YANKEE NOTES

TORONTO – The Yankees are expecting a visit from Denny Neagle’s agent by the end of the week, when they will explore what it will take to keep Neagle in pinstripes beyond this season.

Just because agent Barry Meister and the Yankees haven’t started negotiations on a multi-year deal, there are no indications either side has put the other off. Meister has been on vacation.

Because Neagle can’t become a free agent until 15 days after the World Series, there is plenty of time to hammer out a deal.

With pitching at a premium, expect Neagle and the Yankees to agree on a four-year deal in the area of $36 million.

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LKA-3> Believing plate um Tim Timmons’ strike zone was a too wide in an eighth-inning at-bat with two on, two out, Jose Canseco on deck and the Yankees trailing the Blue Jays, 7-1, Tino Martinez yelled at Timmons from the dugout before the start of the ninth. When Timmons responded, the struggling Martinez cussed Timmons and was ejected.

“I feel fine, I am just going at-bat to at-bat,” said Martinez, who went 0-for-4 and is in a 0-for-21 funk. “[Timmons] made me expand the [strike] zone and forced me to chase a bad pitch.”

With lefty David Wells slated to pitch tonight, might Joe Torre sit Martinez?

“I will look at it,” Torre said. “I am not prepared to make that decision right now.”

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Paul O’Neill’s right hip felt so good yesterday he asked hitting instructor Chris Chambliss for an individual BP session. O’Neill hit for 20 minutes and reported no problem with the hip pointer that has kept him out of the past five games.

Still, Torre will wait until the Yankees get home Friday night and off SkyDome’s artificial surface before putting O’Neill back in the lineup.

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Dwight Gooden’s first action in 10 days looks good in the boxscore since Gooden didn’t allow a run in 41/3 innings last night. However, he let the two runners he inherited in the fourth inning from David Cone score. …

Chuck Knoblauch snapped an 0-for-15 slide with a fifth-inning single. … Even though Torre doesn’t like to make a habit of it, he is likely to play Glenallen Hill in left field tonight against lefty Wells. … RHP Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez (12-11, 4.59 ERA) draws Wells (19-6, 4.15).