ANAHEIM – The Yankees’ first choice was Pirates outfielder Brian Giles. They loved his talent, and his $14.4 million salary over the next two seasons was very manageable. However, Pittsburgh’s price tag was way out of bounds for the Yankees.

According to industry sources, the Pirates, who seem to be doing everything they can to help the Red Sox overtake the Yankees in the AL East, wanted Nick Johnson, Brandon Claussen, Juan Rivera and minor-league pitcher Chien-Ming Wang.

Claussen, Rivera and Wang might have been enough to get Giles into pinstripes and fill the right-field hole that is much bigger than the Yankees are admitting. However, when the Pirates asked for Johnson, too, that was the end of it.

The Yankees are growing tired of dealing with Pirates GM Dave Littlefield. He told them lefty reliever Scott Sauerbeck wasn’t on the block then dealt him to the Red Sox for not much. Yesterday, Littlefield traded starter Jeff Suppan to the Red Sox for Freddy Sanchez, a minor-league second baseman whom scouts have mixed feelings about.

The Yankees point to Littlefield’s past work with the Marlins when John Henry, Boston’s current owner, owned the Marlins and believe there is some hanky-panky going on.