Yankees Rumors: Mitre, Payroll, Lackey, Sheets

1:13pm: Marc Carig of The Newark Star Ledger reports that the Yanks have declined Sergio Mitre's 2010 option. Mitre remains under team control and is arbitration eligible. 

12:43pm: George A. King III of The NY Post has some Yankee rumbings for us today, so let's round 'em up…

• GM Brian Cashman said he's received calls from various agents, but hasn't returned them yet because he has to "wait to see about payroll." The team's pro scout meetings begin tomorrow, and after that Cashman will "take the ideas and estimated money to the Steinbrenner family."
• King says that John Lackey's representatives have contacted the Yankees. An agent (not Lackey's) thinks righty can land a deal similar to Barry Zito's seven year, $126MM contract.
• An industry source says "Everybody seems to be in a wait-and-see mode and that plays into how the Yankees have been working. Take Jason Bay, they can wait around like they did with Mark Teixeira last winter."  
• Regarding Ben Sheets, Cashman said they'll "go through the scouting reports and see where the market is. After we decide what it is, that will determine if we have less or more (interest)."
• Sheets' agent, Casey Close, says that more than half-a-dozen teams have called to tell him to "keep them in the loop."