud Selig, after participating in a news conference announcing Toronto's Jose Bautista and Cincinnati's Joey Votto as the 2010 winners of the Hank Aaron Award, reiterated that the baseball powers will seriously consider expanding the playoffs. It seems inevitable that each league will add a playoff entry, although it might not occur until 2012.

"I think it's fair to ask the question if eight out of 30 teams is enough," Selig said. Ten teams, he added, is "more fair than eight."

Because Selig no longer wants the World Series to trickle into November, as it will this year - it will start a week earlier in 2011 - the most likely tweak would call for the division winners to rest while the two wild-card teams play one game to advance to the Division Series.

That would provide an incentive to win the division title; as we saw this year, the Yankees didn't particularly care whether they won the AL East title or settled for the wild card. In fact, by qualifying as the wild card, they arguably got the better ALDS matchup, against the Twins rather than the Rangers.

New York coaching update

O'Connell represents two coaches who could land in New York. Rick Kranitz, the Orioles' pitching coach the past three seasons, worked as Joe Girardi's pitching coach with the 2006 Marlins. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter likely will appoint Mark Connor as his pitching coach. Kranitz's name already has been discussed internally among Yankees officials.

Showalter's Baltimore predecessor, Dave Trembley, could be a good fit as the bench coach for the Mets' new manager. Trembley managed the Orioles from the middle of 2007 through the middle of 2010.