Bernie, Yanks
shake & stir
Buy time on new deal
BY SAM BORDEN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Joe Torre will welcome back Bernie Williams if sides OK deal.
Manager would also like to see Johnny Damon on board, which may happen if price is right.
DALLAS - Bernie Williams has spent 15 years in pinstripes and it appears likely he'll be there for at least one more.
Faced last night with a midnight deadline to reach agreement on a new contract, offer arbitration or lose negotiating rights with the veteran center fielder until May, the Yankees received a handshake deal from Williams' agent, Scott Boras, which buys them more time to work out a new pact and effectively ensures Williams will return to the Bronx.
As part of the deal, the Bombers will offer arbitration to Williams - who made about $12.3 million last season - but have Boras' word that he will decline, meaning the Yanks have until Jan. 8 to get Williams signed as a reserve outfielder/DH. The Bombers are looking to give Williams a one-year deal for around $1.5 million-$2 million with incentives that could push the value up to around $3 million.
By giving the Yankees that guarantee, Boras is virtually ruling out that Williams will sign with another team because doing so would mean the new club would forfeit a draft pick to the Yankees as compensation.
"I think this is a signal that we're both agreeing that at some point we hope to get something done," GM Brian Cashman said. "There's a lot that goes into the decision. Bernie means a lot to the franchise. Someone like him, you make sure to take the extra time and care as you walk through the process."
Cashman, who ran into Williams briefly in an elevator here, said George Steinbrenner was pleased to hear the news.
"He's always had a soft spot in his heart for Bernie Williams as we all have," Cashman said. "As owner of the franchise, he's seen a lot of special moments from Bernie Williams."
Staying in pinstripes has always been Williams' preference and Boras said that while several teams had contacted him, he had no plans to go further with them until all options were exhausted with the Yanks.
Mets manager Willie Randolph said yesterday he wouldn't mind having Williams come across town to provide a veteran presence as a bench player if it hadn't worked out with the Yanks, but Williams will likely fill that role in the Bronx.
Boras said Williams understands the situation, though his description of that didn't necessarily jibe with what the Bombers' sentiment appears to be.
"We've certainly agreed to the fact that we're willing to deal with the uncertainty (of playing time)," Boras said. ". . . He's going there with the understanding that if he does play there, he has a job to win."
Cashman conceded that every player is ostensibly competing for a job, but the Yankees have a set position in mind for Williams. Ruben Sierra won't be back, so the Bombers see Williams filling the role of pinch-hitter/DH/occasional outfielder.
Cashman said he and Boras haven't had much substantive dialogue on a new contract for Williams, which is why extending the deadline made the most sense.
One reason they may not have talked about Williams much, of course, could be that Boras' main goal at the meetings here appears to be getting a blockbuster contract for center fielder Johnny Damon.
The problem is that the Yankees aren't remotely interested in meeting Boras' demands for a seven-year contract. The Yanks have reiterated their earlier statement that they will be more than willing to get into intense negotiations if the price tag drops down to three or four seasons - until then, they're unwilling to get serious.
The Yanks were never really into dealing for Juan Pierre (who was traded from Florida to the Cubs) and haven't found much else on the trade market, either.
When asked if felt he'd made progress in his quest to find a center fielder this week, Cashman shrugged and said, "I'm pretty much where I was when I got here."