NEW YORK (AP)Joe Girardi said this week hed enjoy showing free agents around the new Yankee Stadium. CC Sabathia is one of the players the New York manager has in mind for a tour of the spacious clubhouse, players lounge, indoor batting cage and underground hot tub.

Free-agent season opened Friday with the Yankees planning to give Sabathia a record offer for a pitcher.

Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner confirmed Friday night at the teams spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., that an offer was made to Sabathia, and that proposals will be forthcoming for pitchers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.

Yes, Steinbrenner said when asked if an offer was made to Sabathia. And were prepared to make offers to Burnett and Lowe.

The Yankees formulated a proposal to the big lefty that would exceed Johan Santanas $137.5 million, six-year contract with the New York Mets both in total and average, a baseball official familiar with the negotiations said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to divulge details.

Steinbrenner declined to give details about the Sabathia offer.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Greg Genske, one of Sabathias agents, did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

Steinbrenner said he felt the Yankees will be successful in the free-agent market.

Im starting to become very optimistic, Steinbrenner said. I think its going to be mutually beneficial to us and for these particular players that were after for them to join the Yankees.

Sabathia went a combined 17-10 for Cleveland and Milwaukee this year after winning the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and is considered the best starting pitcher in this years free-agent class.

On Friday morning, the Yankees gave a media tour of the new ballpark, scheduled to be substantially completed by Feb. 17. The oval clubhouse has wide lockers, with a replica of the stadium frieze above them, and the Yankees hope one will be Sabathias.

Other top free-agent starters are likely will wait for Sabathia to set the price for pitchers.

The signing of CC is going to create probably a truer market for a number of the pitchers, mainly because the clubs that are bidding on CC didnt get him, and the demand for the other pitchers will be greater, said agent Scott Boras, who represents free agents Oliver Perez and Lowe.

The 171 players who filed for free agency after the World Series could start negotiating money with all teams starting at 12:01 a.m. EST Friday. Boras, based in California, said his phone was ringing repeatedly late Thursday night.

I got eight phone calls. They didnt wait till the business day. Youre talking about owners, your talking about general managers, people taking very aggressive stances with particular players, said Boras, who also represents outfielder Manny Ramirez and first baseman Mark Teixeira, among the top free-agent sluggers.

They wanted to make sure they were on the board making offers, Boras said.

Francisco Rodriguez tops the available relief pitchers, a group that also includes Brian Fuentes and Kerry Wood. Agent Paul Kinzer said he had received inquiries from four teams about K-Rod, who saved a record 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels.

I just think weve got to be patient. Well know when the fits right, Kinzer said. When we get closer, well probably meet with the people, maybe check out the area, living arrangements, that type thing, and then make a decision.

He also reported an aggressive market for another client, shortstop Rafael Furcal.

Theres been about five or six serious teams already on him today, and I expect that to even go up because theres been at least eight or more that have been in contact, Kinzer said.

Commissioner Bud Selig repeatedly cautions teams to be careful in their spending, but the economic downtown doesnt appear likely to depress salaries for top players.

We think that the time of free agents will still be recession-proof, said Lew Wolff, owner of the low-revenue Oakland Athletics. We think the second tier will present some opportunities.

Other high-profile free agents include pitchers Ryan Dempster and Trevor Hoffman; first baseman Jason Giambi; outfielders Garret Anderson, Bobby Abreu, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr.; catchers Jason Varitek and Ivan Rodriguez; and third baseman Casey Blake.

A lot of the owners want to sit down and have a meeting with some of the players, Boras said. Theres a couple players in this market that pay for themselves, in Teixeira and Ramirez, and they know that.

Its rare that a player spends his entire career with one team. Wood wanted to stay with the Cubs, who instead acquired Kevin Gregg as a less costly alternative.

It will be tough sitting on the other side, Wood said.

AP Sports Writers Rick Gano and Janie McCauley and AP freelance writer Mark Didtler in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.

PHOENIX (AP)Randy Johnson filed for free agency on Thursday after failing to reach a contract agreement to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 45-year-old lefty is five wins shy of 300 and hopes to find a team where he can continue to pitch at a high level and contribute to another world championship, agents Barry Meister and Alan Nero said in a statement.

The agents said they met in Phoenix on Monday with Diamondbacks chief executive officer Jeff Moorad and general manager Josh Byrnes to explore every option for Randy to remain a Diamondback in 2009 and for the remainder of his career.

The Diamondbacks have a budget based on their clubs financial situation and obviously viewed Randys contract in that context, the agents said. Randy considered every reasonable compromise, including offering to take a 50 percent pay cut, all to remain a Diamondback. However, the economic situation did not lend itself to an agreement.

Johnson made $16 million last year and went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA. He struck out 173 and walked 44.

Byrnes, who said the sides had conversations through the week into Thursday, would not rule out still signing Johnson but added something would fundamentally have to change in our position or their position or both.

The Diamondbacks will not budge on their policy of not giving contracts that include player incentives.

As a policy its one we stick to and will continue to stick to, Byrnes said.

He praised the spirit of the conversations.

Both sides worked very hard to find an equitable deal, Byrnes said. We couldnt do it.

Byrnes said the club envisions a rotation of Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Doug Davis, Max Scherzer and Yusmeiro Petit next season.

Theres a chance we might try to find another person that would add to our depth, Byrnes said.

Johnson and Toronto pitcher A.J. Burnett were the only players to file for free agency Thursday, the final day of the 15-day window. The 171 players who filed can start negotiating money with all teams starting Friday.

A five-time Cy Young Award winner, Johnson won the NL Cy Young from 1999-2002 with Arizona.

The Big Unit was co-MVP with Curt Schilling in the 2001 World Series victory over the New York Yankees. He went 21-6 with a 2.49 ERA and 372 strikeouts that year.

Johnson has 4,789 strikeouts, second to Nolan Ryan on the career list, and pitched a perfect game.

Johnson came back for a second stint with the Diamondbacks in 2007 after a trade with the Yankees. He underwent the third back surgery of his career that year.

In January 2005, the Diamondbacks traded him to the Yankees. Johnson and his family have long made their home in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley.

Randy will miss the overwhelming support the fans have shown him throughout the years, his agents said. He wishes the Diamondbacks great success in 2009 and beyond.