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 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 took his family on a European vacation in mid-August. A scheduled visit to New York earlier this month was canceled when Meister went to Arizona on another business matter. 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.
Since being acquired from the Reds on July 12, Neagle has been up and down. Neagle was brilliant against the Phillies and Devil Rays in his first two Yankee starts. In the next 11 games, Neagle is 5-5 with a 6.12 ERA and has allowed 80 hits in 65 1/3 innings.
Still, with pitching at a premium, expect Neagle and the Yankees to agree on a four-year deal in the area of $36 million.
Paul O’Neill’s right hip felt so good yesterday that he asked hitting instructor Chris Chambliss for an individual BP session at SkyDome. O’Neill hit for 20 minutes off Mike Borzello and reported no problem with the hip pointer that has kept him out of the past five games.
“It was fine,” O’Neill said of his first BP session on the field since coming out of Friday night’s game. O’Neill hit in the cage Tuesday.
While Joe Torre was impressed with the progress his right fielder and No. 3 hitter is making, Torre will wait until the Yankees get home Friday night and off SkyDome’s artificial surface before putting O’Neill back in the lineup.
“He felt fine. By the time we get home he will be ready,” said Torre, who was hesitant to use O’Neill as a pinch-hitter last night.
Torre started David Justice in right for the third straight game.
There is nothing physically wrong with Dwight Gooden. It’s just that Torre hasn’t been able to find the right spot to bring Gooden in from the bullpen.
“I haven’t had the opportunity, we haven’t had that game to get him in,” Torre said of Gooden, who hasn’t pitched since going four innings in relief of Randy Keisler against the Red Sox on Sept. 10 at Fenway Park. “I know he is at a premium if I use him because I am not going to have for him for a few days. And he is the ideal pitcher for a game in the 10th inning.”
Torre isn’t going take a second lefty reliever to go with Mike Stanton just for the sake of having another southpaw in the postseason. If Randy Choate or Ted Lilly grab a spot on Torre’s 10-man staff for the playoffs, they will have earned it.
“At the end of (the regular season) you weigh everything and see who has the most pluses,” Torre said. “You would certainly like to have two left-handers. But what would over-ride that is you want to have the best 10-man pitching staff you can have.”
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 David Wells … RHP Orlando Hernandez (12-11; 4.59 ERA) draws Wells (19-6; 4.15).
