The LoHud Yankees Blog

YANKEES (5-5-2)
Derek Jeter SS
Russell Martin C
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Andruw Jones LF
Eric Chavez 3B
Justin Maxwell RF
Melky Mesa CF

RHP Bartolo Colon (0-0, 1.80)
Colon vs. Pirates

PIRATES (6-6)
Andrew McCutchen CF
Chase d’Arnaud 2B
Pedro Alvarez 3B
Matt Diaz LF
Garrett Jones RF
Steve Pearce 1B
Chris Snyder C
Pedro Ciriaco SS
Kevin Correia P

RHP Kevin Correia (0-0, 8.31)
Correia vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., not on television

WEATHER: It was pretty hot here this afternoon, so it might be for the best that the Yankees have a night game. Wind is blowing out to center.

UMPIRES: HP Dan Iassogna, 1B Eric Cooper, 2B Mark Carlson, 3B Andy Fletcher

ON THE LINE: Bartolo Colon will be the first Yankees starter scheduled to pitch four innings. He’ll need to keep pace with the other back-of-the-rotation candidates… Eric Chavez gets another start, now looking like a clear roster favorite… Eduardo Nunez will get some time in left field during the late innings.

OUT OF THE BULLPEN FOR THE YANKEES: Joe Girardi said Manny Banuelos could throw three innings, meaning the Yankees might only have enough innings for Banuelos, Pedro Feliciano and Rafael Soriano to pitch in the game. Everyone else in the pen will backup if necessary.

BULLPEN FOR THE PIRATES: RHP Charlie Morton, RHP Daniel McCutchen, RHP Jose Veras and LHP Justin Thomas. Former Yankees reliever Anthony Claggett is also on the trip for the Pirates, but he’s not scheduled to pitch.

STILL WAITING FOR THE YANKEES: The Yankees will likely wait a few more days before making their first cuts, but the Pirates have already started trimming the roster. Their talented young catcher Tony Sanchez is among the players reassigned to minor league camp. The 22 years old hit .314 in A ball last year.

BACK IN THE CLUBHOUSE: Bernie Williams is in the building tonight. He walked into the Yankees clubhouse this afternoon, and after making small talk with a few guys, he went to sit in the locker — yes, in the locker, not on the chair — next to Derek Jeter, who was doing an interview at the time (no, not with me) and had to duck out of the way as Williams playfully kept trying to grab his head.

UPDATE, 7:12 p.m.: Colon struck out the side in the top of the first, now Russell Martin has a solo homer in the bottom half. It’s 1-0 Yankees.

UPDATE, 7:23 p.m.: The Pirates have opened the second inning with a single, double and sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1.

UPDATE, 7:25 p.m.: RBI single and the Pirates are ahead 2-1.

UPDATE, 7:46 p.m.: Russell Martin threw out Andrew McCutchen trying to steal second, and Colon is through the third inning without allowing another run. It’s still 2-1. Colon has five strikeouts.

UPDATE, 7:47 p.m.: Leading off the bottom of the third, Jeter hit what would have been a clean single to right field, but Garrett Jones tried to make a diving catch and the ball got past him, turning the single into a triple.

UPDATE, 7:57 p.m.: RBI singles by Rodriguez and Cano have the Yankees back in the lead 3-2, and now a two-out error has the bases loaded for Justin Maxwell.

UPDATE, 8:28 p.m.: Ground out, pop up, single and strikeout in Rafael Soriano’s first pinstriped inning. Colon’s final line: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

UPDATE, 8:37 p.m.: Four innings after Martin hit his first Yankees home run, Andruw Jones hit his first to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead in the fifth.

Colin Curtis is still waiting for a final diagnosis of his right shoulder injury. His MRI results are being sent to more doctors, and Curtis believes he’ll be able to rehab rather than have surgery.

“Try to avoid that at all costs,” he said.

Greg Golson is going to see a doctor tonight. Turns out his injury is to his right oblique, not his rib cage. Nothing happened in the game to trigger it. He thinks he just slept funny.

“It’s better than it was yesterday, so that’s good,” Golson said.

Brian Cashman said it’s “silly” to suggest the Yankees offered more than $54-million offer to Aroldis Chapman before he signed with the Reds.

According to Sports Illustrated, a current lawsuit says the Yankees made such an offer, but Cashman said no such offer was ever on the table. In fact, the Yankees never made Chapman an offer.

• Speaking of not making offers, Cashman once again said he has nothing brewing on the trade market. Even in late spring, Cashman said, most available players have either terrible contracts or no remaining options. He said it’s still very possible the Yankees will open the season with only players who are currently in camp.

• Mariano Rivera threw live BP today. “Yogi said he looked pretty good and we should give him another look,” Joe Girardi said.

• Still not certain when Rivera will get in a game, though it looks like March 16 is a good bet. Rafael Soriano will make his first spring appearance tonight.

• Bartolo Colon is scheduled for four innings as tonight’s starter. Girardi said his long reliever will “probably” be one of the four back-of-the-rotation candidates. Cashman said the Yankees have talked to Colon’s agents about the possibility of keeping him in the bullpen. They have not talked to Freddy Garcia’s agents about making him a reliever. Both can opt out at the end of spring training.

• Eduardo Nunez is playing left field off the bench today, and Ramiro Pena is scheduled to take play balls in left field during fielding drills. Girardi said the Yankees want to give both utility candidates a little bit of outfield time because it’s very possible the Yankees will carry only one reserve outfielder.

• Also, Girardi said it’s not impossible that the Yankees would carry both Nunez and Pena, but it’s clear they’re planning to take one utility man and one from a crowd of corner infielders (Chavez, Belliard, Vazquez, Laird). Technically, Nunez and Pena could play the infield corners, but the Yankees are looking at their reserve infield candidates as separate groups, planning to take one utility and one corner.

• A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre, Ivan Nova, Hector Noesi, Adam Warren and D.J. Mitchell threw sides today.

• Scheduled to play off the bench: C Kyle Higashioka, 1B Jose Gil, 2B Kevin Russo, SS Doug Bernier, 3B Jorge Vazquez, LF Eduardo Nunez, CF Austin Krum, RF Daniel Brewer, DH Jesus Montero

• Available out of the bullpen: Manny Banuelos, Rafael Soriano, Pedro Feliciano, Daniel Turpen, Luis Ayala, Andy Sisco, Eric Wordekemper, Ryan Pope and Mark Prior. It’s likely only Banuelos, Soriano and Feliciano will actually get in the game behind Colon.

• There was no travel squad listed for tomorrow’s game in Clearwater.

Pretty bruised right now, but the clubhouse is open and it’s time to get back to work. Most interesting thing on the board: Eduardo Nunez is coming off the bench to play left field this afternoon.

Derek Jeter SS
Russell Martin C
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Andruw Jones LF
Eric Chavez 3B
Justin Maxwell RF
Melky Mesa CF

Bartolo Colon

I have a good friend named Nathan who leads hunting safaris in Africa. I was never a hunter myself, but I’ve decided that one of Nathan’s Bullet Safaris t-shirts is a solid choice for this morning’s paintball game with the Yankees coaches, front office staff and beat writers. I feel like it gives me some sort of psychological edge, like I’m a big game hunter who’s now going after pro scouting directors.

Anyway, I’ll obviously be away from my computer for a while. To fill the space while I’m gone, I thought I’d post a tour of the home clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field. It’s kind of an awkward place to explain — the room is uneven, and there are some lockers that are not along the outer wall — but this should give you some idea of who’s locker is where down here in Tampa. See you in a few hours when I’m all bruised and battered.

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There are three ways into the Yankees clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field, but the main entrance is a set of double doors that come in from a hallway that leads to coaches offices and eventually to the dugout. Coming in from the hallway, the doors open into what we’ll call the front of the clubhouse. The door is more or less in the middle of a wall that has lockers on either side.

Front wall (from left to right): Luis Ayala, open locker, Doug Bernier, main entrance, Gene Monahan, Steve Donohue, Dana Cavalea, Roman Rodriguez

In other words, when you walk in the room, Bernier’s locker is to your immediate left and Monahan’s locker is to your immediate right. The empty locker between Bernier and Ayala was supposed to be Brandon Laird’s, but he was moved after it was decided Reegie Corona wouldn’t be in camp. Laird took Corona’s old locker and never actually moved into his original locker. You pretty much never see Monahan, Donohue or Cavalea at their lockers.

Far left wall (starting in the corner, next to Ayala and going toward the back of the room): CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett, (gap), Dave Robertson, Boone Logan, Sergio Mitre, Pedro Feliciano, Rafael Soriano, Mariano Rivera

The left wall is obviously where most of the big league pitching staff is stationed. Last year, Logan had a different locker — that empty locker on the front wall — but he was moved into the big league row this spring. Rivera’s locker is slightly bigger than the rest (the size of a catcher’s locker). In the space between Burnett and Robertson, there’s a television hanging on the wall. It splits what is — for the most part — the rotation half of the wall from the bullpen half of the wall.

Past Rivera’s locker is an open doorway that leads back to the player’s dining room. A few feet past that doorway, the left wall ends, running into a back wall that’s home to five oversized lockers, large enough to handle bulky catcher’s equipment.

Back, left wall (starting in the back, left corner): Jorge Posada, Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine, Jesus Montero, Russell Martin

Not much that needs explaining here. Posada and Martin get the choice spots on the ends. Montero is new to this wall — he was in the middle of the room last year — but Romine had a spot on the catchers’ wall last spring.

Next to Martin’s locker is a big open doorway that leads to the showers (essentially the showers are on the back side of the catchers’ wall) The right side of the clubhouse goes farther back than the left side. In other words, the catchers’ wall does not extend to the right side of the room. The back, right side of the room is as far back as you can get, maybe 10 feet farther back than the catchers’ wall.

Back, right wall (starting from the left, next to the showers): Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez, Colin Curtis, Andruw Jones, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira

In perhaps the biggest clubhouse move from last spring, Curtis went from the very front of the room — in a decidedly minor league section of the clubhouse — to the very back, which is a decidedly Major League section. Former Oakland teammates Swisher and Chavez are side-by-side, just like former Detroit teammates Granderson and Marcus Thames were next to one another last year.

Teixeira’s locker is in the back, right corner. The right wall starts at his locker and runs the length of the clubhouse to the front of the room. Beginning at Teixiera’s locker, the first 10 feet or so of the right wall has no lockers, only a single door that opens into a corridor that leads to the batting cages (hitters come in and out of that door all the time). Lockers start just past that door.

Far right wall (starting just past the door to the cages): Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano, Eduardo Nunez, Greg Golson, Ronnie Belliard, Ramiro Pena, Kevin Russo, Derek Jeter, (gap), Andrew Brackman, Romulo Sanchez, Andy Sisco, Brian Anderson, Buddy Carlyle, empty, Mark Prior

The empty locker used to belong to Neal Cotts. The gap is only a few feet — more or less directly across the room from the gap on the left wall — and it essentially splits the hitters from the pitchers. That three-locker section of Brackman, Sanchez and Sisco is big-guy central. Lockers in the corners and next to gaps are kind of prime real estate. Brackman’s been in big league camp for a long time now, so he gets a good spot, and Prior’s veteran status seems to have landed him a good spot as well. Prior’s locker is in the corner where the right wall meets the front wall. Prior is next to Roman Rodriguez.

The middle lockers
When you walk in that main entrance at the front of the room, the Yankees clubhouse is very clearly divided into a left side and a right side. The left side of the clubhouse is wide open. You could walk straight from Bernier’s locker to Martin’s locker without running into anything. The right side of the room is the opposite. The right side has row after row of lockers, with each row running perpendicular to the right wall. It’s crowded over there.

First row of middle lockers (from left to right): Empty, Justin Maxwell, Ryan Pope, Gustavo Molina

These lockers face the front wall. Basically, Molina’s locker is directly across from Roman Rodriguez’s locker, and the empty locker is directly across from Monahan’s locker. The lockers face one another, with a few feet between them. The empty locker used to belong to Maxwell, but he was moved one spot over when Brian Schlitter was claimed by the Phillies.

Second row: Dellin Betances, Daniel Turpen, Hector Noesi, Jose Gil
Third row: Melky Mesa, Jordan Parraz, Robert Fish, Kyle Higashioka

The second row is back-to-back with the first row, facing the opposite direction. The third row faces the second row, so that the second and third rows form their own little section. Essentially, all eight of these players share one second.

Fourth row: Warner Madrigal, D.J. Mitchell, Steve Garrison, David Phelps
Fifth row: Adam Warren, Eric Wordekemper, Brandon Laird, Manny Banuelos

Like the second and third rows, the fourth and fifth rows face one another and form a little section. This is where the young pitchers hang out all the time. Brackman and Pope sit around in this section a lot. In fact, you’re just as likely to find a pitcher sitting at Laird’s locker as you are to find Laird sitting at Laird’s locker.

Sixth row: Austin Krum, Daniel Brewer, Jorge Vazquez and Brad Suttle

These lockers are back-to-back with the fifth row, and they face the back of the room, with a lot of room between these lockers and the row of lockers with Swisher, Granderson and Teixiera. Suttle is actually right next to Gardner and Alex Rodriguez.

Six players from the Yankees 2006 draft class have already played in New York. Four others have been included in trades for Major League talent, another was taken in the Rule 5 draft, and another is currently one of the top prospects in the system. It’s been a fruitful draft for the Yankees, with Joba Chamberlain and Dave Robertson having already established themselves as mainstays on the roster.

By comparison, the group taken just one year later has been very quiet.

No one from the Yankees 2007 draft class has played in the big leagues, but that might be about to change. Six members of the ’07 class are in big league camp with the Yankees, and three — Andrew Brackman, Austin Romine and Brandon Laird — have put themselves among the top prospects in the organization.

“Some days (making it to the big leagues) feels a lot closer than other days,” Romine said. “You get tastes here and there of what it could be, and it makes you play even harder. Then there are other days when it seems it’s way out of reach.”

Half of the Yankees top ten picks in 2007 have been slowed by injuries, and the fifth and sixth rounders — Adam Olbrychowski and Chase Weems — have been traded away.

Brackman, though, took a huge step forward last season, and he’s begun to look like a legitimate first-round choice again. Romine has shown considerable talent as second rounder, third-round pick Ryan Pope put himself on the map with a move to the bullpen, and fourth-round pick Bradley Suttle is finally healthy and able to hit again. Laird is one of the more pleasant surprises in the entire system as a 27th-round pick who’s played his way to the verge of the big leagues.

“We came up playing together, so we all want each other to succeed,” Pope said. “For the most part there’s been a large core of us, (mostly) college guys, that have stuck together coming up. I think it’s important to keep a class like that together because, once you get to the big leagues, hopefully you guys have already been together three or four years and know how to play together. I think it works its way through, kind of like Mo and Pettitte and Jeter and them, kind of a core group of people.”

Of course, every draft class — fair or not — seems to be defined by its first rounder. For the 2007 class, that means Brackman.

“I didn’t talk to him a whole lot until he got to Double-A,” Pope said. “But if you’re talking about a first pick that’s going to define (class), he’s a pretty good one to follow because of his work ethic, his determination to succeed. He’s definitely a guy who’s going to set a standard for the class.”

Associated Press photo of Romine, headshots of Brackman and Pope

Andrew Brackman said he couldn’t sit still in the Yankees bullpen this afternoon. His professional career already included enough waiting, and this month he had to wait through a minor groin injury before finally making his spring debut. Through today’s first six innings, Brackman couldn’t sit still.

“The blood’s pumping a little bit,” he said. “You go out there and you want to see what you’ve got.”

Brackman wasn’t especially happy with his scoreless inning — he said his stuff wasn’t as good as it’s been in the bullpen — but he’s glad the first one it out of the way. Joe Girardi seemed impressed. He said he saw good fastball command, a good curveball, and he couldn’t tell Brackman was anxious.

“You think about (if) somebody goes down and you need a starter, you want to see how these kids are handling themselves in this atmosphere,” Girardi said before the game. “Are they a guy that gets frustrated easily? Are they a guy that lets innings unravel?”

Brackman’s inning didn’t unravel. It actually got better as it went along. Ultimately, Brackman knows he’s an extreme long shot to break camp in the rotation — although he said, in the back of his mind, he still thinks he could win the job — but Girardi twice today said he wouldn’t rule out the idea of breaking Brackman into the big leagues as a reliever.

“I would be open to anything to get me in a pinstripe uniform,” Brackman said. “I feel the Yankees definitely see me as a starter (long term), and I see myself as a starter, and hopefully it can stay that way.”

• Girardi said the first round of cuts could come this weekend.

• Jorge Posada got only two at-bats today, but Girardi said that was the plan coming into the game. He’s not hurt. “Everyone came out good today,” Girardi said.

• Girardi was asked again about the possibility of putting Brett Gardner in the leadoff spot. “We’re in no rush to (make that decision),” he said. “I don’t have to put up a lineup until March 31.”

• Ronnie Belliard seemed to be something of a long shot when camp opened, but after missing nearly two weeks of games, it’s hard to imagine him winning a spot on the Yankees bench. “He’s competing more against Chavez and Vazquez than Nunez and Pena,” Girardi said. Of course, Chavez and Vazquez have been two of the best hitters in camp so far.

• Utility infield candidates Eduardo Nunez and Ramiro Pena each had two hits today. Nunez also stole three bases, while Pena was caught stealing once. Pena did make a nice play at shortstop, though, going toward third base to get the out on a ball Brandon Laird couldn’t quite reach.

• Another double for Jorge Vazquez.

• Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson each had two hits, with Granderson hitting a two-run triple to center field. Posada also had an RBI base hit.

• Dave Robertson struck out the first three batters he faced, but because the first guy reached on a wild pitch, the inning continued through a walk, another wild pitch and a two-run single. Despite three straight strikeouts to start the inning, Robertson was still saddled with two earned runs.

• Romulo Sanchez got a save despite allowing a run in the ninth. Not that I thought of him as a favorite to make this roster, but I did expect Sanchez to get a little more of a look that he’s gotten so far. He’s out of options, he was a starter through most of last season, and he has a huge fastball. Seemed to me he was a solid backup plan as a long reliever, but he’s pitched just two innings.

Associated Press photos. The top one is of a Brett Gardner at bat. I thought the ball looked cool.

All four back-of-the-rotation candidates have now pitched five innings for the Yankees this spring. Bartolo Colon is the only one who has allowed a run, and he’s allowed only one. None of the rotation candidates has more than one walk, and all four have done enough to keep earning starts.

“I think the bottom line is you can’t get so much caught up in what the other guys are doing,” manager Joe Girardi said. “You have to worry about yourself and how you go about your business and just let things take care of themselves.”

Freddy Garcia went about his business this afternoon with three hitless, walkless innings against the Braves. Garcia has a history of rocky spring training numbers, but fighting for a spot seems to have changed his focus in games that used to carry no meaning.

“Before I always got my spot (guaranteed),” he said. “It’s different this year. I have to be more focused, more consistent with what I do. I think that’s the case so far.”

Garcia has been pitching at 88-89 mph with his fastball. There were times last season when Garcia was working at 85-86, but he said his shoulder feels stronger, and that lively fastball has made his other pitches more effective. He’s been able to throw strikes, and Girardi keeps raving about how Garcia “finds a way to get outs.”

“I feel way better this year than last year in the course of the season,” Garcia said. “I think maybe I felt that way three or four games, like I feel now.”

It’s March 8. The Yankees break camp in three weeks. A rotation decision is not going to be made any time soon.

“We’re going to take our time and we’re going to be diligent,” Girardi said.

Associated Press photo

YANKEES (4-5-2)
Brett Gardner LF
Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Jorge Posada DH
Jesus Montero C
Jorge Vazquez 1B
Eduardo Nunez 2B
Brandon Laird 3B
Ramiro Pena SS

RHP Freddy Garcia (0-0, 0.00)
Garcia vs. Braves

BRAVES (7-3)
Martin Prado LF
Jordan Schafer CF
Chipper Jones DH
Dan Uggla 2B
Eric Hinske 1B
Alex Gonzalez SS
David Ross C
Matt Young RF
Shawn Bowman 3B

RHP Jair Jurrjens (0-0, 3.60)
Jurrjens vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 1:05 p.m., YES Network

WEATHER: Almost too sunny, if that’s possible. I’m literally wearing sunglasses in the press box.

UMPIRES: HP Jeff Nelson, 1B Joe West, 2B Laz Diaz, 3B Paul Nauert

ON THE LINE: All of the back-of-the-rotation candidates have pitched well this spring, and Garcia will try to keep pace in his second spring start… Eduardo Nunez and Ramiro Pena are both in the lineup, both still vying for that utility infielder job… Andrew Brackman will make his spring debut.

OUT OF THE BULLPEN FOR THE YANKEES: Dellin Betances, David Robertson, Andrew Brackman, Robert Fish and Warner Madrigal are scheduled to throw. Not positive, but I assume Brackman will pitch only one inning.

BULLPEN FOR THE BRAVES: RHP Scott Linebrink, LHP George Sherrill, RHP Peter Moylan, RHP Scott Proctor and RHP Craig Kimbrel. Former Yankees minor leaguer Arodys Vizcaino is pitching tomorrow for the Braves.

OLD FRIEND: Eric Hinske has the start at first base for the Braves. That means highly touted young first baseman Freddie Freeman is out of the Atlanta lineup. Freeman is tied for the Grapefruit League lead with 11 hits this spring.

LOOK AHEAD: The Yankees are home tomorrow against the Pirates. They’re back on the road Thursday to face the Phillies. The pitching matchup is a good one: CC Sabathia vs. Roy Halladay.

WATCH OUT FOR K LONG: Before tomorrow night’s game, the Yankees beat writers will play a second annual paintball game with members of the Yankees coaching staff and front office. I’ve already asked Billy Eppler to please not shoot me in the back of the head this time. Especially if we’re on the same team again!

UPDATE, 1:10 p.m.: Down in the count 1-2, Gardner worked a leadoff walk. Now the fans are booing because Jurrjens keeps throwing over to first.

UPDATE, 1:12 p.m.: Looked like Gardner slipped a little, but he just stole second. A good throw might have gotten him, but the throw was offline.

UPDATE, 1:13 p.m.: Swisher walked, and Gardner was out at third on a double steal. I actually thought he was safe, but I’m also sitting about a mile above the field and there’s no replay in the press box.

UPDATE, 2:06 p.m.: Garcia’s day is done after three perfect innings. All of the rotation candidates have been terrific this spring. Looks like you’d still have to peg Garcia and Nova as the favorites.

UPDATE, 2:15 p.m.: Betances allowed a run on three hits, with the run scoring on a double play ball up the middle. Martin Prado’s leadoff double was the different in the inning. The Yankees now lead it 4-1.

UPDATE, 2:21 p.m.: Maybe Posada’s not getting a full game of at-bats after all. Kyle Higashioka is in at DH and Melky Mesa is in to pinch run for Curtis Granderson. Looks like the changes are starting here in the fifth inning.

UPDATE, 3:35 p.m.: Went down stairs to talk Freddy Garcia and got back to the press box in time for Andrew Brackman’s scoreless inning. He allowed a lead-off single, but looked sharp the rest of the way, including one strikeout.

Meanwhile, Garcia says his arm feels better this year than it did last season. He’s stronger and his velocity is up. “Feel pretty good, man,” Garcia said. “So far, so good. That’s the way I have to pitch if I’m going to win the spot.”

A couple of former Yankees will be playing for the Braves today. Eric Hinske is getting the start at first base, and Scott Proctor is scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen.

BRAVES
Martin Prado LF
Jordan Schafer CF
Chipper Jones DH
Dan Uggla 2B
Eric Hinske 1B
Alex Gonzalez SS
David Ross C
Matt Young RF
Shawn Bowman 3B

RHP Jair Jurrjens