NEW YORK: The New York Yankees introduced a new pair of aces at the top of the rotation on Thursday in free agents CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett who they hope will re-arm them for another run at a championship.

Their contracts, worth a combined $243.5 million, made the biggest splash at Major League Baseball's recent winter meetings and gave evidence that the new Steinbrenner regime was determined to launch the new Yankee Stadium with a winner.

The Yankees, winners of a record 26 World Series titles, missed the playoffs last year for the first time since the 1993 season after injuries decimated their pitching staff.