The Steinbrenners' unwillingness to raise payroll has made it more difficult for the Yankees to bring in fresh veterans to replace the worn-out ones. As a result, the team has stuck with its old guys even as they turned into really old guys — last year, the offense averaged 32.7 years old, the oldest in franchise history and the third-oldest in baseball history.

Wells’ seven-year, $126 million contract carries an average annual value of $18 million, which is the figure used by MLB for luxury tax purposes. That figure decreases based on the money being paid by another team, so if the Yankees were to split the $29 million evenly, it would leave them with a $3.5 million tax figure on Wells’ deal in each of the two seasons.

But according to a league source, the Yankees are expected to pay Wells between $10 million and $12 million in 2013, leaving the Angels to pick up the other $9 million-$11 million.

That means that the Angels would pay somewhere between $18 million and $20 million of Wells’ $21 million salary next year, not only erasing the entire $18 million luxury tax figure for the Yankees, but adding a credit of as much as $2 million.

It’s still unclear what the exact breakdown will be, the source said, but the end result will likely be either the Yankees getting a small luxury tax credit or breaking even on Wells’ contract next season.

This year’s finances won’t be an issue for the Yankees, either, especially now that the World Baseball Classic will be paying Teixeira’s salary as long as he’s on the DL with a wrist injury he suffered while working out in Arizona with Team USA earlier this month.

Now the question becomes how much Wells can contribute.

There is concern within the organization that Montero's offensive struggles are directly linked to the added work as a catcher. The fear is that Montero is now too distracted by his catching responsibilities — and overall struggles on defense — that it has carried over to his hitting and threatens to ruin a player once considered one of the better offensive prospects in the game.

So, the team has decided to allow Montero to spend most of his AAA time as a designated hitter and a part-time first baseman. With minor-league catching prospects Mike Zunino and John Hicks on the rise, the feeling is that there soon won't be a need for Montero behind the plate in any event.