The Yankees should have let him walk for that type of money. The guy is getting older, and it's obvious that he has lost some of his stuff in the past couple of years.

Rivera to accept Yanks' 3-year deal

Despite not getting the fourth year he desired, closer Mariano Rivera is expected to stay a Yankee.

After returning from the Dominican Republic Saturday night, Rivera is going to huddle with his representatives and, according to several sources, is expected to accept the Yankees' three-year, $45 million offer early next week.

The future Hall of Fame closer isn't happy about Hank Steinbrenner talking as much as he has about the contract offer that will make Rivera the highest paid closer by $4 million, but that doesn't appear to be a deal killer.

Though Rivera wanting a fourth year added to the deal has become an issue, it's not clear if the 38-year-old asked the Yankees for the extra year or had a four-year deal from another team. If that was the case, then Rivera is turning down additional dollars to remain with the only team he has worked for since 1990, where he's posted 443 saves (third on the all-time list).

If the deal is sealed Sunday, Rivera could be joining Alex Rodriguez in re-entering the Yankees' universe. Rodriguez, who most likely will be named AL MVP, is close to finalizing a 10-year, $275 million deal. Agent Scott Boras, the Yankees and MLB are working on a way to ensure Rodriguez can cash in on him breaking Barry Bonds' all-time home run record as a Yankee. Milestone clauses aren't allowed in player contracts.

Understanding the marketing bonanza and dollars that will flow from Rodriguez's chase of Bonds, the Yankees want Rodriguez to share in the money. When the deal is announced, it's believed Rodriguez will have a chance to make more than $300 million during the 10 years.

When Rivera and Rodriguez become official, they will join Jorge Posada in remaining in The Bronx after the trio filed for free agency and saw what was there for them outside of the Yankees' universe.

"It feels great," Steinbrenner said of the chances of retaining the trio. "There was never any question we wanted to keep all of them. Obviously, they are being paid very well. Alex was the thing nobody expected, and he came through."

Adding Bobby Abreu's $16 million option to the money spent on Rodriguez, Posada and Rivera, the Yankees have laid out $388.4 million to retain players from a team that was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the Indians, an event that led to Joe Torre's exit.

And though Rivera's $45 million certainly is a chunk of that pile, the Yankees haven't addressed their need for a legitimate No. 1 starter. Spending close to $400 million has led many to believe the Yankees will go hard after Twins starter Johan Santana when Minnesota gets serious about dealing him.

"Nobody is going to give you pitching," Steinbrenner said. "It's very hard to get. You have to grow your own."

In Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy - none of whom have a full year of big league service time - the Yankees believe they have homegrown arms good enough to form three-fifths of a rotation that also includes Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina.

However, after getting eliminated for the third straight year in the first round, the Yankees acknowledged they were lacking a lockdown, No. 1 starter in the class of Josh Beckett and Roy Halladay. Santana (93-44; 3.22 ERA) is in that class. But unlike the not-so-distant past, there will be at least 10 teams in the hunt for the 26-year-old lefty, who can become a free agent after the 2008 season and thus too expensive for the Twins, for whom he went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA this year.

The Yankees would likely have to give up Wang and Hughes plus Melky Cabrera or Robinson Cano to entice the Twins, and it may still not be enough. They have no intentions of moving Chamberlain.