Rivera, 40, not worried about age or contract

TAMPA, Fla. - Like Derek Jeter and Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera enters this season in the final year of a contract.

Girardi said Wednesday that the circumstance doesn't bother him, and it is expected that Jeter, when he addresses the topic sometime next week, will say something similar.

Rivera, meeting with reporters Thursday morning before pitchers and catchers started their first official workout of spring training, said he isn't upset about the situation.

He did, however, leave some room for tea-leaf reading in answering questions about it.

"Hopefully, I will continue to do my job with blessings from the Lord and stay healthy, and hopefully, I do my job and the rest is in their court," Rivera, 40, said evenly. "They [call] the shots. We don't have to say anything else about that because they make the decisions. I don't make those decisions. I make my decisions; I can't make their decisions."

Rivera is in the final year of the three-year contract he signed in December 2007, a deal struck with Hank Steinbrenner, who was running the team then. Like the upcoming season, he pitched the 2007 season in the final year of a deal.

"I definitely want to pitch," Rivera said when asked if he is confident that he will be pitching in a Yankees uniform after this season. "It's another thing if they want me here, but I don't want to get into that situation because I have a job, and that's my focus. Do a good job for the team and the rest will take care of itself."

General manager Brian Cashman is on record as saying that new deals won't be done during the season for Rivera, Jeter and Girardi, the continuation of the team's policy of letting existing contracts expire.

"He's the boss," Rivera said with a smile. "If he says he won't do it, well, he won't do it. We'll see after the year. That's all I can say."

Rivera, coming off an exceptional 2009 in which he recorded 44 saves in 46 opportunities - including the 500th of his career June 28 against the Mets - with a 1.76 ERA, turned 40 Nov. 29.

Girardi tries to avoid thinking about life without Rivera and isn't making any predictions about how much longer the closer will pitch. "I don't think any of us really know," he said.

Said Rivera: "It all depends how you feel. I don't think the age will be a factor unless you put it in your mind, 'Oh, I'm 40, I'm 40, I'm 40.' But I feel good. I feel good, I feel strong. I'm anxious, happy and ready to go and want to play the game I love to play. With that, it doesn't matter the age, as long as you can do your job."

A reporter then asked Rivera how old he feels, and the closer laughed.

"How old I feel? I feel 40."

And ready to pitch a 16th season for the Yankees, though he didn't repeat the "I want to play five more years" comment he made after Game 6 of the World Series.

"I want to play, definitely want to play," Rivera said. "How many years, I don't know how many years, but I definitely want to play because that's what I do. I think I can still perform."

He knows that won't be the case someday, though.

"One day that will happen and that day I will go, and baseball will not stop because I don't play anymore," Rivera said. "Baseball will continue. It happens in life. People come, people go. I know that will happen one day with me.''

He smiled again.

"But we don't have to get involved in that conversation now."