Cash still without deal for next year

Brian Cashman is running the Yankees’ offseason, but he still doesn’t have a contract for next season.

The general manager confirmed that his most recent five-year deal expired this past Monday and that though he and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner have talked, no new deal has been reached.

“He said we’ll obviously talk and expressed interest in having me back,’’ Cashman said at Yankee Stadium on Friday. “Of course, I’d like to stay, but we have not had other further discussions on that . ... We’ll see how it plays out.”

Asked if he’d had any contact with other teams, Cashman said he hadn’t.

“I don’t think you can do that, but the answer is no,’’ Cashman said.

Despite having been in his position since 1998, Cashman insisted: “I don’t take anything for granted. I’m not here to assume anything.”

Although his status remains up in the air, it’s business as usual for Cashman, who is dealing with personnel decisions and involved in the pro scouting meetings that the organization began this week to plan the offseason.

“While being in this position, I’ll do the best job I can,” Cashman said. ➤ Cashman said he planned to exercise Luis Severino’s $15 million team option for next season, a move that had been expected, despite Severino missing two months with a strained lat.

The right-hander pitched well when healthy and is set to become a free agent next season.

The Yankees will have several free agents in addition to Aaron Judge, including Anthony Rizzo, if the first baseman declines his $16 million player option, as expected.

“We’d love to have Rizzo playing first base for us moving forward,’’ Cashman said. “If he opts out, we’ll stay engaged.”

He also noted the value of Matt Carpenter’s left-handed bat and how much the injuries to both Carpenter and another lefthanded hitter acquired midseason, Andrew Benintendi, impacted the latter part of the season.

➤ Questions remain heading into the offseason regarding shortstop. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was benched during the postseason and wondered about his future with the team after it was over.

Boone said again Friday that Kiner-Falefa had a “really good defensive year.”

But Cashman said there would be “competition at short” and noted “we’ve got some good young kids pushing up. They’re gonna create quite the competition, we think, in the spring.”

Oswald Peraza impressed in limited playing time after being called up in September, as did Oswaldo Cabrera. Top prospect Anthony Volpe played well in the minors, finishing the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

➤ Pitching coach Matt Blake’s contract is up and said after the season ended he’d “love” to return.

Cashman said Friday “that’s our hope.”

➤ DJ LeMahieu is still seeing specialists to determine whether he needs surgery to repair the toe fracture that plagued him during the second half of the season and sidelined him during the playoffs.

LeMahieu has said he’d rather avoid the potentially “tricky” procedure.