Baseball by Dan Graziano

MLB analysis by The Star-Ledger columnist

Rick Wood/MCTMike Cameron may be in center for the Yankees in '09.

The Yankees are focused on their starting pitching right now, but they do plan to upgrade at center field before the off-season ends as well. To that end, they've had conversations with the Milwaukee Brewers about former Met Mike Cameron.

Following up on this earlier post, it appears there's another National League California team planning to make a big offer to CC Sabathia. According to a person familiar with the talks, the San Francisco Giants have been in touch with Sabathia's agent and are planning an offer in excess of the six years, $100 million Milwaukee has offered, though not as high as the Yankees' stratospheric six-year, $140 million offer.

The Giants "want to show him they're going to be very aggressive," according to this person. They're hoping last week's signing of lefty setup reliever Jeremy Affeldt (two years, $8 million) shows Sabathia they're interested in building a winner, and they've told him they're planning to go hard after free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal as part of their off-season plan as well. The Giants believe Sabathia would rather pitch in San Francisco than in New York, and they're hoping they can make an offer that's close enough to the Yankees' offer to convince him to go there.

Getty ImagesCC Sabathia is the most sought-after free agent this offseason.

Things don't move as quickly this time of year as we all hope they would or think they should. The Yankees offered CC Sabathia $140 million for six years last Friday, and the popular question now is: "What's taking him so long?" After all, if you or I were offered something like that, it's doubtful we'd need a week to think it over.

Getty ImagesDavid Wright's struggles down the stretch were a component of the Mets' '08 collapse.

Of course they need a closer, and a couple of starting pitchers, and at least a couple of new faces in the bullpen setup corps. This is where the Mets' off-season focus is right now, and where it should be.

But I am of the opinion that the Mets this winter ignore their offensive needs at their own peril.

AP File Photo

I have heard this same thing, which makes me start to think a potential Mets deal with Francisco Rodriguez is closer than either side wants us to believe.

A baseball official close to the situation, who requested anonymity because the deal has not yet been announced, said the Cubs and Ryan Dempster have agreed on a four-year contract worth about $52 million. This is not entirely unexpected, though it does feature some portents for the rest of the free-agent starting pitching market as it pertains to the Yankees.

As they wait to hear back from CC Sabathia, the Yankees are now pursuing the next starting pitchers on their shopping list, and A.J. Burnett is said to be the guy they want. There's a belief in the industry that the Blue Jays have offered four years and $54 million to keep Burnett, and that that Yankees will top it, in dollars if not in years. If they do, it gives some insight into the Yankees' operating philosophy in the second year of the Steinbrenner sons' regime.

Associated PressBrian Stokes may be given a shot to win a bullpen job because he is a strikeout pitcher.

Talking today with somebody familiar with the Mets' off-season plans. This person agrees that the Mets want to and will sign one of the big free-agent closers (Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood), and that's a matter of time and seeing which one drops his demands closest to what the Mets are willing to pay.

Back in August or September, I was at a game at Yankee Stadium, talking with a Yankees official about CC Sabathia. This official agreed that the primary focus of the Yankees' off-season would and should be Sabathia, but had this take on their chances: "He won't come here."

The Yankees believe the hype about Sabathia preferring the West Coast, preferring the National League because it's easier and he can hit. They believe that, all else being equal, Sabathia would sign with the Angels or Dodgers or Giants or even back with the Brewers rather than come to New York with all of its pressure and intensity and pitch for the Yankees.

So they decided, when it came time to make offers, to make sure all else wasn't equal.