KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – There’s a new Yankee-Red Sox clash brewing and Carl Pavano is the potential prize.

GMs Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein are scheduled to meet with the ace righthander’s agent within the next day or two in what could be the beginning of another heated bidding war between the rivals. Starting pitching is the top priority for both teams this winter, and Pavano – who was 18-8 last season and is a Cy Young front-runner – looms as one of the biggest pearls in a relatively shallow free agent pitching pool.

In what could be another particularly intriguing twist, sources said the Red Sox also might target Jon Lieber, who became a free agent after the Yanks declined his $8 million option last week.

Cashman and Epstein were among the baseball executives who gathered at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel here Monday in preparation for the GM meetings, which start today and run through Friday. Although there aren’t expected to be any blockbuster signings or trades this early in the offseason, this week generally serves as a jumping off point for a team’s winter plan.

“We’re crawling right now, before we walk,” Cashman said. “Hopefully, we’ll be running soon.”

When they do, figure on the Red Sox keeping pace. Last year, Cashman spent much of these meetings talking with Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola about a potential deal for Curt Schilling. When those talks broke down, Epstein and the Sox moved in and were able to complete a trade for the righty, who – as everyone in Yankeeland knows – then led the Sox to their first World Series since 1918.

This year, Cashman could be back talking with Garagiola again, only this time it would be about Randy Johnson. The D-Backs have said they would like to keep the Big Unit, but his $16 million salary doesn’t fit in with their plans and the Yanks could offer Javier Vazquez – while taking on a piece of his contract – in exchange for Johnson, who has been coveted by George Steinbrenner.

Whether that actually occurs remains to be seen, though it’s nearly a certainty that the Bombers will add at least one marquee name to their rotation. Pavano is a definite possibility; his agent Scott Shapiro already has been in contact with several teams (including the Yanks and Sox) and will begin to focus on the parameters of a deal during meetings this week (teams can’t talk money with free agents who aren’t their own until Friday).

Pavano’s former team, the Marlins, offered him a three-year, $21 million deal to stay, but some executives believe that Florida’s financial constraints may keep it out of the picture. Shapiro said Pavano already has begun looking over scouting reports and statistical breakdowns of potential suitors to see where he might expect to get the most run support and how the team’s ballpark affects pitchers, among other details.

“Carl is a very methodical person,” Shapiro said Monday. “He’s going to review all the options and make a decision on what the best situation is overall. . . . He wants to be on a winning team. It’s a total package and he’s not going to rush into anything.”

Pavano was born in Connecticut and Shapiro said he is excited about the possibility of playing for either the Yanks or Red Sox, though the 28-year-old is far from the only target for either team. The Sox have to figure out what they’re doing with free agents Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, and Lieber could fit in as a solid replacement for either one.

Several executives expressed surprise that the Yanks would not pick up Lieber’s option, since he was one of their most productive pitchers in the final months of the season, but Cashman said the $8 million price was too high. Lieber has said he would like to return to the Yankees, but also plans to test the market, perhaps setting up yet another showdown between Boston and the Bronx.

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AP-NY-11-08-04 2241EST