Seattle

THE YANKEES' hierarchy will meet soon to discuss the futures of many of their star players. Then the Yankees' real decision-maker, the big guy, will decide the future of the Yankees' hierarchy.

Indeed, this should be a confusing and exciting offseason for the Yankees, perhaps even as exciting as the real season. Rare is it that so many top players and key decision-makers are free to leave at once.

This is going to take a lot longer than the Yankees lasted in the playoffs. "We've got a lot of consideration and work to do," George Steinbrenner said. "It will be awhile."

One big question is what to do about Don Mattingly, the immensely popular captain who played up to previous standards in his first postseason. But also part of the equation are those measly seven regular-season home runs of his.

Another big question is whether Steinbrenner will make Buck Showalter his latest playoff-qualifying manager to get the axe. Probably not, seeing as how that 1980 firing of Dick Howser worked out for Steinbrenner.

Yet another question is whether general manager Gene Michael will have his option picked up. Michael's team had a nice season. But will Steinbrenner forget the preseason, when he became so angered by the replacement team that wasn't up to his replacement-team standards? Why Michael wants to continue to work so closely with this man is a question only Michael's psychoanalyst or accountant can answer.

Then there are the little matters of Wade Boggs, David Cone and Jack McDowell, free agents all. The Yankees might like to lower their $50 million-plus payroll, if only for appearance sake. It doesn't look good to spend that much money and wind up losing to a small-market team such as Seattle.

Here is one quick way to pick up a cool $2.5 million. Dump the double-play combination of Pat Kelly and Tony Fernandez. Trade them if you can - how about a package deal? - but otherwise just let them go. If Derek Jeter is as good as the Yankees' former minor-league execs said (they already were fired), he should be at shortstop. And as for Kelly, he did nothing. And he had a bad attitude about doing nothing.

"I don't know what happened to Pat. It looks like his hands started getting a little hard," said one American League scout. "He wasn't real consistent. He's going to be a .240, .250 hitter. He gets into that pull mode."

Much more difficult and intriguing are the questions surrounding the other two infield positions. Before their impressive postseason work, there was some front-office sentiment to allow Boggs and Mattingly to leave. Tino Martinez and Mo Vaughn have been discussed internally as possible successors to Mattingly. However, it will take a change in baseball's rules - a real possibility - to make either one a free agent.

If the stats were the determining factor, the call already would be made. "Mattingly rose to the occasion in the playoffs, but we haven't seen that performance all year," the scout said. But of course, there is more to it than that.

The Yankees are concerned about their image, and failing to re-sign Mattingly (or even make him an offer) will not be cheered by all those fans who kept cheering Mattingly throughout his difficult season. Nor will it be endorsed by Showalter, who remains the biggest Mattingly fan of all. And then again, Showalter's contract is up at the end of this month and maybe he'll choose to go manage in Detroit or Baltimore.

By fielding wonderfully, hitting well and playing through pain, Boggs certainly earned a new contract. However, Russ Davis waited through Boggs' previous three-year contract for a chance and there are some Yankees decision-makers who believe he deserves it. More importantly, he will play cheaper, which might allow the Yankees to spend elsewhere. Davis would be a gamble, particularly since he sat almost the entire season. However, it is a gamble they might be willing to take.

The Yankees will need that extra money to try to keep their pitching staff as intact as they can. Their two co-aces, Cone and McDowell, can go free. If they lose them both, they may as well start the rebuilding process now.

Cone should be one of their top priorities. "They almost have to keep him," the scout said. "They have to have a No. 1 stopper, a guy who's going to give you consistency."

McDowell may not return no matter what is offered. He did not seem overly happy here. Of course, that scowl may be permanently affixed to his face and it may have nothing to do with New York. It doesn't hurt to ask.

In any case, McDowell should be a secondary consideration after signing Cone. "Maybe he's a No. 2 guy in a rotation," the scout said about McDowell. "He wasn't as consistent with his split. His velocity's still the same. He has good movement. And he's a good competitor."

It's going to be costly just to keep this wild-card team intact. So here is one way to save a buck. Maybe this is an overreaction based on one good week, but Mariano Rivera looks like he might be able to close games. Why not trade John Wetteland and replace him with Rivera? "He has good stuff, he's got an easy delivery and his ball is tough for hitters to pick up," the scout said of Rivera.

That still leaves the major questions about Showalter and Michael. Steinbrenner said he didn't consider replacing Michael even once this year (a couple people actually believed this), but the handwriting appears to be on the wall. Bill Lajoie and Kevin Malone have been mentioned as possible successors, and this year's hot and available executive, Randy Smith, probably will be soon. Michael has done a pretty fair job in baseball's toughest spot. But hey, let's not feel too sorry for him; he chose to take this job, which reportedly pays him around $500,000.

Showalter has proved to be an excellent manager strategically over his first four years, and he also did well not to let the Yankees quit despite overwhelming evidence that they were done. While nobody can say this talented team overachieved, it's petty to dispute his final moves. Anybody who thinks Wetteland would have been a better Game 5 choice than McDowell hasn't been paying attention. And as long as Cone had the lead, it made sense to stick with him. Overall, Showalter has done a fine job. Of course, with the Yankees that is not necessarily enough. Jon Heyman

Copyright 1995, Newsday Inc.