Girardi: Re-signing Sabathia key to staff

It must have felt like déjà vu all over again for Joe Girardi. The Yankees manager said Tuesday that his team's biggest need going into the offseason is the same as it was going into last offseason: the rotation.

"The one need that we're going to have to address again is our rotation," Girardi said at Yankee Stadium in his end-of-the-year gabfest with reporters. "There's no doubt about it. We have two guys that are free agents. We have another guy that can opt out, so that's the one thing that we're going to have to address. Similar to what we had to do this year."

CC Sabathia is the guy who can opt out. The two free agents Girardi referred to are Freddy Garcia, 35, and Bartolo Colon, 38, who totaled 20 wins as bargain-basement pickups.

Retaining Sabathia, who can opt out of his seven-year, $161 million contract three days after the World Series, will be job No. 1 for general manager Brian Cashman -- assuming Cashman re-ups before his contract expires Oct. 31. It is expected that he will.

Cashman has been the Yankees' GM since 1998. Sabathia has won 59 games in three seasons with the team and says he loves New York.

"He's extremely important to our rotation," Girardi said. "We rely on him heavily and what he's done the last three years, as a free-agent signing goes, it's been spectacular. So I can't imagine what it would be like without him. I don't want to imagine what it would be like without him. Time's going to tell what's going to happen. It seems to be a place that he really likes."

Girardi said he expects A.J. Burnett to be in the rotation along with 16-game winner Ivan Nova and former 18-game winner Phil Hughes.

Of Burnett, who turns 35 in January and won Game 4 of the ALDS with the Yankees facing elimination, Girardi said: "He's a work in progress. He's having to change as he gets older. He's lost a mile or two and that changes sometimes some of the pitches that you're going to get away with.

"We saw him pitch very well against Detroit . . . I think we can count on him and we're going to need him."

Of Nova and Hughes, he said: "I would assume that they would both be part of our rotation. But I can't tell you what they're going to do this winter and exactly how they're going to come to spring training and perform. Going in, I would think they're going to be part of our rotation. But nothing in life is ever given to you. You have to earn it."

The top free-agent pitchers after (possibly) Sabathia include C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson and Mark Buehrle. Japanese righthander Yu Darvish could be made available through the posting system. Other possibilities could emerge via the trade market, but the Yankees haven't added a top-flight starter since signing Sabathia and Burnett as free agents after the 2008 season.

Top prospects Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances are thought to be a year away. But Girardi mentioned both as youngsters who could push the veterans. He also mentioned Hector Noesi, David Phelps, Adam Warren and D.J. Mitchell.

"It probably all starts with CC," Girardi said. "And then it goes from there."

Notes & quotes: Girardi said he expects Alex Rodriguez to be healthy enough to play third base every day in 2012, thinks Mark Teixeira can hit higher than .248 and doesn't know what's going to happen with Jorge Posada . . . LHP Aaron Laffey was claimed on waivers by the Royals. LHP Raul Valdes and RHP Scott Proctor elected free agency rather than accept a demotion to the minors.