NEW YORK Stunned Yankees focus on pitching

GM Brian Cashman will try to patch holes in the rotation and the bullpen.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Brian Cashman's job is safe -- at least for now. The rest of the New York Yankees have plenty to worry about this winter.
Soon after the Yankees completed a historic collapse against Boston in the AL playoffs, volatile owner George Steinbrenner told Cashman, the team's general manager, that he will not be fired before next season.
Steinbrenner also informed Cashman he should prepare to be summoned to Tampa, Fla., for meetings in the next few days: The Yankees need to figure out why they fell apart.
"He wants results for his investment, like any businessman," Cashman said Thursday.
Cashman has one year remaining on his contract. It's his job to spend Steinbrenner's money wisely and bring championships to the Big Apple, but the Yankees have gone four years without winning the World Series.
He knows what he needs to look for in the off-season.
"It'll be pitching," Cashman said. "I don't think offense is a problem on this club."
Pitching woes
Despite a $183 million opening day payroll, the Yankees were short on starting pitching all season. When they wanted to add Randy Johnson during the summer, they didn't have enough major league-ready prospects to interest Arizona in a trade.
Injuries to the aging rotation forced manager Joe Torre to overwork his bullpen, leaving the team vulnerable in the playoffs -- even with a seemingly insurmountable lead.
The Red Sox rallied against closer Mariano Rivera in Game 4, then setup man Tom Gordon in Game 5. Those two games totaled 26 innings in two days, taxing New York's relievers.
Because of a rainout earlier in the series, 39-year-old Kevin Brown wound up starting Game 7 on a balky back and only three days' rest.
He got hammered, as did right-hander Javier Vazquez, who followed Brown and walked five batters in two innings in Boston's 10-3 blowout.
"Those are the areas we're going to look at, the bullpen and the rotation," Cashman said. "I thought this past winter was more difficult. We had a great amount of holes to fill. This winter, we don't have three guys coming out of the rotation, but we do have pitching needs, nonetheless."
The free-agent market for starting pitchers includes Pedro Martinez, but it's hard to imagine him going from the Red Sox to the Yankees. There's too much ugly history there. Derek Lowe could also be available -- he was the winner in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
Other names include Florida's Carl Pavano, Atlanta's Russ Ortiz, St. Louis' Matt Morris, and Matt Clement of the Chicago Cubs.