BRADENTON – A dozen miles separated Brian Cashman and Fernando Cuza yesterday, but the Yankees’ GM and Mariano Rivera’s agent couldn’t get together via phone or in person during the afternoon.

After making great progress Friday in contract extension talks with a marathon face-to-face meeting at Legends Field in Tampa, Cashman navigated through the endless layers of the Yankees organization for approval and left a message for Cuza Friday night. However, Cuza was out Friday night and by the time the Yankees’ completed a 2-1 loss to the Pirates yesterday at 4 p.m. Cuza hadn’t returned Cashman’s call.

“I haven’t talked to Fernando,” Cashman said in Bradenton, which is 12 miles north of Sarasota where Cuza lives. “He was at a Little League game and I left a message.”

So, as Cashman motored north to Tampa, he believed the next step in the process to keep the all-time Yankees save leader in pinstripes at least through 2006 was up to Cuza.

“The ball is in their court, I left him a message,” Cashman said.

Was Cashman relaying a counter-offer to Cuza, who was looking for a three-year deal worth close to $33 million?

“No, it means I called him and I am waiting for him to get back to me,” Cashman said.

While Rivera, who will make $8.89 million in base salary this year, would like all three years beyond this season guaranteed, he isn’t turned off by the Yankees wanting the final season to be a vesting option based on the number of appearances he makes in 2005 and 2006. Since Rivera started closing games in 1997, he has averaged 61.7 appearances a season. So it’s not out of the question that the Yankees could live with an option that vests if Rivera makes 120 starts in 2005 and 2006.

It’s likely the Yankees have guaranteed Rivera $10.5 million a year for the first two years and are waiting to see how the option will be structured.