The rumor that never dies around the Yankees is Hal Steinbrenner’s heart is not really into being the team’s owner and he is trimming payroll as a precursor to selling the team.

So in every extended interview I have had with the Yankees owner the past several years, I have asked if the team will be put up for sale. He firmly says no each time. But it has come up so often, he now chuckles as I begin to broach the issue, as he did Wednesday in a phone conversation.

“I never considered selling three years ago when the future looked tough,” Steinbrenner said. “Why would I sell now when the future is bright? There is no consideration. I am excited for March [spring training] to get here. I am excited for the next few years.”

Here you have a window into the thinking of the most influential voice in the Yankees world. Steinbrenner has been attempting the double of having the Yankees stay contenders while trimming payroll and getting younger. Now, he sees a picture becoming more distinct that enthuses him. So anyone expecting him to detour this offseason with big free agents or trades — outside the bullpen (Aroldis Chapman?), which he accentuated needs upgrading — probably can forget that.

Steinbrenner cautioned Brian Cashman will not meet with all of baseball operations for another week, which means the general manager’s recommendations for the offseason have yet to be made. But Steinbrenner strongly indicated he wants to give Aaron Judge a chance to win the right field job in 2017, mentioned the weakness of the free-agent starting market and said he is comfortable rounding out a rotation with two from among Luis Cessa, Chad Green, Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino and Adam Warren, and cited Chance Adams and James Kaprielian on a few occasions as starters on the radar.

Steinbrenner also emphasized “financial flexibility” coming with Mark Teixeira off the payroll this season, and Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia after next. But he also stated the goal remains to get under whatever the luxury-tax threshold is in the new collective bargaining agreement while acknowledging the earliest that could come is 2018.

“I continue to say we don’t need a $250 million payroll to win a championship and, if we do, we are doing something wrong,” Steinbrenner said.

Actually, Steinbrenner insists much is heading in the right direction. He praised farm director Gary Denbo several times. He returned again and again to getting a full season from Gary Sanchez next year and having Greg Bird back in full, and saying of Judge: “I will listen to all the baseball people, but, personally, if you are asking me, this player deserves a chance. We have talked about him for years. I believe he will make adjustments and as far as I am concerned, you will see a lot of him in right field.”

Steinbrenner said money is there to reinvest in the roster. But the items he highlighted indicated 2017 will be more about further pruning payroll and giving talented youngsters experience to try to more fully go for it in 2018.

“I think that could be safe to say that by ’18 you will also see [Clint] Frazier, and [Greg] Bird and Sanchez will have their first full year under their belt, and you will see a guy like Chance Adams and Kaprielian, and Bryan Mitchell will get a full year more to develop. You can certainly look toward ’18 sitting better. But I really look at 2017 as a year we can compete as long as we stay healthy. I really am optimistic.”

Steinbrenner said he does not see why the Yankees cannot be as good for six months in 2017 as they were for the final two in 2016 (31-26, which equates to 88 wins). I asked if there was an “or else” for Cashman and manager Joe Girardi (both entering the final year of their contacts) if 2017 wasn’t better.

“That’s a conversation I have toward the end of next year,” Steinbrenner said. “Right now I am perfectly happy with Cash and happy with Joe.”

The owner is happy, too. That is why he is selling high expectations for the future — not selling the team.