The Yankees loved the idea of importing Justin Verlander last winter, and they offered the right-hander $25 million. And while they still like Verlander (what’s not to like?), they became discouraged about their chances to ever sign him when he went back to Houston at the same rate the Yankees offered.

They may try again, assuming Verlander opts out, but they don’t necessarily like their chances.

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LAS VEGAS — Michael Conforto did not play one inning in 2022 after he had a down season in 2021. In April, he had surgery to repair his right shoulder after he had left-shoulder surgery earlier in his career. He is part of a well-stocked position in free agency — the left-handed corner outfielder.

Yet when it comes to advocacy for his clients, there is no one who makes a case publicly quite like Conforto’s agent, Scott Boras. And this is what he said about Conforto:

“It is Christmas for the Confortos. The interest is so broad.”

You didn’t expect subtlety from Boras, did you? Especially at that time on the baseball calendar in which you either have a free-agent jewel such as Aaron Judge or Trea Turner and you just wait for the phone calls to flood in. Or you have the kind of client who needs anything from sprucing to full-on resuscitation in the marketplace.

There are four free agents with New York ties who not long ago probably thought free agency this offseason would be something wholly different — notably more appealing — than the current reality: Conforto, Aroldis Chapman, Joey Gallo and Gary Sanchez. Now, all will need hard sells — Chapman perhaps just to get a job, much less a good contract for 2023 or beyond.

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LAS VEGAS — I love Trea Turner. Who doesn’t?

But he makes little sense for the Mets.

I first heard the idea a few weeks ago that at least someone with the Mets liked the idea of signing Turner to play center field or second base. I dismissed it as ridiculous. Because it very likely is ridiculous.

Not only is it probably not worth gambling $300 million or so that he’d be as good a center fielder as he is a shortstop, more to the point it seems like quite a long shot that he’d eschew nine or more other opportunities to remain an All-Star caliber shortstop to try a new position (or newer in the case of second base, since he played second in the second half of 2021). So as a realistic possibility, it makes little sense.

Word from the Turner camp came that he’s “not ruling anything out.” But there’s no word he’s about to embrace the idea, either.

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Willson Contreras, the Cubs catcher who was a hot topic around the trade deadline, is prepared to decline the team's qualifying offer of $19.65 million, according to The Post's Jon Heyman.

The 30-year-old was highly sought after ad the deadline, and will be once again when he officially hits the free agency market. One team that will be interested? The reigning World Series champion Astros.

Houston already has Martin Maldonado behind the plate, but Contreras could be an interesting addition to their well-stocked lineup.

Another potential landing spot is Detroit, per MLB Network.

The Cubs will get a compensatory draft pick after the second round of the draft in 2023 when Contreras officially leaves town..

The Reds are dumping left-hander Mike Minor after the worst season of his career.

The team announced Tuesday that it declined a mutual 2023 option on Minor that would have paid him $13 million for the season.

Minor, 34, had a dreadful 6.06 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 98 innings across 19 starts.

An All-Star with the Rangers in 2019 when he had a 3.59 ERA and 200 strikeouts, Minor has never been the same since. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Minor had a 5.56 ERA in 12 total appearances (11 starts) with the Rangers and A's.

He then signed a two-year, $18 million contract with the Royals, for whom he had a 2.55 ERA as a reliever in 2017. But he had a 5.05 ERA in 2021 before he was traded to Cincinnati in spring training.

It certainly seems like Eric Hosmer's best days are behind him, so it's no surprise that the Red Sox first baseman is not opting out with three years and $39 million left on his contract, as The Post's Jon Heyman reported overnight.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, they are only on the hook for the league minimum each year, as the Padres agreed to pay the rest of his salary when offloading him to Boston before the trade deadline. Hosmer was originally in the Juan Soto trade, but he vetoed going to the Nationals and went to the Sox instead.

Hosmer finished the 2022 season with eight home runs, 44 RBIs and a slash line of .268/.334/.382. The lefty bat bucked his career trend and actually fared better against left-handers, hitting .324 with a .359 on-base percentage and .414 slugging percentage in 117 plate appearances vs. southpaws.

In 50 plate appearances for Boston, Hosmer went 11-for-45 with no homers, four RBIs and four walks.

Marlins outfielder Jorge Soler is staying in Miami.

The 30-year-old has decided to play for $15 million with the Marlins in 2023, according to Marlins reporter Craig Mish. He has another option for the 2024 season that would pay him $9 million.

Soler, who was the World Series MVP for the Braves in 2021, signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Marlins last offseason. He hit 13 home runs with 34 RBIs while slashing .207/.295/.400 during the 2022 season.

His best season came with the Royals in 2019, when he hit 48 home runs with 117 RBIs and a .922 OPS.

The Tigers are interested in free-agent catcher Willson Contreras, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

Contreras, 30, hit 22 home runs with 55 RBIs in 2022 while slashing .243/.349/.466. The three-time All-Star has spent the last seven seasons with the Cubs.

The Mets tried to get Contreras at the trade deadline but should be set for 2023 with top prospect Francisco Alvarez, who made a late-season cameo that included a playoff appearance.

Xander Bogaerts opted out of his contract on Monday to officially become a free agent.

The Red Sox have publicly maintained they are determined to bring back the start shortstop, but they will face plenty of competition in free agency.

Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom told reporters: "We want him back and we will stay engaged with him."

A source told MLB.com the Red Sox have reached out to other teams about second basemen as a Plan B. In this scenario, the Red Sox would move Trevor Story from second base to shortstop to take over for Bogaerts.

One particular MLB blockbuster is not meant to be — at least not yet.

Angels GM Perry Minasian spoke to reporters on Monday and announced that the franchise will not be trading Shohei Ohtani this offseason.

Ohtani, who is the best combination of pitcher and hitter since at least Babe Ruth, is due to make $30 million in 2023 and is a free agent after the season.

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The Yankees are set to give one of their big bats a qualifying offer.

The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Tuesday morning that the Yankees are expected to give first baseman Anthony Rizzo the one-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer.

It’s unclear whether the 33-year-old will accept it, given he opted out of the final year of his contract that would’ve paid him $16 million in 2023 to become a free agent. Teams have until Thursday to extend qualifying offers, and players then have 10 days to either accept or reject the deal.

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It's not just a big week for free agents. The trade market is about to heat up.

The Post's Jon Heyman, reporting from the 2022 MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas, said Tuesday morning that Marlins right-hander Pablo Lopez is available with Miami looking to beef up its lineup.

Lopez, 26, went 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 180 innings during the 2022 season.

The Yankees came close to acquiring Lopez at the MLB trade deadline.