The LoHud Yankees Blog

Can’t expect many concrete answers on the first day of spring training, and Joe Girardi didn’t offer many concrete answers today. Not any new answers, anyway.

He said the competition for the back of the rotation might take all spring.

He said figuring out the bench is No. 2 on his list of priorities.

He said the backup catcher job is up for grabs.

He said it’s too early to know how much rest a guy like Alex Rodriguez might need.

He said he doesn’t know who will start the second game of the season.

But, Girardi did give a clear indication of his plans for the top of the lineup

“We signed (Derek Jeter) to be our shortstop, and we signed him to be our leadoff hitter,” Girardi said. “And he’s got a pretty good track history of what he’s done in the game of baseball. He had a couple of rough months last year. The month of September he was back to being Derek, I thought. I’m not really too concerned about him as our leadoff hitter.

“But as we all know in this game, you have to prove yourself year in and year out, no matter who you are. That’s just the nature of the game and there’s always people trying to take your job. But believe me, I can tell you that from a lot of experience, I moved to a lot of different places because people came around. I expect him to be our leadoff hitter and be our everyday shortstop.”

Associated Press photo

CC Sabathia’s opt out clause was an inevitable topic this morning, especially considering there are a handful of national reporters in camp pretty easily linking Sabathia’s potential free agency to the Cliff Lee decision and the current Albert Pujols situation.

In the past, Sabathia has said he would not take the opt out clause. Today he was less certain.

“I said that, but I’m here to try to help the team win and I don’t want to talk about that all year,” he said. “This will probably be the last time I address it. I’m here.”

As for Brian Cashman, he said Sabathia opting out is “certainly a possibility,” but Cashman also said it’s a topic for another day. Sabathia seems happy in New York,, and he’s pitched well in New York, but it’s hard to know what might happen 10 months from now. Much more interesting was Cashman’s explanation of how and why the opt out clause came to be included in the contract in the first place.

“From the first moment free agency started, we put a significant offer on the table,” Cashman said. “It was taking a long time. He was certainly trying to see what all the options were out there. In theory he was looking to be somewhere close to the West Coast. At least, that’s what the belief was, somewhere West of the Mississippi. We were trying to convey all of the positives of East Coast baseball, especially what New York brings, and try to secure the player. I suggested, if this is not something you’re going to be happy with, you can opt out after three years.”

Why be the one to initiate the opt out, though?

“At that time, I know I felt that I was in a race,” Cashman said. “Mark Teixeira was hanging out there. Anaheim was pulling on Mark Teixeira, and I personally felt that Mark Teixeira was not going back to Anaheim, that he was going to wind up in Boston. And when Anaheim figured that out, they would take those dollars and start knocking on CC’s door. I needed to get CC done before that declared itself. I had to do everything because I felt like, if Anaheim showed up, I would be in trouble and I might not seize my player.

“I did everything in my power. I know it’s constantly written about, how the Yankees were bidding against themselves. I don’t believe, to this day, that I was. I had seen what the landscape was.”

Associated Press photo

Just a few quick thoughts on the day pitchers and catchers reported to camp.

• CC Sabathia is noticeably lighter. He said he’s lost 25 pounds — “Not eating Cap’n Crunch everyday,” he said — and that seems like a reasonable number. He quite obviously smaller.

• Joba Chamberlain might be a little bigger, but I don’t think it’s as significant as it’s been portrayed. I’m also willing to buy the idea that he’s stronger, not fatter. He’s looks thicker up top, not necessarily softer or rounder.

• Austin Romine and Jesus Montero have lockers right next to one another and spent a lot of time talking this morning. Those two are in competition — if not for an immediate spot, certainly for a long-term spot — but they’ve always seemed friendly when I’ve seen them together.

• Rafael Soriano’s locker is right next to Mariano Rivera.

• Andruw Jones isn’t officially on the roster, but he has a locker with the No. 18.

• Damaso Marte is officially on the roster, but he doesn’t have a locker. Not a surprise, just something I noticed.

• Sabathia was pretty non-committal and didn’t say much when asked about his opt-out clause.

• Obviously I’ll have more from Joe Girardi a little later, but here’s one line from his introductory press conference: “I’d have a hard time with our ball club if we didn’t expect to win the division.”

Beautiful morning here at Steinbrenner Field.

The clubhouse opens in about 10 minutes. Joe Girardi will address the media at 11 a.m. ET. Today is all about getting the formalities out of the way. No workouts today. Just pitchers and catchers getting their physicals, moving into their lockers and going home.

For the media, this day is largely about saying hello to the players. Most of today’s news — barring something unexpected in the clubhouse — will come from Girardi.

It’s a bright, sunny day. The grass is sparkling green. The infield is perfectly manicured. This is Day 1.

I can’t remember the last time I was genuinely excited to see the Grammy Awards, but I’ll be watching tonight.

I’m sure most of the ceremony will be rather forgettable, but mixed into the nonsense, Arcade Fire is scheduled to perform, Mick Jagger will be part of a tribute to Solomon Burke, and Bob Dylan will be the third act in a three-artist medley with Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. That’s a can’t miss combination.

That’s how I’ll spend my last night before the baseball chaos ensues. For now, here is one last batch of offseason notes and links. Have a good night, everyone. Pitchers and catchers report in the morning.

• Nice work by Marc Carig, who looked into the personality of new Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild. “He knows when to hit the accelerator,” Al Leiter said. “He knows when to hit the brakes.”

• Speaking of new faces, Anthony McCarron profiled non-roster pitcher Brian Anderson, the converted outfielder trying to reestablish himself as a pitcher. “Pitching was always what I wanted to do,” Anderson said.

• The Yankees are not necessarily a finished product. Jon Heyman reports that they’re still talking to starter Kevin Millwood, but no deal seems close. Remember what Brian Cashman has said time and time again: If any current free agent starters are going to land in New York, it’s going to have to be at the Yankees price.

• George King took a look at 10 issues facing the Yankees heading into spring training.

• Cool story in the New York Times about the history of the Negro Leagues at Yankee Stadium.

• Funny story from Buster Olney about a minor league run-in with Deion Sanders. The only time I can remember a player being angry and confronting me about it, the story in question — a blog post actually — had been misinterpreted by a family member, who told the player that I was pushing for the Yankees to release him. This was in spring training a few years ago, the player was new to the team, and he’s just been sent down from big league camp. The whole thing got sorted out pretty quickly, and he actually became a go-to guy in the clubhouse, but in that moment, he was not pleased.

Associated Press of Rothschild with Carlos Zambrano

It’s one thing to list the Yankees decisions heading into spring training. It’s another to predict which decisions might present themselves in the next month and a half. Someone could be injured. Someone could become available on the trade market. Someone could emerge as a surprising candidate who forces new decisions and hard choices.

We go into spring training with expectations. And we accept that unexpected situations might change everything.

Ultimately, the Yankees most significant task this spring is to prepare itself for the regular season. That means keeping players healthy, getting everyone in game shape and putting together an Opening Day roster.

One day before camp opens, here’s my guess at the 25 players who will break camp heading for New York.

Lineup
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

No surprises among the names listed. The most significant lineup decision is whether to keep Jeter in the leadoff spot, and I’ll guess that The Captain will show enough in spring training to earn the benefit of the doubt and the chance to prove last season was a fluke. Not certain it will stay this way — a leadoff platoon between Jeter and Gardner wouldn’t surprise me — but I think the Yankees will open this way.

Bench
Francisco Cervelli C
Andruw Jones OF
Eric Chavez 3B/1B
Ramiro Pena SS/2B

If he shows anything in camp, I think Chavez — because he’s a left-handed hitter and because he’s insurance at third base — will be given a chance to open the season with the team. It could be a Morgan Ensberg situation that doesn’t last, but a healthy and productive Chavez fits very well on this roster.

If Chavez is backing up at third base, the Yankees might as well carry the defensive-minded Pena instead of the prospect Eduardo Nunez to get very occasional starts at shortstop. My guess is that player development will be a determining factor in the backup catcher competition. The Yankees will prefer to have Jesus Montero and Austin Romine playing everyday in the minors rather than coming off the bench in New York.

Rotation
CC Sabathia
A.J. Burnett
Phil Hughes
Freddy Garcia
Ivan Nova

I really wanted to shake up the system here and predict either Hector Noesi making the rotation or the Yankees pulling off a late-spring trade for a fourth starter.

In the end, I decided to go with conventional thinking. I do think Noesi could make a serious run at a rotation spot, and I don’t think a trade is out of the question, but these five are the most logical choices given the current situation. At best, I’m 20 percent confident that this will actually be the Yankees rotation on March 30.

Bullpen
Mariano Rivera
Rafael Soriano
Dave Robertson
Joba Chamberlain
Pedro Feliciano
Boone Logan
Sergio Mitre
– Romulo Sanchez —

Assuming they’re all healthy, I can’t think of a logical reason any of the first seven pitchers listed would be left out of the Opening Day bullpen. The top six are natural choices, and Mitre is the best fit as the long man (assuming the rotation that I’ve predicted). But I also think a nagging injury could present itself, and given this bullpen depth, the Yankees could convince themselves to be extra cautious. No sense risking anything when there are this many good arms ready to fill a short-term void. That’s why I think Sanchez might sneak into the Opening Day mix if any of the above is even slightly less than 100 percent.

Associated Press photos

Yankees pitchers and catchers report to Tampa in less than 24 hours. The offseason is essentially over, teams have finished their winter maneuvering, but if you dig through baseball, you’ll find that no team is perfect. No organization answered every question and patched every hole. The Phillies aren’t perfect. The Red Sox aren’t perfect. The Yankees aren’t perfect.

I thought it was best to wrap up the Pinch Hitters series with something positive on the day before camp opens, and James did that nicely. The season is not over before pitchers and catchers report.

It says a lot that the Yankees — given their potent lineup and deep bullpen — are seen as such a question mark this season. It’s all because of their rotation, because starters are important enough to make the Phillies a favorite and the Yankees an unknown. I don’t disagree, but pitchers and catchers report tomorrow morning, ad the Yankees are much like every other team in baseball: A mix of good, bad and unknown.

Rotation

Good – CC Sabathia is a legitimate ace, one of the top pitchers in the game in terms of both dominance and durability… Phil Hughes was an all-star in his first full season as a starter, beginning to live up to the considerable potential that’s been touted for a half-decade… After a terrific Triple-A season, Ivan Nova held his own during a big league call-up late last season… When he’s good, A.J. Burnett can be one of the best No. 2 starters in baseball.

Bad — Burnett is coming off the worst season of his career, a season so bad that he was held out of the ALDS rotation, just one year after he was the team’s No. 2 starter… Unable to land Cliff Lee, the Yankees top free agent rotation additions were Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, both at the end of their careers, not at the beginning… Despite the positives, Nova has only seven career starts in the big leagues and last year struggled to work deep into games.

Unknown — Sabathia had offseason surgery on his knee, fixing an injury that impacted him late last season… Several young starters from the minor league system could make a run at a rotation spot this spring, and could be counted on to fill holes during the regular season… Colon has not pitched in the big leagues since 2009 but impressed the Yankees in winter ball… Hughes is still working to refine a changeup that could be key to building consistency… Are the Yankees top minor league starters ready for the next step?

Lineup

Good — The Yankees are returning almost everyone from a lineup that scored the most runs in baseball last year. They could have scored 100 fewer runs and still been in the top third… Robinson Cano has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate, one of the best all-around hitters in baseball… Nick Swisher made legitimate strides last season to improve his batting average and increase his production. Brett Gardner also took a significant step forward… At the designated hitter position, the Yankees have replaced Nick Johnson with Jorge Posada.

Bad – Derek Jeter is coming off the worse season of his career, and at 36 years old, there’s reason to wonder if that drop in production is a sign of things to come… Curtis Granderson made strides in the second half, but his overall numbers were not what was expected in his first season with the Yankees… Russell Martin hit .249/.350/.330 the last two seasons.

Unknown – Alex Rodriguez was healthy this winter. That might be enough to put him back among the super elite hitters in baseball… Similar bounce-back questions surround Jeter, Granderson, Posada, Martin and Mark Teixeira. The Yankees will especially count on Teixiera to return to his pre-2010 form… Top prospect Jesus Montero could hit his way into the big league picture sooner rather than later… Is Gardner’s wrist 100 percent healthy?

Bullpen

Good – The Yankees top offseason addition was Rafael Soriano, who led the American League in saves last year and will slide into a setup role… The Yankees also added Pedro Feliciano this winter, giving them a consistent, veteran left-handed specialist… Mariano Rivera remains one of the best closers in baseball… Joba Chamberlain, Dave Robertson and Boone Logan were terrific down the stretch last season.

Bad – The Yankees have plenty of dominant one-inning relievers, but carrying all of them will mean room for only one long reliever. It could be difficult to fill the void if back-to-back starters make early exits… Rivera is 41 years old. Feliciano is 34 and has carried a heavy load the past three seasons… The Yankees top minor league relief depth — the guys who previous bounced back and forth from Triple-A — is gone, most notably Jonathan Albaladejo and Mark Melancon.

Unknown – Chamberlain and Robertson seem on the verge of being reliable setup men, but last year the Yankees felt compelled to trade for Kerry Wood, and this year they felt compelled to sign Soriano. It’s uncertain if/when they’ll be trusted to take the next step… Logan was a revelation last season, but he doesn’t have a Major League track record… The best long relief candidate might be needed in the rotation… Borderline bullpen candidates Romulo Sanchez, Daniel Turpen and Robert Fish are either out of options or Rule 5 picks who can’t be sent to the minor leagues.

Bench

Good — Despite concerns about his ability to hit at the Major League level, Francisco Cervelli is a career .274/.343/.340 hitter in New York, more than acceptable for a backup catcher… Fourth outfielder Andruw Jones slugged .486 last season, giving the Yankees a replacement for Marcus Thames, but with a better glove… At the very least, the Yankees know Ramiro Pena is a reliable defensive option in the infield.

Bad – Cervelli’s overall numbers are good, but he’s been prone to extended periods without offensive production… Jones is no longer an elite defensive player, and he hit .212 the past four seasons… Pena hit .227/.258/.247 last season… Aside from Jones, the Yankees have no reliable, proven offensive options for the bench.

Unknown – The Yankees could replace Pena with Eduardo Nunez, but Nunez has just 50 at-bats of Major League experience… Veterans Eric Chavez and Ronnie Belliard were signed to minor league contracts and will try to prove themselves this spring… The Yankees bench could play a significant role if the Yankees feel the need to give Rodriguez and Jeter regular days off… How long will the Yankees wait before giving Jesus Montero or Austin Romine a spot on the roster?

Associated Press photos of Sabathia, Rodriguez, Chamberlain and Cervelli

Our last Pinch Hitter is James Ramos, a 26-year-old who grew up in Hazlet, N.J., before attending the University of Notre Dame. The last game he saw at old Yankee Stadium was had Carl Pavano on the mound. “I never realized how universally hated the Yankees and their fans are until I lived in Minnesota for a few years after college,” he wrote. “ ‘Minnesota nice’ vanishes pretty quickly when the Yankees roll into town.” James now works in the city and lives back in New Jersey with his wife.

For his guest post, James took exception to the idea that the Yankees season is over before it’s even started.

—

Spring training means hope springs anew for 29 teams. Sadly, according to a large group of their fans, the New York Yankees are the one team that has no hope for the 2011 season. After coming within two games of the World Series last year, the Yankees were only able to upgrade their catcher, designated hitter and bullpen this offseason.

As many Yankee fans have pointed out, “we” were unable to sign Cliff Lee. This will be a miserable season for “us” because “we” will finish fourth behind the Blue Jays. Why haven’t “we” traded Montero, Nunez and Laird for Felix Hernandez?! “We” should trade for Johan Santana so the Mets won’t have a better record than “us.”

I’ve come to realize there is a significant divide amongst us Yankee fans.

There are the reactionaries and the pessimists, only satiated by the offseason in which CC and Teixeira offset the (“retroactively awful”) signing of A.J. Burnett. These fans are more often than not in the “we” and “us” crowd when referring to the Yankees. Then there are the optimists and rational observers who are able to refer to our team as “the Yankees” or “they” when discussing how this team is still better than just about every team in the Major Leagues. Perhaps not forging that “we” link between yourself and the team leads to the ability to objectively judge the offseason in the context of other moves made in the American League.

How can we think that the Yankees are not condemned to failure with their current rotation? The 2009 World Champions had Wang, Chamberlain, Hughes, Mitre, Gaudin and Aceves as their fourth and fifth starters. That group combined for 63 starts (in which the Yankees went 39-24) or 32.5% (304 of the 935) of the innings by Yankees’ starters. Combined, they put up a 16-17 record with a 5.80 ERA and a 1.625 WHIP.

It is certainly plausible that Mitre, Nova and whoever else takes up the back end of the rotation can combine for something similar. The Yankees’ strong offense and bullpen should keep them competitive in every game the No. 4 and 5 pitchers start.

The team in March is never the team in October. The Yankees will be one of the best teams in baseball all year, and as the season progresses, Brian Cashman will make the necessary moves to improve the team.

Contrary to what some may think, the season is not over before pitchers and catchers report.

Associated Press photo

Maybe this whole CC Sabathia weight loss issue can be sorted out before spring training after all.

Last night, Sabathia went to the Knicks-Lakers game, where Mark Hale caught up with him and asked the big man just how big he really is. Apparently Sabathia was around 290 pounds last season, and he’s cut that number down to 265. A 25-pound loss is pretty significant.

“I definitely could have pitched the way I did last year,” Sabathia said. “But just trying to take a little bit of pressure off (the knee). I feel a lot better. I’m just ready to go and (I) feel good and my arm’s feeling good, so I’m ready to get down there.”

• Back for a second year with the Yankees, and a full season with his Kevin Long-approved mechanics, Curtis Granderson told Bryan Hoch that he feels comfortable this spring. “As funny as it is, last year the adjustments — because they were talked about — seemed complicated and major,” Granderson said. “They were actually really simple. We’ve just got to do the same thing, keep everything simple.”

• Mark Feinsand took a look at the issues facing the Yankees this spring: The back of the totation, the catching situation, A.J. Burnett’s performance, Brett Gardner’s wrist and the depth of the bench.

• Sal Durante, who caught Roger Maris’ 61st home run in 1961, toured Yankee Stadium yesterday and talked about the milestone and his bit of history. There’s a video of the tour, with interviews, at MLB.com.

• At an event in Connecticut, Roger Clemens wouldn’t discuss his upcoming trial or Andy Pettitte’s retirement, but he did discuss his infamous bat throwing incident.

• The Yankees have been linked to Kevin Millwood recently. So have the Indians. Jon Morosi says the veteran is talking to several teams and still making up his mind.

• Over at FoxSports, Jim Bowden ranked Jesus Montero as the 10th-best prospect heading into this season.

• Sam will be so proud… It’s almost impossible for me to know or care less about soccer, but this goal by Wayne Rooney is pretty spectacular.

Derek Jeter and A.J. Burnett need to bounce back. Phil Hughes and Brett Gardner need to keep moving forward. CC Sabathia needs to stay healthy, Mariano Rivera needs to keep defying father time and the Yankees need to find a couple of starting pitchers from a pile of unknowns.

The spring performance of Daniel Brewer is nowhere near the list of Yankees concerns this spring. I get that.

But I can’t help myself.

I’ve always liked seeing players who were fighting to get themselves on the radar. Even if they’re fighting for nothing more than the last spot on the bench or a role in the September bullpen, the non-roster invites are an interesting lot. You might forget about them completely by this time next year, but right now, you just never know.

Eric Chavez and Mark Prior
Just trying to stay healthy
Of all the veterans invited to big league camp, it’s rotation candidates Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia who have the most important challenge ahead of them. But the most intriguing challenge might belong to Chavez and Prior, once very good big leaguers whose careers were torn apart by injuries. It’s impossible to ignore these two, even if they are fighting for bit roles on the bench and in the bullpen.

Adam Warren
A rising star
Manny Banuelos is generally considered a Top 50 minor league talent. David Phelps and D.J. Mitchell finished last season in Triple-A. It’s natural that those non-roster invites would generate some attention. What’s surprised me this offseason is how often Warren’s name has been mentioned. Not that I doubt his talent — the numbers paint a pretty compelling picture — but Warren has only 10 games of Double-A experience. Is that really enough to put himself in the mix for a big league spot?

Jesus Montero
A hitter who can catch, or a catcher who can hit?
It’s kind of ridiculous to include Montero on this list because everyone is going to be paying attention to him. He had a very real chance to be the Yankees Opening Day catcher until Russell Martin signed this winter. Instead, he’s coming to camp as something of a long shot — Francisco Cervelli probably has a leg up on the backup role — but Montero will have a chance to force the Yankees hand and convince them that another year in Triple-A would be a waste of time. It’s impossible to ignore huge talent that’s knocking on the door, and Montero might knock that door of its hinges.

Brian Anderson
Outfielder turned reliever
What’s not to like about this story? Once considered among the top center field prospects in baseball, Anderson got some time in the big leagues, couldn’t hit, and moved to the mound for the first time since high school. Now he’s trying to establish himself all over again. I have no idea whether it will work, but it will be interesting to see him try. Plus, the guy is one of Shelley Duncan’s good friends. What’s not to like?

Daniel Brewer
A prospect on the verge
Brewer reminds me a little bit of what Colin Curtis was last spring: Not on the 40-man, and not a big-name prospect, but a guy who does enough things well that he couldn’t play himself into a big league role at some point this season. Working against Brewer is the fact the 40-man is loaded with similar outfield options — Curtis, Justin Maxwell and Greg Golson — but if Brewer builds on last season and one of those three takes a step back, the Yankees could have another outfielder to consider if/when a mid-season hole presents itself.

Six more…
Jorge Vazquez — The power is real. Is everything else ready for the big leagues?
Manny Banuelos — Youngest guy in camp, and arguably the best young arm in the system.
Neal Cotts and Andy Sisco — They’ve been to the big leagues before, and lefties always have a chance to open some eyes and get another shot.
Austin Romine — How would you feel if you were one of the 10 best catching prospects in baseball and were still completely overshadowed in your own organization?
Doug Bernier — He hit .181 in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre two years ago and the Yankees still brought him back. Tells you how good he is with the glove.