The Yankees, as you might have noticed, have been mostly quiet thus far this off-season. (Brian Cashman told reporters yesterday that with so much money coming off the payroll after the 2008 season, “the decisions we made in the winter of ‘09, that was kind of like our 2010 and 2011 Winter Meetings combined.”) Which isn’t to say that the Yankees stopped pursuing big-money free agents after that season — you’ll recall they went hard after Cliff Lee last winter — but some of the biggest names on the market this year (like shortstop Jose Reyes and first baseman Albert Pujols) play positions that the Yankees aren’t looking to fill. It’s why we currently live in a bizarro world in which Marlins fans are watching their team offer massive contracts, while Yankees fans are left paying attention to minor hot-stove updates. Today’s news: The Yankees have won the right to negotiate with Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima. (Their winning bid for the negotiating rights was reportedly $2 million. To put that figure in perspective, their bid for the rights to negotiate with Kei Igawa was $26 million.) Nakajima isn’t expected to command a huge salary, and he would be used as a backup infielder. It could also allow them to include Eduardo Nunez in trade proposals, if they choose to do so. They have 30 days to reach an agreement with Nakajima. [Star-Ledger]