The New York Post reported:

The Yankees and Mets are in secret talks with the city to buy their old ballparks before the wrecking balls hit - so they can plunder them for lucrative memorabilia to peddle to fans, The Post has learned.

A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg confirmed the negotiations but would not say how the deals might go down - specifically, whether the city would hope to get a lump sum from the teams or a percentage of the profits of any sale or auction of items.

Despite this the Yankees are saying it's not true.

"The New York Yankees are not in discussions to buy the current Yankee Stadium from the City of New York," Levine said in a statement. "We have been in talks with city officials to determine the best way for the city to realize value in the assets of the current Yankee Stadium.

"The goal is to find the best and most efficient way to make memorabilia items available to the public and our fans."

Via Steve.