Via mlb.com -

“We’re going to do what we do every year, and that’s try to field a championship team,” co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner said on Tuesday. “That’s not going to change. We know that we’ve got some weaknesses, and we’re going to fix the problems as best we can. If that means spending money, obviously that means spending money. The philosophy has not changed.”

That means that when teams are officially allowed to begin swapping contract offers with free agents this Friday, the Yankees will be as aggressive as ever.

“Everything has a price,” Steinbrenner said. “We understand free agency. We’re going to go after what we need, and if what we can do and what we’re willing to do is not enough, then it won’t be enough. But we’re going to pursue the market aggressively.”

Though he typically defers to his brother, Hank Steinbrenner, on baseball decisions, Hal Steinbrenner has already met with general manager Brian Cashman, and he plans to have a meeting later this week with top team executives, including his brother and his father, principal owner George Steinbrenner.

“We’re going to be ready for Friday,” he said. “Decisions haven’t completely been made yet, but we’ve got three days.”

Steinbrenner also noted that both he and his brother are planning on rekindling their father’s approach of personally reaching out to agents and players. And they won’t be shy about opening their wallets, either.

“We know about where we need to be to field the kind of team that our city and our fans expect,” Steinbrenner said. “And a team that can win.”

I’m starting to get this mental image of Hank and Hal Stein hitting the opening of this free agent market like Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble running wild and screaming “Charge it!” Let’s see if it comes true.