PHOENIX – There was a downpour of activity by the Yankees yesterday. On a rainy day and night in the Valley of the Sun, Brian Cashman and Damon Oppenheimer sat down at the Garden Cafi at the Arizona Biltmore with a special guest.

Money was the subject of conversation, and not just the $14 sandwiches. The Yankees had their first sit-down with Mitch Frankel, the agent for Bartolo Colon.

Colon is the prime cut of this free-agent market and already has turned down a three-year, $36 million offer from the White Sox.

That was only part of an extremely busy day for Cashman, who had three separate meetings with Dodgers’ GM Dan Evans, regarding left-hander Odalis Perez.

The Dodgers need hitting and are interested in Alfonso Soriano or Nick Johnson. Evans said he met with many teams yesterday and would not characterize his meetings with the Yankees as more frequent than any other meetings. Evans said he is doing groundwork for possible deals, but did say if the right trade came along this week at the general managers’ meeting, he would make it.

When Cashman left the Arizona Biltmore for dinner last night, he walked out with Montreal GM Omar Minaya. The Yankees have deep interest in right-hander Javier Vazquez.

By sitting with Colon’s agent in such a public place, the Yankees were sending a message to the Diamondbacks that there are other places to turn besides Curt Schilling, who is on the block because of his $12 million salary for 2004.

The Diamondbacks appear more likely to make a deal for Milwaukee’s Richie Sexson than trade Schilling at this point. Schilling would have to OK such a trade, and the Yankees and Diamondbacks have not come up with a match yet to put the ball in Schilling’s court.

Cashman would not discuss details of his meeting with Frankel, but you can be sure the Yankees want to sign Colon in a big way. Even though the Yankees have made trades their top priority, by meeting with Frankel it is clear that Colon is at the top of their to-do list.

In other news, David Wells is scheduled for an MRI on his troublesome back Nov. 24. Wells’ first choice is to sign with the Padres.