According to a source, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said his team would not put in a claim for Ken Griffey, Jr. if the Cincinnati Reds put him through the waivers process. The Yankees, who are in dire need of a center fielder, are the only playoff-caliber team that would seem to have the financial backing to stand behind a Griffey claim if the Reds decide they are willing to turn over the slugger and his hefty contract. The information from Cashman was gleaned Wednesday, which would seem to indicate that at that point, Griffey had not cleared the 72-hour waivers process. Major-league personnel are under strict orders not to reveal which players have cleared waivers and which have not gone through the process. It isn't likely that a team other than the Yankees would put in a claim for Griffey, though the Los Angeles Angels are a remote possibility. The Sox are the last team that gets to put in a claim based on their major-league-best 74-39 record. The Sox certainly had interest in Griffey and had a deal in place for him less than two weeks ago, the day before the non-waiver trade deadline. The Sox were going to send minor-leaguers Chris Young and Casey Rogowski to Cincinnati, along with a lower-level prospect. The Reds were believed to be willing to pick up a chunk of what remains on Griffey's contract, which pays him $12.5 million a year until 2009. That deal reportedly was halted by Reds controlling partner Carl Lindner before it got to Griffey, who has the right to veto any trade. Griffey has said he never heard of the Sox deal until a day after the deadline, and it is unknown if he would have agreed to join the Sox. ''I don't really worry about the he-said, she-said as far as this organization says this, our organization [says that],'' Griffey told WSCR-AM's George Ofman this week. ''I'm not worried about that. Until our GM comes in and sits me down, or the ownership sits me down and says this is what they want to do, then I'm a Cincinnati Red. That's the best I can do.''