TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees president Randy Levine rebuffed a published report on Monday that claimed the team was discussing a potential purchase of Yankee Stadium from the City of New York.

The New York Post reported that both the Yankees and Mets were interesting in buying the ballparks so that they could sell pieces of memorabilia to fans after the season, when both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium are replaced by new facilities.

"The New York Yankees are not in discussions to buy the current Yankee Stadium from the City of New York," Levine said in a statement. "We have been in talks with city officials to determine the best way for the city to realize value in the assets of the current Yankee Stadium.

"The goal is to find the best and most efficient way to make memorabilia items available to the public and our fans."

The City of New York owns both stadiums, upon which the teams have secured leases. The Post reported that items like a small bag of infield dirt from Yankee Stadium could fetch as much as $25 on the memorabilia market, while the price of stadium seats could be in the $1,000 range.

For years, Major League Baseball has been authenticating items such as bases, balls and equipment used in games for resale on the memorabilia market. Levine said that the means of distribution for such items from Yankee Stadium had not yet been secured.

"There is no agreement as of yet as to the best method of making these items available but our discussions with the city are continuing," Levine said. "When there is an agreement we will let everyone know."

Yankee Stadium officially opened its doors on April 18, 1923, becoming known as "The House that Ruth Built," and has played host to not only World Series championships, but also a variety of professional sporting events and other moments of interest. The Stadium was remodeled during the 1974 and 1975 baseball seasons, changing its exterior appearance dramatically.