Five weeks before spring training starts, the Yankees’ front office and coaching staff were together in Tampa on Monday strategizing. General manager Brian Cashman and his top aides were there. Manager Aaron Boone and his coaches were there, the returnees and new ones.

Managing partner Hal Steinbrenner likely participated — in person or remotely — because he must approve the expenditures if Cashman recommends a pricy free-agent signing to fill the pitching needs.

You probably know the best available by now, right? There’s Blake Snell, who won a second Cy Young last season, and Jordan Montgomery, who was a good Yankees starter for years — and even better after Cashman dealt him away two summers ago.

Here’s what we know about those lefties:

The Yankees prefer Montgomery, but they doubt he’ll re-sign with them. They’re hearing he wants to stay with the Texas Rangers after winning a championship with them last fall. We’re hearing Montgomery still holds a grudge against the Yankees, who didn’t want him in their 2022 postseason rotation.

Snell intrigues the Yankees because they know how good he can be. Snell is 4-6 with a 4.31 ERA against the Yankees over his career, mostly while pitching — and winning a Cy Young — for the Rays. But they also saw Snell implode due to wildness, and that worries them. Even last year, while Snell was 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA in 32 starts with the Padres, his 99 walks led the National League.

Snell’s best season was 2018, when he was 21-5 and won the Cy Young. His positives and negatives likely were debated at length during Monday’s meeting.

Signing Snell would make the Yankees’ rotation a lot better, but his agent is Scott Boras, and you know what that means: Snell is looking for big money — more than the $162 million over six years given to lefty starter Carlos Rodon last winter when he was on the market, and that investment has been a bust so far.

Boras, by the way, also represents Montgomery, who also is seeking Rodon-plus dollars.

The meeting surely discussed the aces who might be dealt this winter, too. The Yankees would love to trade for 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, but Cashman and other suitors are sensing the Milwaukee Brewers plan to hold onto the righty at least until July. He will be a free agent in 2025.

The Yankees also like White Sox righty Dylan Cease, who had a bad 2023 season after being the AL Cy Young runner-up in ‘22. They love that he has two years of team control and are ready to pull the trigger on a deal.

But, according to someone with knowledge of the White Sox’ thinking, Chicago believes it can get a better return from the Baltimore Orioles, who have a deeper farm system, especially after the Yankees send a bunch of talent to the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto.

Also available is Guardians righty Shane Bieber, who has good career numbers but has lost velocity three years in a row with arm issues. Last season, he was on the injured list from July 15 to Sept. 22 with an inflamed elbow.

The Yankees want to add one of those five starters to their rotation, which includes 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt and Rodon.

The only other pitcher on the Yankees’ 40-man roster who has major league experience starting in a non-opener role is 25-year-old righty Luis Gil, who has worked just 33.1 innings over seven starts and is coming off Tommy John surgery.

What if the Yankees’ strike out on two best unsigned free agents and three on-the-block aces?

USA Today reported this week that the Yankees and free-agent right-hander Marcus Stroman have “mutual interest,” but we’re hearing the Yankees are not fans of the two-time All-Star, who loves the spotlight.

For sure, the Yankees have no interest in Japanese import Shota Imanaga because the lefty is a fly-ball pitcher who wouldn’t be a good fit for hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.

Besides Stroman and Imanaga, the next tier of free agent starters includes two righties as fallback options, Mike Clevinger and Michael Lorenzen.

Would the Yankees sign Stroman for a year if they can’t do any better? Possibly, but they aren’t ready to give up on getting one while Snell is available and Cease is being shopped.

Can the Yankees acquire Cease without giving up one of their two highest-ranked prospects, center fielders Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez? Dominguez won’t be moved and the Yankees want to keep Jones.

Will Cashman make Jones and No. 1 pitching prospect Chase Hampton the centerpiece of a deal for Cease that would keep him from the Orioles, who then would be everyone’s favorites to win a second AL East title in a row?

Look for the Yankees to strike soon. They want Cease, and they’d happily settle for Snell. The price is the holdup. Will Cashman pay what it takes in money or prospects to get one of them before both end up elsewhere?

These questions will be answered in the coming days after being discussed in Tampa on Monday.