LOOKING LONG

4-year deal, former Yank asks for six

don’t win the day, we’ll stay with the current closer.”

The Yankees are unlikely to make a big move for Jansen, who will also cost a team its first-round pick to sign him.

“Our preference is to retain the pick if possible,” Cashman said. “Doesn’t mean it’s going to play out that way but that’s our preference.”

Chapman excelled in New York last season, pitching to a 2.01 ERA with 20 saves in 31 games for the Yankees.

“The attraction of him is that we know he can pitch in New York and he doesn’t have a draft pick attached,” Cashman said. “So then it just comes down to money and term; we’ll compete to a certain level and we’ll see if that’s good enough. If it’s not, that’s why we’re staying in contact with all others at the same time.”

Chapman said he has not started to evaluate any offers, though he plans to begin doing so this week. The 28-yearold said the Cubs, who traded four players — including top prospect Gleyber Torres — to the Yankees in July for the flame-throwing lefty, are apparently not trying to bring Chapman back to Chicago.

“The Cubs have never expressed any interest in resigning me, as far as I know,” Chapman told ESPN.

Chapman pitched exceptionally well for the Cubs, posting a 1.01 ERA with 16 saves in 28 appearances during the regular season. He was a differencemaker throughout much of the postseason, though he blew a save in Game 7 before the Cubs came back to win the game.

After throwing 15.2 innings in 13 games between Oct. 7 and Nov. 2, Chapman appeared to be out of gas by the end of the World Series, but Cashman isn’t worried about that workload impacting the lefty going forward.

“He looked healthy,” Cashman said. “I wouldn’t be pursuing him if that was a concern.”

The Yankees know first-hand how effective a bulked-up bullpen can be, stacking Chapman, Betances and Andrew Miller at the back end last season before they dealt Chapman and Miller for a haul of prospects.

Betances excelled in the closer’s role from Aug. 1 through Sept. 5, pitching to a 0.57 ERA while converting nine of 10 save opportunities in 14 outings. He stumbled down the stretch, posting a 12.86 ERA with three saves in four chances over nine appearances beginning Sept. 6, though Cashman said Monday he was not alarmed by the righthander’s lateseason struggles.

“I think Dellin is an exceptional reliever that we’re fortunate to have,” Cashman said. “We are just looking to try to find more relievers to go with him; whether it’s someone that goes above him or someone that goes behind him remains to be seen.”