New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina confirmed Monday that he finalized a two-year, $23-million US contract extension.

The extension was initially reported Nov. 15 by the New York Post, but it remained in limbo until he passed a physical.

Mike Mussina owns a 92-53 mark in his six seasons with the Yankees.
(Bill Kostroun/Associated Press)

"My first choice was to stay with the Yankees," Mussina admitted. "It wasn't my first choice to be looking around elsewhere."

Asked if it might be his final contract, Mussina responded: "We will have to see how I feel and what the situation is. If the situation is not right, this might be it."

The Yankees simply could have picked up Mussina's $17-million US option for next season, but preferred to decline it, pay him the $1.5-million US buyout and proceed to negotiate a more affordable deal.

"I know Mike Mussina, my manager [Joe Torre] knows Mike Mussina, our coaching staff knows Mike Mussina," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. "We know how he prepares.

"We are happy that we have him back in the fold because, quite frankly, in this market, I think that he was one of the better pitching commodities available. I know he wanted to stay [and] I think he took less to stay here."

"I'm glad that he [Cashman] and everybody else wanted me to stay and keep playing for the team," Mussina said.

Mussina, 37, posted a 15-7 record with a 3.51 earned-run average and one complete game in 32 starts for New York last season, his 15th straight with 10-plus wins.

The right-hander is an impressive 92-53 since inking a six-year, $88.5-million US contract with the Yankees on Nov. 30, 2000.

"We know the commitment that he provides to put himself in a position to be successful — and he has been successful for quite some time," Cashman said. "He is consistent, I cannot stress that enough."

"We have some work to do," Mussina said, mindful that fellow starters Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano will be trying to rebound from injuries next season.

Mussina is a six-time Gold Glove winner with a 239-134 lifetime record and 3.63 ERA, 57 complete games and 23 shutouts in 475 starts for the Baltimore Orioles and Yankees since debuting in the majors on Aug. 4, 1991.

His 2,572 strikeouts rank seventh among active pitchers.

With files from the Associated Press