"In an attempt to address 2012 and, yes, 2014, the Yankees yesterday loudly ended what had been a mostly quiet offseason by trading Jesus Montero and stockpiling arms for now and the future.

The Yanks traded Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos; and also signed Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year, $10 million deal.

On the surface, this was about the Yankees addressing their biggest concern going into the 2012 campaign: Their rotation. They recognized there was fortune in having Ivan Nova emerge and Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia resuscitate last year.

So the Yankees responded by, in their mind, adding more certainty in Kuroda and more upside in Pineda to go along with CC Sabathia, Nova, Garcia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett. It gives the Yankees volume and potential in a 2012 rotation that should be supported by a strong bullpen and powerful offense — though perhaps not as powerful without Montero.

But everything the Yankees do now is also touched by 2014.

For a variety of financial reasons tied to the new collective bargaining agreement, they hunger to be under the $189 million luxury tax threshold that season. They already have Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira signed for $74.4 million in 2014 and you can assume that it will cost at least $40-$45 million annually to retain Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson, who are both free agents after the 2013 season.

Thus if the Yankees also have to add a $20 million starter or two, well, there is no way they could be under the $189 million figure."