NEW YORK -- More often than not, the Yankees tend to be included when free-agency discussions circulate throughout the Major Leagues -- it's their nature and image, cultivated by three tumultuous decades of ownership under George Steinbrenner.

While the Boss has stepped into the backdrop, allowing his sons, Hank and Hal, to take the reins of the franchise, general manager Brian Cashman insists that the Yankees are still perennially "big-game hunters." Having just signed a three-year contract of his own, the returning GM will have a chance to crack his knuckles and get down to business as free agents can begin discussing dollar figures in earnest.

Coming off their first missed postseason since 1993, the Yankees figure to be major players in the offseason upgrade market. Nobody within the organization has made it a secret that adding starting pitching is a priority for the Yankees, who finished 89-73 this year, good only for third place in the American League East and a front-row sofa seat to watch the playoffs from afar.

"We have to address our pitching staff, our starting rotation especially," Cashman said. "That's first and foremost. We need health. Unfortunately, health wasn't a big part of our team in '08, so hopefully, starting pitching and good health will be at least a few of the remedies to that."

With a new Yankee Stadium set to open across 161st Street, it will be up to Cashman to determine which new players will be tapped to put on the pinstripes, lining from home plate to first base for the Opening Day of what the club hopes will be a ringing inaugural season.

"There are many different ways to climb that mountain," Cashman said. "Our job right now, especially in the early portion, is to assess the available free-agent and trade market and determine what the realistic options are for us. Hopefully, we'll have a few things go our way and make some proper decisions that will benefit us in 2009."

Hank Steinbrenner recently said that the Yankees are looking at CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, but he admitted that "everybody is," and expressed concern if "their arms [were] going to be OK after this season?" The Yankees also figure to be involved with other starting pitching options like Ben Sheets and Derek Lowe, while investigating the trade front.

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They were buoyed when San Diego's Jake Peavy reportedly added New York to a list of cities he would accept a deal to, though Cashman has experienced the song and dance of the offseason long enough to know agents routinely add the Yankees to the discussion to help boost the asking price. And the latest news surrounding the ace is that three teams are in contention for his services, and New York is reportedly not one of them.

Cashman said that Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain were his only guaranteed starters for '09, though Andy Pettitte is likely to re-sign, leaving two slots to fill. Mike Mussina, however, may retire, calling it quits after 18 seasons and 270 Major League wins.

The Yankees could have use for at least one big bat, supplementing a lineup that only scored 789 runs in 2008. Because they may potentially lose the services of Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu, both patient left-handed hitters whose absence could be felt, the Bronx Bombers may entertain negotiations with free agents like Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez, though that will have to take a back seat to the process of finding arms.

"Our job right now, especially in the early portion, is to assess the available free-agent and trade market and determine what the realistic options are for us. Hopefully, we'll have a few things go our way and make some proper decisions that will benefit us in 2009."

-- Yankees GM Brian Cashman

The Yankees won't make a financial commitment like Teixeira's deal on a whim, of course, but they enter the process with open minds and wallets. The Angels have expressed interest in bringing Teixeira back and the Dodgers are in a similar situation with Ramirez, though since both players are represented by Scott Boras, it appears likely the Yankees will have an opportunity to make their sales pitch heard.

There is a thought that New York may be in better offensive shape than in '08, when struggles with runners in scoring position proved to be a head-scratching dilemma.

The Yankees never had a healthy Jorge Posada, which they expect to have in April, and Hideki Matsui spent a significant amount of time on the disabled list. Meanwhile, Robinson Cano is playing a month of winter ball in the Dominican Republic -- as a designated hitter only -- and he will work with hitting coach Kevin Long to continue the improvements he saw in the closing weeks of an overall disappointing season.

A high-ceiling talent, Cano could anchor a potential major trade, but Cashman said that he sees Cano -- who has three years and $27 million remaining on a four-year deal, plus two option years -- as New York's Opening Day second baseman. As much as possible, Cashman would prefer to continue building the farm system and not deal young talent for veterans on the downswing, an approach that hurt the Yankees in recent years.

"If you have a good strong nucleus that comes from within, you're not forced to go to the free-agent market, because you get burned pretty strongly out there," Cashman said. "Either you're forced to pay twice the amount of money or ultimately getting somebody who put themselves in position because they performed for a prolonged period for somebody else, and you might get them on the down years."

With the new facility opening and avenues for increased revenue stream in place, the Yankees figure to be in good financial position heading into 2009. By clearing free agents like Giambi, Carl Pavano, Abreu, Ivan Rodriguez and others from the books, the Yankees will be able to lop approximately $80 million in payroll, money that can -- and likely will -- be reinvested to building a championship-caliber club. Such is life in the Steinbrenner universe.

"New York deserves a champion, and that's part of our mission statement," Cashman said. "We're trying to build for the future but win in the present. It's that balancing act which keeps that payroll to the level it is. Our ownership has always been fantastic in giving us the resources we need to fix what's broken. They'll be there again for us."