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Steinbrenner: Yanks don't need Drew

MLB, New York Yankees

NEW YORK -- Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner told reporters at a Major League Baseball-sponsored Diversity Business Summit that he sees no need for his club to sign free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew in spite of New York's injury-depleted infield.

"I'm pretty content with our infield right now," Steinbrenner said. "I think guys like [Dean] Anna and [Yangervis] Solarte have been pleasant surprises. Kelly Johnson has been good. Derek [Jeter] is healthy. So so far, so good. But it's early."

Steinbrenner's statements confirmed a report by ESPNNewYork.com on Monday, when a source familiar with the team's thinking said there was "no way" the Yankees would sign Drew, who played shortstop for the World Series champion Boston Red Sox in 2013 and reportedly is seeking a multiyear deal worth $14 million per season.

"Nobody's signing Drew or Morales, not at the money they're asking," said the source, referring to Kendrys Morales, a free-agent first baseman who also remains unsigned. Both Drew and Morales are clients of superagent Scott Boras.

Steinbrenner was asked Tuesday if he was specifically ruling out signing Drew.

"So far, I'm pretty content with where we are," he said. "But I will always analyze options. That's my job throughout the course of the whole year."

Boras declined to comment Tuesday morning, but another source with knowledge of the situation told ESPNNewYork.com that Boras met with Steinbrenner and other members of the organization at the GM meetings in December to discuss Drew and that the Yankees expressed interest in signing him.

Since then, however, the source said that while the Yankees' "baseball people" still wanted Drew, Steinbrenner's interest had cooled for reasons that are unclear.

General manager Brian Cashman declined comment, citing language in baseball's collective bargaining agreement prohibiting team personnel from discussing free agents in the media. Last week, Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, issued the following statement regarding Drew and Morales:

"I am angered that numerous anonymous baseball executives have blatantly and intentionally violated our collective bargaining agreement by offering to ESPN comments about the free-agent values of Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales. These statements undermine the free-agent rights of the players and depress their market value. Today, I have called upon the commissioner's office to investigate immediately and thoroughly the sources of these statements and to take appropriate action to enforce our agreement."

ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews contributed to this report.

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