Whether the New York Yankees resign Mike Mussina depends almost entirely on his wife, Jana.

The rejuvenated free agent—who, at 39, won 20 games for the first time in his 18-year career—wants to play next season in the new Yankee Stadium and possibly beyond, which would enable him to make a run at 300 career victories. (He's 30 shy).

But Jana has been adamant that he retire to life on their spread in tiny Montoursville, Pennsylvania, where the family compound is a half-dozen Ruthian clouts from the road and Mike can walk into Elery W. Nau Hardware on Broad Street without having to sign an autograph.

The Yanks, of course, missed the post-season for the first time since 1993. The team will have to decide how to spend a $75 million windfall from expiring contracts.

And Mussina is the only one among seven potential free agents worth retaining, maintains a high-ranking executive on a 2008 playoff team.

The official, who has asked to remain nameless, has laid out how he would ideally spend the Yankee dollars:
 
PITCHING

Keep Mussina and sever ties to Carl Pavano, whose nine wins over the length of a four-year, $40 million contract worked out to about $4.4 million per victory. Kiss off lefties Damaso Marte (1-3 with a 5.40 E.R.A. in 25 relief appearances for New York) and Andy Pettitte, whose 36-year-old arm appears closer to 46. Pettitte lost five of his last six starts while surrendering 26 runs and 49 hits in 33 and two-thirds innings.

Of possible recruits, Nameless says forget about Ben Sheets—the Milwaukee ace privately says he won't play in New York. "The Yankees should offer the moon to A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia," he says. Maybe the moon, a comet, and a couple of asteroids to Sabathia, a native of Vallejo, California, who prefers the West Coast.

CATCHING

Bid farewell to Ivan Rodriguez, a literal third wheel with the expected return of the surgically repaired Jorge Posada. Assuming, that is, Posada is still able to catch.

INFIELD

Buy out Jason Giambi for $5 million. Though he genuinely wants to remain a Yank, and, at 37, hit 32 home runs with 96 R.B.I., he's slow, brittle, and hit .213 with runners in scoring position—.136 with the bases loaded. On top of that, as a first baseman he can't stop a sentence with a period.

Nameless insists that the Yanks should avoid Mark Teixeira. Sure, he's 28, a Gold Glover, and the sort of disciplined switch-hitter with power that the Yankees love. "The problem is he'll demand an eight-year contract for at least $160 million," says Nameless. "And, frankly, he's not worth that kind of money. In the long run, the investment wouldn't pay off."

Nameless suggests shifting the hobbled Hideki Matsui to first, a position he once played in Japan.

OUTFIELD AND D.H.

Dump the steady but unspectacular Bobby Abreu, a durable star who in 2008 became just the third player in big-league history to record eight seasons of 20 homers and 20 steals. He's also one of the only players to post at least 100 R.B.I.'s in each of the last six campaigns.

"Bobby wants a four-year deal and the Yanks would be wise not to even offer him three," Nameless says. "He was a stopgap this season, and next year he'll be 35 and in steep decline."

Nameless would move Xavier Nady from left field to right and, in center, alternate young Brett Gardner—a weak hitter and strong defender—with veteran Matt Kemp, whom he thinks the Yanks could get in a trade for the regressing Melky Cabrera and the unphenomenal phenom Ian Kennedy—he of the 8.17 E.R.A., the zero wins in nine starts, and the embarrassing comments to the press.

In left and at D.H., Nameless would alternate Johnny Damon and free-agent Manny Ramirez, a perennial Yankee Killer (.321 lifetime batting average, 29 homers at old Yankee Stadium) who hit .396 with 17 homers in 187 at bats after being traded to Los Angeles in late July.

"I realize he's a year older than Abreu," say Nameless, "but he's a future Hall of Famer and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down at the plate. Plus, signing Manny would absolutely devastate Red Sox fans."

But how would Manny's dreads fit into the notoriously clean-cut Yanks?

"With $100 million guaranteed," reasons Nameless, "he could afford a haircut."