We Know that CC Sabathia is the top priority but...

What else do the Yankees need to do in order to remain a World Series contender for 2012, or even get better? Here are my thoughts...

Re-sign CC Sabathia and then go after at least two other starting pitchers on the free agent market. My other targets would be C.J. Wilson and Edwin Jackson. Wilson is somewhat similar in stature to Andy Pettitte and the Yankees were lacking a Pettitte-type starter in the postseason and all of 2011.

If you have paid any attention to Brian Cashman's demeanor going into the off-season then you know that he wants to get younger. His best bet would be to go after the 31-year old left hander from the Rangers and the 27-year old right hander from the Cardinals. This would then give the Yankees the option of having Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett fight it out in Spring Training for the fifth starter spot (which I'm personally leaning towards Hughes).

Bring up Austin Romine or sign Johnny Damon to take the place of Jorge Posada. Posada's assumed to be finished with the Bombers and it has been a great run. Bringing in Damon to replace him would give the Yankees another backup outfielder and would give them a solid DH with World Series experience to replace the loss of Posada. And Damon can likely be had at an affordable price and contract of one to two years, so that is a win-win for the Yankees' brass.

Re-sign Eric Chavez and let he and Eduardo Nunez fight it out in Spring Training to take over significant time in the third base and shortstop positions. This gives A-Rod and Jeter some much needed rest at different points as they can DH once in a while and take the strain off of a whole season of fielding.

Make sure to pick up the option on Nick Swisher. Swisher may have disappointed this postseason but he is always good for 20+ home runs and 80+ RBI. He is also a decent fielder with a great arm and he has a terrific personality that is needed in the Yankees' clubhouse.

Get Joba Chamberlain and Pedro Feliciano healthy to once again bolster the team that already had the best bullpen in baseball in 2011. This gives the Yankees more depth and allows their starters to rest earlier and more often throughout the course of the season. With Rivera, Robertson, Wade, Soriano, Feliciano, Logan, and Chamberlain in the pen, the Yankees starters really only have to go about five to six innings a game.

If this is done to a "T" then the Yankees will have a team next year with an average age of 30.7 years (if Burnett is still pitching on the roster), which is prime and relatively young. This also gives the huge class of pitchers that the Yankees have at AA and AAA another year to develop and that should give them many more contending years to come and maybe, just maybe, their 28th World Series title by the end of the 2012 season.