Cashman smothers fire over Jeter comments

While wearing a spikey-hair bandana wig in the back of a Manhattan bar, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman tried to bring a note of sanity to the Derek Jeter-to-the-outfield story.

"Enough with that stuff," Cashman said.

Cashman was serving drinks as part of a prostate cancer awareness appearance when he took a break to answer questions. One of them was about Cashman's comments from Tuesday regarding Jeter one day moving from shortstop to the outfield.

Cashman said he spoke on Tuesday with Jeter's agent, Casey Close, in an attempt to put out the emerging brushfire.

"I did talk to Casey Close," Cashman said. "He asked, 'Hey, what's going on?' because they were receiving a lot of calls. I haven't talked to Derek and I explained everything to [Close]. Hopefully it sufficed. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to explain."

Close did not respond to a call and e-mail seeking comment. Close and Cashman sniped at each other during the negotiations over Jeter's contract before ultimately getting it done.

Cashman made his initial comments on Tuesday at a breakfast appearance with fans. He said if Jeter were to change positions during his new four-year contract it would more likely be to the outfield than third base.

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"We're not moving him off shortstop at this time," Cashman said Wednesday night. "We're not talking about moving him off shortstop at this time."

Cashman also said at the breakfast that he thinks the Red Sox are better than the Yankees, but he said he means right now, on paper.

"I'm not saying they're going to beat us," he said. "We're not conceding anything. But if somebody asked me right now . . . [The Red Sox] might be a finished product. We're not a finished product.''

The Red Sox have added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez while the Yankees struck out on their biggest target, Cliff Lee, and need another starting pitcher. Cashman said Boston - which didn't make the playoffs last season - has won the winter so far.

"But you don't win championships in the winter, you win them in the summer," he said. "We're looking forward to going head-to-head with anybody and everybody. I'm not taking a backseat to anybody . . . the season hasn't started yet,"

Said Cashman: "The question I was asked was, 'Today, on paper, if you had to look at the rosters on paper, you'd have to say the Red Sox are better. Would you agree? I'd agree because they have a deeper starting rotation right now. Pitching is the key to the kingdom."