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After two seasons ruined by terrible bullpens the New York Mets went to work Wednesday finalizing deals for a new closer and then a setup man.

Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez, he of 62 saves for Anaheim last season, inked a 3-year, $37 million contract that will become official pending a physical, according to the New York Daily News.

Not satisfied, the Mets then acquired former Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz in a 212 player trade involving 26 teams in 9 countries.

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While the New York Yankees likely won’t get their answer as quickly as they’d like they are still the favorite to land free agent stud pitcher CC Sabathia, according to Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman.

Speaking on Dan Patrick’s morning radio show, Heyman told the world that CC still hopes one of the West coast teams will pop up with a competitive offer. He also thinks the Milwaukee Brewers might up their $100 million contract proposal as well.

But with the San Francisco Giants already opening their wallets to the tune of $18 million for a declining Edgar Renteria and also bogged down by the $126 million Barry Zito deal, Heyman thinks they are a long shot. And the California-Anaheim-Los Angeles Angels are first keeping Mark Teixeira in their sites.

CC’s reticence toward actually signing a deal, Heyman says, might have the Yankees on eggshells a bit, frustrated because they can’t lash out but don’t want to yet sweeten their own $140 million deal. But in the end, he says, the Bronx Bombers will likely get their man.

As an outside observer, it’s kind of fun to see them having to run in place for awhile though, isn’t it?

Last week Yankee honcho Hal Steinbrenner, the quieter, less-limelight-needy brother of the Idiot Son of George Steinbrenner (Hank), was quoted by various sports media sources indicating that CC Sabathia would have a deadline to accept the team’s $140 million contract offer.

“We’ve made him an offer. It’s not going to be there forever,” said Hal, after he was voted the team’s new controlling owner on Thursday, Nov. 20.

This statement, given last year’s lines re-drawn in the sand over the A-Rod negotiations, were the typical laughable bravado to come from the Bronx. Now, however, as if that wasn’t enough, it has come out that the Yankees might increase their already obnoxiously high offer to $150 million - but only if other teams expected to get in on the process make offers to Sabathia.

NBCSports.com, publishing a Sporting News column citing a New York Newsday report that sourced the information to a “person familiar with the situation” said if the Los Angeles Angels get in on the bidding they’ll make the increase in their offer.

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The New York Yankees reportedly made an offer to Blue Jays starting pitcher AJ Burnett Tuesday, an offer that would put reportedly put Burnett in pinstripes for five years, at a cost of $80 million.

And looking at it, this move makes complete sense for the Yankees–with Carl Pavano coming off the books, they have a real lack of starting pitchers with a track record of injury proneness mixed with mediocrity.

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On November 4th, as annual baseball meetings got under way, Commissioner Bud Selig listed off Wall Street firms that had failed, warning general managers they need to “operate in a fashion that’s cognizant of that economy,”according to Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office.

Less than two weeks later, the New York Yankees are preparing to brush off the warning, and offer free agent pitcher CC Sabathia a deal that will make him the most expensive pitcher in MLB history. The same Sabathia that weighs as much as many defensive linemen, has a history that leans on the inconsistent side, and was merely average last season with the Indians, before moving to the National League, where he pitched well in his first half season facing many hitters who hadn’t seen him before, but was possibly overused.

Note that the offer has not yet been made–but team co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, in his never ending quest to prove himself to daddy, saw fit to announce his team’s plans to the media.  In a further act of arrogance, he went so far as to say he expected to also make offers to AJ Burnett and Derek Lowe.

It’s a good thing the Yankees have such a proven track record with big money free agent deals.