NEW YORK -- Joe Torre thinks Jason Giambi could be getting fitted for his Yankees pinstripes real soon.

	Giambi

The New York Yankees manager spoke with the free-agent first baseman earlier this week, recruiting him to join the four-time defending American League champions.

The New York Post also reported Thursday that Hall of Famer Yogi Berra contacted Giambi to offer his own sales pitch for the Yankees, who are reportedly considering a seven-year, $119 million offer to Giambi.

"I told him to come to the Yankees," Berra told the Post. "I met him at the Bob Hope Classic last year and he is a good kid. He can help the Yankees. I told him that the right-field fence at the Stadium is a lot shorter than the one in Oakland."

However, a baseball source close to the situation told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark Thursday that, while all signs point toward Giambi signing with the Yankees, a deal would probably not be in place until at least the middle of next week.

The source said the Yankees had "a good conversation" with Giambi's agent, Arn Tellem, on Thursday. No offers were made, but as the two sides did last year in negotiations involving another Tellem client, Mike Mussina, there was a discussion of "parameters."

Giambi is thought to be looking for an eight-year deal worth more than $18 million a year. The Yankees are believed to be preparing six-year and seven-year offers that could be worth anywhere between $16.5 million and $17 million a year.

"I don't think it's going to be a while," Torre said before a March of Dimes luncheon Wednesday. "He asked a lot of questions, and he asked me to ask him questions. It sounds like he would like to get it over with. But you're only a free agent one time, and I'm sure he'd like to make sure it's what he wants to do."

Torre also said his new three-year, $16 million contract is likely to be completed next week. Only language issues remain.

"You better go ahead and sign that contract or else there will be a lot of more of us retiring," said Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens, who was presented the March of Dimes sportsman of the year award by Torre.

Since the seven-game World Series loss to Arizona, right fielder Paul O'Neill, third baseman Scott Brosius and backup infielder Luis Sojo have retired. New York has no interest in re-signing first baseman Tino Martinez, who became a free agent.

Torre insisted on talking to Martinez before he made his recruiting pitch to Giambi.

"Tino couldn't have been more cordial," Torre said. "That conversation freed me up to call Jason."

Last spring, Giambi turned down a $91 million, six-year extension offered by Oakland because the Athletics refused to include a no-trade clause.

"Nothing's really going on so far with them right now," Giambi on Thursday told Fox Sports Net. "They still have the same offer. Nothing's really come up. So we'll have to see."

Meanwhile, the Yankees are keeping up their sales pitch.

"He seemed to have a lot of questions, which led me to believe he was sincerely interested in being with the Yankees," said Torre, who compared Giambi's potential to fill a leadership role with the team to that of former Yankees pitcher David Wells.

"He's definitely a free spirit, but Wells was a free spirit, too. We don't try to put a wet blanket on anybody as long as the focus stays the same."

Giambi, 30, was voted the American League Most Valuable Player in 2000, then hit .342 with 38 homers and 120 RBI this year and finished second in MVP voting behind Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki.

St. Louis is thought to be interested in Giambi as a possible replacement for Mark McGwire, who retired. Clemens said that if Giambi wants to play in the World Series, he should join the Yankees.

"We should just take highlights of Games 3, 4 and 5 here in New York and send it to Giambi," said Clemens, who won his record sixth Cy Young Award this year.

Meanwhile, reports continue to circulate that the Yankees might attempt to sign both Giambi and Moises Alou. Several baseball sources told Stark on Thursday they've been told the Yankees have payroll room to sign two free agents. The stature and salary of the second depend on whether they sign Giambi, and how much he would get.

Where does that money come from? The Yankees have $23.75 million to play with just in salary they won't have to pay next season to Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, O'Neill and Brosius.

The second player doesn't necessarily have to be Alou. The Yankees are known to have inquired about virtually every major free agent, including everyone from John Smoltz to Juan Gonzalez to Roger Cedeno.

As for third base, Torre seems comfortable with Drew Henson taking over sometime next season. Henson, Michigan's quarterback before he rejoined the Yankees last March, struggled at Triple-A as he recovered from a broken hand.

"Drew Henson is a rookie, but he's played a lot of football in front of 95,000, 100,000 people," Torre said. "That's not the green rookie title he would normally have. He's certainly proven he can play big in big games. I've heard all good reports on his potential. We feel he's a can't-miss guy."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.