The original Rays utility player, showing how spoiled Zobrist has made us.

Player: Damian Rolls

Born: September 15th, 1977 (Currently 37 years old)

Positions: 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, CF, RF, and DH

Drafted: On June 4th, 1996 in the 1st round (#23) by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Schlagel High School in Kansas City, KS

Tenure: 1999-2004

Start of Tenure: On December 13th, 1999 sent to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations

End of Tenure: On November 23rd, 2004 was released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Teams: *Los Angeles Dodgers, *Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, *New York Yankees, and the *Chicago White Sox

* - Didn't appear in MLB game

Currently: Damian Rolls is currently serving as a hitting coach for the Rockland Boulders in the Can-Am League

MiLB Stat Line: Slashed .251/.310/.347 with 571 Hits, 30 HR, 239 RBI, and 85 SB in 624 games

Rays Stat Line: Slashed .248/.291/.337 with 203 Hits, 9 HR, 73 RBI, 27 SB, and -0.3 WAR in 266 games

First Round Draft Pick

(1996-1999)

Damian Rolls was taken in the first round of the MLB draft on June 4th, 1996, by the Los Angeles Dodgers with their first pick of the draft. Rolls signed less than a week later on the 9th and quickly began his career as a professional as the Dodgers assigned him to Short-Season Yakima. Rolls was their starting third baseman and in 66 games he slashed .265/.283/.362 with 4 HR and 27 RBI.

The following year, Rolls was brought up to Single-A Savannah where he struggled for the majority of the year in his full season. In 130 games, Rolls slashed .211/.267/.299 with 5 HR and 47 RBI.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

A new year brought another new level for Rolls as he was assigned to Class A-Advanced Vero Beach. During the year, Rolls experienced his first mid-season promotion as he was called up to Double-A San Antonio, where he would finish the season. He finished the season having played in a combined 123 games where he slashed .235/.285/.277 with 1 HR and 39 RBI between the two levels.

In 1999, Rolls found himself back in Vero Beach. Rolls went up to post his best season to date. In 127 games, Rolls slashed .297/.344/.418 with 9 HR and 54 RBI. Rolls had a solid bat for the majority of the season before falling off towards the end of the year. After the season's conclusion, Rolls underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder that would sideline him for the majority of the next season.

Playing for his Hometown Team...Or Not

(1999)

On December 13th, 1999 during the annual Winter Meeting being held in Anaheim, California, the Rule 5 Draft was held. Damian Rolls had grown up only a couple of hours from Kauffman Stadium, now the Kansas City Royals had selected Rolls with the 3rd overall pick in the draft.

The Royal then immediately sent Rolls to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for a PTBNL or cash considerations. The Royals would eventually receive the latter.

Utility Man for the Devil Rays

(2000-2004)

In 2000, Rolls spent the majority of the season recovering from the shoulder surgery. He finally began his rehab assignment in Mid-August in Class A-Advanced St Petersburg. After 5 games there, Rolls was sent to Double-A Orlando where he'd play in 14 games.

When September came around, Tampa Bay called up the 22 year old Rolls and he'd make his debut on September 3rd, 2000 against the Royals. Rolls pinch hit for Felix Martinez in the bottom of the 9th against Andy Larkin. After 3 pitches, Rolls was heading back to the dugout after a foul ball, called strike, and a swinging strike.

Rolls appeared in only four games that September and registered three at-bats. He recorded his first hit on September 28th against the Yankees, pinch-hitting for Fred McGriff against Craig Dingman. On a 1-2 pitch, Rolls laced a line drive into left for a single for his 1st career hit.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

In 2001, Rolls made the Devil Rays opening day roster and was expected to be used off the bench. He started in just 5 of the team's first 38 games. That changed when Russ Johnson went on the DL on May 16th. After that, Rolls was the Devil Rays starting second baseman.

For about a month, Rolls was a solid bat sometimes leading off for Tampa Bay or hitting at the bottom of the order. Around the end of June though, Rolls's bat started to slip and he lost his starting job. Rolls finished the season having slashed .262/.291/.342 with 2 HR and 12 RBI in 81 games.

In 2002, Rolls had the fortune of not making the Devil Rays opening day roster as he was reassigned to Triple-A Durham on March 13th. He would play for a Durham squad that was probably better than the major league team as Durham featured stars such as Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, and Aubrey Huff.

On May 29th, Rolls fractured his thumb sliding into second base that would sideline him until August 12th. After spending the rest of August in Durham, Rolls was called up on September 3rd. He played in 21 games for Tampa Bay and slashed a respectable .292/.315/.382 with 0 HR and 6 RBI. Meanwhile the 2002 Devil Rays became known as one of the worst teams in baseball history.

In 2003, Rolls managed to make the opening day roster, but struggled in April and suffered an injury on the 22nd while trying to attempt a diving catch. He was on the DL until May 22nd, when he was activated and optioned to Durham.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Rolls made his return to the majors when the Devil Rays optioned Jared Sandberg to Durham on June 13th. From that point on, Rolls was the Devil Rays starting third baseman and hit solidly above .270 for most of the season, until his hitting worsened around late August. In 107 games for Tampa Bay, Rolls slashed .255/.301/.365 with 7 HR and 46 RBI.

In 2004, Damian Rolls started his first opening day as Tampa Bay took on the Yankees at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. He went 2 for 5 in that game, but quickly lost his starting job as his production plummeted. Rolls was optioned to Durham on May 5th, but he was back up in St. Petersburg a week later after Eduardo Perez tore his ACL. In May, Rolls collided with Jose Cruz Jr in the outfield, resulting in a bruised chest that sidelined him for another month.

Rolls was activated on July 2nd, and spent two weeks with Tampa before being optioned once again to Durham. Rolls was finally called up for good on August 1st, but he struggled mightily going 2 for 31 through the end of the month. Rolls would finish the season having slashed .162/.231/.205 with 0 HR and 9 RBI in 53 games.

Damian Rolls was released at the end of the season along with Geoff Blum and Geremi Gonzalez to clear room on the 40-man roster for the Devil Rays, so they could add Jason Hammel, Brian Stokes, and Chris Seddon.

Toiling in the Minors

(2005-2009)

On January 21st, 2005, Damian Rolls signed with the New York Yankees, with whom he spent two years at Triple-A Columbus before being released on May 1st, 2006. A little over a week later, Rolls signed with the Chicago White Sox and was assigned to Triple-A Charlotte, but didn't even last a month in the organization and was released on June 7th.

Unable to find a job in the MLB, Rolls went to the Independent Leagues and played for the Bridgeport Bluefish for the rest of 2006. From 2007-2008, Rolls would play for the Long Island Ducks, before going to play near his hometown for the Kansas City T-Bones in 2009.

During his time in the independent circuit, Rolls slashed .288/.363/.433 with 10 HR and 38 RBI in 351 games. Following the 2009 season, Rolls decided to retire as a player, and he was hired as the hitting coach for the T-Bones

Becoming a Coach

(2010-2015)

Rolls spent the entire 2010 season with Kansas City, but left the team following the season's conclusion.

In 2011, the Rockland Boulders were founded and Rolls was brought in to be their hitting coach, a position he has served to the present date.

*Stats and Info are from The Baseball Cube and Baseball Reference

A look at the TV schedule for the Yankees' spring training games.

Spring training games start in less than a week! While YES Network will broadcast the majority of the games, the good news is that you don't have to be on the East Coast to catch spring training. Here's a list of the different ways that you can tune in to get your Yankee baseball fix:

Tue., Mar. 3 at Philadelphia 1 p.m. - MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Wed., Mar. 4 vs. Philadelphia 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLB.TV

Thurs., Mar. 5 at Pittsburgh 1 p.m.

Fri., Mar. 6 at Philadelphia (ss) 1 p.m. - MLBN, MLB.TV
vs. Pittsburgh (ss)  7 p.m.

Sat., Mar. 7 at Houston 1 p.m.

Sun., Mar. 8 vs. Washington 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Mon., Mar. 9 vs. Tampa Bay 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Tue., Mar. 10 at Baltimore 1 p.m. - MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Wed., Mar. 11 vs. Boston 1 p.m. - YES Network, MLBN, MLB.TV

Thur., Mar. 12 vs. Atlanta 7 p.m. - YES Network, MLBN, MLB.TV

Fri., Mar. 13 at Boston 7 p.m. - MLBN, MLB.TV

Sat., Mar. 14 vs. Detroit (ss) 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLB.TV
at Toronto (ss) 1 p.m. - MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Sun., Mar. 15 vs. Philadelphia 1 p.m.

Tue., Mar. 17 vs. Toronto 7 p.m.  - YES Network, MLBN, MLB.TV

Wed., Mar. 18 at Atlanta 6 p.m. - MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Thur., Mar. 19 vs. Philadelphia 7 p.m.  - YES Network, MLB.TV

Fri., Mar. 20 at Detroit 1 p.m.

Sat., Mar. 21 vs. Houston 1 p.m.

Sun., Mar. 22 at Mets 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLB.TV

Mon., Mar. 23 at Washington 1 p.m. - MLBN, MLB.TV

Tue., Mar. 24 vs. Detroit 7 p.m. - YES Network, MLBN, MLB.TV

Wed., Mar. 25 vs. Mets 1 p.m. - YES Network, MLBN, MLB.TV

Thur., Mar. 26 at Tampa Bay 1 p.m. - MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Fri., Mar. 27 at Philadelphia 1 p.m. - MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Sat., Mar. 28 vs. Baltimore 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLBN, MLB.TV

Sun., Mar. 29 at Houston 1 p.m.

Tue., Mar. 31 at Minnesota 1 p.m. - MLBN, MLB.TV

Wed., Apr. 1 vs. Tampa Bay 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Thur., Apr. 2 vs. Pittsburgh (ss) 1 p.m. - YES Network, MLB.TV
at Detroit (ss) 1 p.m. - ESPN, MLB.TV

Fri., Apr. 3 vs. Washington 1 p.m.  - YES Network, MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

Sat., Apr. 4 at Washington 1 p.m. - MLBN (delay), MLB.TV

*Delay indicates that the game won't be aired live, but will be shown at a later time on that day
**All game times in Eastern Standard Time

If you didn't notice, one positive is that all of the games that are covered by YES and/or MLB Network will also be available on MLB.TV. That's especially helpful on the days when MLBN is doing a tape delay. I seem to recall that some of the games that were on MLB.TV's schedule last year only had audio, though, so watch out for that.

What really stands out to me in a negative way is the number of games that don't have any coverage at all. Since three of them are home games, it seems like the Yankees could at least set up one camera to record the game, even if they didn't provide audio. Oddly, all three games against Houston won't be televised. Also of note is the fact that the team gets a week to warm up before they get a glimpse at the AL East. Finally, there are also three days of split squad games, which I personally enjoy since it means that they pretty much have to play all the prospects.

Are you excited for spring training games to start and do you actually watch them? Or will you just read the recaps and wait for the regular season to start?

Teixeira goes gluten-free, A-Rod begins taking reps at first base, and more

NY Post | George A. King III:Didi Gregorius reported to camp a day early on Tuesday, and has already received hitting tips from A-Rod. If there's anyone on the team that's fit to offer hitting advice it's A-Rod, and if there's anyone that could most use his tutelage it's Didi.

NY Daily News | Mark Feinsand: As is the case most years, the DH spot for the Yanks will need to be occupied by a rotating cast of elder statesmen. This is why, as he attempts to prove his value to the team, A-Rod is breaking in a first basemen's glove this spring. To help him with the transition, Mark Teixeira has taken him under his wing.

LoHud Yankees Blog | Chad Jennings: Jennings has a series of Yankees notes, none more depressing than the news that Tex won't be doing any new editions of Foul Territory.

ESPN NY | Andrew Marchand: Continuing the parade of Teixeira news, he took up a new, strict diet and workout regimen this offseason, and he's hoping it will not only keep him healthier, but also help him return to producing 30 homers and 100 RBI in 2015.

After coming over in the Manny Banuelos trade, Shreve will be ready to help the bullpen as soon as he's asked.

Background

Chasen Shreve was one of several relievers to join the Yankees this off-season, coming over along with righty David Carpenter in the Manny Banuelos trade. The 24-year-old lefty was an 11th round draft pick in 2010 out of the College of Southern Nevada, where he was caught by future Nationals star Bryce Harper. Braves scouts felt confident about drafting Shreve even though he had a seemingly shaky 5.57 ERA in his final year of college and Baseball America noted some arm injuries. There was potential in him, and Atlanta capitalized by moving him to the bullpen. Through his first few years in the Braves' farm system, Shreve was steady, albeit without much development in his pitching repertoire. That changed last season.

Shreve's fastball previously sat in the mid-to-high 80s until 2014. Then he added velocity by "simply trying to throw harder," as John Sickels noted in this post at Minor League Ball. The pitched was amped up to the low-to-mid 90s instead, and oddly, his control improved rather than escaping him. Shreve throws a slider and changeup/splitter as well, and both also saw improvements with his more aggressive approach. His pitches missed bats and even his secondary pitches were clocked in the 80s. The slider in particular turned into a nice out pitch. Baseball works in mysterious ways.

2014 Results

Mississippi/Gwinnett (AA/AAA): 46 G, 63 2/3 IP, 2.69 ERA, 1.86 FIP, 12.2 K/9, 1.7 BB/9
Atlanta: 15 G, 12 1/3 IP, 0.73 ERA, 1.43 FIP, 11.0 K/9, 2.2 BB/9

The change in pitching style led to higher strikeout rates that Shreve hadn't achieved since college. He fanned 76 men in 54 1/3 innings with Double-A Mississippi, impressing the organization enough with his strides in command to earn a call-up straight to the big leagues on July 19th. After five fine games though, he was sent back to the minors when the Braves made some moves at the trade deadline, and Shreve spent the month of August with their Triple-A affiliate. He returned to the big club in September and finished off a terrific season with 15 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings in the majors, offering a glimpse at a promising future out of the bullpen. It's not difficult these days to find lefties who can strike out Ryan Howard as Shreve does in the GIF above, but finding lefties whose velocity can regularly linger in the 90s? That's a weapon.

2015 Outlook

The Yankees' bullpen is well-stocked right now with a number of strong arms, particularly from the left side. Whereas last year, most of the lefty appearances out of the 'pen came from Matt Thornton (whom the Yankees deemed expendable in August when the Nationals claimed him off waivers) and David Huff (cool story, 2014), the Yankees have Andrew Miller, Justin Wilson, and Shreve, not to mention non-roster invitee prospects Jacob Lindgren and Tyler Webb. Of the group, only Miller and Wilson are assured spots on the major league roster, but while Shreve would be a third lefty, that doesn't mean he would be a bad idea. He shouldn't be pigeonholed into a LOOGY role yet since he actually fared a little better against righties than lefties in 2014 (.596 OPS vs. .630).

That being said, Shreve might only make the Opening Day roster if there's an injury of some kind. The bullpen is only going to be so large, and with five spots currently locked up by Dellin Betances, Miller, Carpenter, Wilson, and Adam Warren in some capacity, that doesn't leave much room, especially since the team seems to like Esmil Rogers. It won't be the end of the world if Shreve spends a little time in Triple-A Scranton, but he's big-league ready right now. Whenever the Yankees call on him, he will be ready, and if last year is any indication, he will certainly be able.

Full team workouts start today. Then, in less than a week, we will be watching our first spring training game. Baseball, ladies and gentlemen. Baseball.

Today is the first day of full team workouts. Soon our photo editor will be filled with loads of pictures of Yankee players, both new and old, taking batting practice and stretching. Exciting times. Then, in less than a week, the Yankees first spring training game will be broadcast for our baseball longing eyes. Soon, my friends. Soon.

Comments of the Day

ZINGchiro!!

We can all unanimously agree that as long as no one refers to this man as "The Sanchize" we'll be sound as a pound.

Isn't that right, Mr. Alex Rodriguez? If that is your real name...

What's the other 3%? Pity? Shame?

GIF of the Day

No GIFs today, I'm afraid. Don't worry. Once baseball starts up again, the GIFs shall hopefully be plentiful.

Honorable Mod Mention

Caitlin wins the HMM for informing us of when we can finally watch some baseball again. There is no more honorable feat.

• Name your favorite jungle animal
• Best way to eat fish: Raw like sushi, cooked/grilled, fried, or not at all cause fish is disgusting?

Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles. Or at least OBP maybe. I could have also gone with Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey for The Beatles entry into Animal Week. Blackbird is also pretty lovely as well. So many good choices. As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

Feel free to use this as your open thread for the day. I cannot wait to watch baseball again.

"You can talk to me. You can talk to me. You can talk to me. When you're lonely you can talk to me!"

Chase Headley is going much, much later than 3B with similar projections.

Chase Headley currently has an NFBC ADP of 224. In Yahoo leagues, it's even lower, at 238. Going by the ZiPS projection system, Headley is of the most undervalued players in the 2015 draft class. His projections are comparable to other 3B going in the top 100, and Headley can be drafted much later, allowing a fantasy owner to invest in other areas of the roster early in drafts to create a stronger overall team.

2014 overview

When a hitter changes something at the plate, his previous production becomes less valuable in trying to evaluate what to expect coming forward. Chase Headley changed something at the plate in the middle of 2014, and he saw a dramatic difference in results.

Headley has raised his BA 28 points since July 1. He's gone back to his old grip, the one that allows him to control the barrel better.

— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) July 8, 2014

Chris Jenkins wrote,

Specifically, Headley has returned to his natural grip, which he admits is "unorthodox."

Headley was last using the crossover grip on a regular basis in the epic second-half he produced in 2012, the year he finished as the National League leader with 115 runs batted in and hit 31 homers. He broke a bone in his right hand in spring training of the following season, however, and that made his intertwined grip less workable.

"I struggled when I came back, so I went to a more conventional grip," he said. "I decided to try to stay with it. I gave it a fair number of at bats this year and didn’t feel like I was able to control the barrel like I have in the past.

"I’d take what I thought was a good swing, but then I’d get on top and it rolled over. I thought I was taking the right approach to the ball, so I thought it was time to make an adjustment. So far, so good."

"It lets me feel a little bit shorter to the ball, gives you a little more leverage," said Headley. "It’s not extremely common. Maybe only a few other guys who use it. It’s definitely unorthodox, but it’s something I’ve kinda done my whole life.

"I just trained my eyes to know where my barrel is the way that I swing. It’s hard to untrain. I think that’s a big part of what’s going on."

It isn't clear exactly what date Headley changed his grip, but it appears to be around July 1. Dividing Headley's season in half from those points, Headley's results were night and day. From the start of the season through June (first half), Headley hit .201/.289/.322 with an 81 wRC+. He was utterly useless as a fantasy option. Headley then took off, hitting .277/.360/.414 with a 121 wRC+ from July 1 through the end of the season (second half). The biggest difference in his production was a gigantic increase in BABIP between the halves. Headley's .243 first half BABIP rose over 100 points, to .348, along with a strong rise in line drive%, from 24% to 30%. Headley's career BABIP is .331, which is much more in line with his second half than his first.

It's possible the grip change allowed Headley to control the bat better and barrel up the ball more often, creating better trajectories. This, combined with the normalization of his extremely low first half BABIP, fueled his strong second half. If that is the case, it would mean that Headley is more of the second half hitter than the first half hitter, and his value for 2015 should be adjusted accordingly. It doesn't appear that Headley will ever return to his 2012 form, though, possibly because of back injuries.

Visuals

Headley mentioned above how he felt he was taking good swings yet getting on top of the ball. Here are two examples of Headley getting on top of the ball on pitches that are belt high:

May 16:

May 15, as a RHB:

Those are the type of pitches that should not be buried into the ground. Despite them both going through for hits, hitting the ball into the ground on those pitch locations isn't what you want.

Here's Headley launching a belt high pitch over the fence for a home run on Sept. 22, after the grip change:

Headley hitting a belt high pitch into the second deck at Yankee stadium on August 6:

Headley said he had better control of the bat, and it looked that way.

2015 projections

ZiPS projects a strong season for Headley: .253/.340/.427 with 20 HR, 73 RBI, 9 SB and 74 R. Compare Headley's projection to some other notable 3B:

Longoria's NFBC ADP is 57 and Yahoo ADP is 67.

Wright's NFBC ADP is 102 and Yahoo ADP is 85.

Seager's NFBC ADP is 61 and his Yahoo ADP is 69.

Headley's ADP is significantly lower than those three players, yet their projections are similar. Finding undervalued assets is a big key to winning fantasy leagues, and Headley is one of the most undervalued players currently by ADP. Go grab Headley to play 3B later on in your draft and invest elsewhere in the top 100.

Luis Torrens has the tools to be the Yankees catcher of the future, but still has a ways to go.

Background

The Yankees signed Luis Torrens as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela in 2012. Torrens was one of the most highly-regarded international players at the time, which netted him a signing bonus of $1.3 million from the Yankees. At the time of the signing, Torrens was a raw hitter who had only recently converted to catcher, but the Yankees still opted to bring him stateside in his first season as a pro. He spent 2013 as a 17-year-old with the Gulf Coast League Yankees, where he hit an unexciting .241/.348/.299.

2014 Results

The Yankees were aggressive with Torrens again in 2014. Torrens opened the year with Class-A Charleston, but his stint in the Sally League lasted all of nine games after he suffered a shoulder injury on April 15th. Torrens spent the next two months rehabbing his shoulder before joining the the Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees in June. The 18-year-old broke out in Staten Island, hitting an impressive .270/.327/.405 . Although he excelled at the plate, Torrens looked a little shaky behind it, allowing a slightly-alarming 18 passed balls in 52 games. He did, however, showcase his plus throwing arm by gunning down 37% of would-be base stealers.

KATOH, my prospect projection system, is polarized on Torrens. On the one hand, it gives him a better than 50% chance of never appearing in a major league game. Yet at the same time, it respects his upside by giving him an 8% chance of eclipsing the 16 WAR mark. Taking all of this all into account, KATOH comes away with an expected production of 3 WAR through age 28, which makes him the #166th highest projection among players with at least 200 plate appearances or batters faced last year.

The top-heaviness of Torrens' projection is driven almost entirely be the fact that he's so low on the minor league ladder. Its just very hard to predict what a player that far away from the majors might become. On the one hand, most of today's stars look a lot like Torrens does now: A player who has acquitted himself well in the low minors despite being young for his league. But at the same time, most players who look like Torrens really pan out. Here's a look at Torrens' odds of reaching certain WAR thresholds through age 28:

2015 Outlook

Torrens should get another crack at Class-A Charleston this year, where at 19, he'll still be very young for the league. It will be interesting to see how much of Torrens' power ends up carrying over into next year. He managed a measly 8 extra-base hits in 2013 as a 17-year-old in Rookie ball, but hit 18 this year with Staten Island in just as many games.

On defense, Torrens has more than enough arm strength to be a plus catcher, but as a recently-converted infielder, he's still working out the finer points of receiving. He will certainly be one to watch in full season ball this year, and his performance with Charleston should give us a better idea of how likely he is to become the Yankees catcher of the future. Torrens still has quite a bit of developing to left to do on both sides of the ball, but the potential's definitely there.

The bullpen figures to be New York's number one strength this year. However, it remains unclear who will get the ball in the ninth inning. Who should be the Yankees' closer in 2015?

There are many stats of intrigue you'll come across in spring training. CC Sabathia's weight, Stephen Drew's batting average, Alex Rodriguez's...well, anything A-Rod does tends to garner a lot of attention. However, this nugget is one that many fans and observers may not be completely aware of: in 2015, the Yankees will use their fourth different primary closer in the last four seasons.

The thing is, of course, we don't quite know who Joe Girardi will be giving the ball to in hopes of closing out prospective wins this coming year. Fortunately for New York, its options for the ninth make up what is perhaps the best back end of a bullpen in all the league: Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. The former was one of the top relievers in all of the sport a year go and the latter is coming off his best year as a pro and was the recipient of four-year, $36 million deal this offseason.

Before getting too deep into this spring training battle, it should be noted that this is a very good problem for the Yankees to have. Of all their issues, this is one that, most likely, will have a positive outcome regardless of the choice made at the end of March. The Yankees will unquestionably be a tough team late in games.

The 26-year-old Betances appears to have a slight inside edge for the closers' role, and would anyone at all criticize Girardi if he made that choice? Betances' rookie season saw him compete as a full-time reliever in 2014, hurling his way to an All-Star nod in July and a third-place finish in the American League's Rookie of the Year voting. The right-hander led the league in strikeouts by a reliever and posted an incredible .778 WHIP. Once again, all of this in his rookie season. Betances is as close to a "phenom" as the Yankees have right now, and a year after he broke Mariano Rivera's single-season franchise record for strikeouts out of the bullpen, it would be fitting for him to take reigns of the job once held by #42. While only recording one save during the 2014 campaign, Betances' remarkable season suggests that he is ready for the pressures of recording the final three outs of a game. In save situations, Betances posted a 1.67 ERA in 32.1 innings, and a WHIP of .649, lower than his season average. Most impressively, he registered a 10.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio in said situations, a huge plus for a potential closer.

Then there is Miller, who was just given the biggest contract ever to a reliever with no prior full-time closing duties. Between Boston and Baltimore a year ago, Miller was just as dominant as Betances. The southpaw hurled to a 2.02 ERA and a career-best 14.9 K/9 over the course of 60.2 innings. 2014 didn't see Miller appear in nearly as many save situations as Betances, but the small sample size is encouraging--and then some--for the Yankees and their fans. Albeit in just 18.1 innings, Miller posted a .382 WHIP (!!!) and a 0.98 ERA. Miller's claim to the vacant ninth inning is his reputation as a more "established" reliever than Betances and that hefty payday. Following an off-season where the Yankees seemed so reluctant to spend big, it would certainly make a statement if they had a hypothetical set-up man making $9 million.

So, it's the homegrown upstart versus the veteran newcomer.....or is it? Is there a third option? Could the Yankees--gasp!--have multiple closers? Based on the quotes coming out of Steinbrenner Field in the first days since pitchers and catchers reported, it sounds like it is at least being thought about. Joe Girardi said Sunday that while it "would not be (his) first option", that there is potential for Miller and Betances to be "interchangeable" in the late innings of a game. This is known as the "let them figure it out" approach. Eventually, one of the two bullpen cogs would emerge as the more suitable option, with the other certainly available to sub in occasionally while still holding down the eighth.

It's not much to venture a guess that the dual-closer option is unlikely at best. No matter who wins the role out of Grapefruit League play, it will be their first experience as being a team's primary closer. That will be enough for either Miller or Betances to deal with. Not needed in this equation is the additional pressures of knowing that the next blown save could be their last chance, with a very viable option lurking just an inning before.

The Yankees' options at closer for the upcoming year have similar backgrounds, in the sense that both were failed starters at the onset of their professional careers before adapting and becoming lights-out relievers. While that might not have much weight on this competition, it is an indicator that both of these hurlers are used to changing up styles and working out flaws that might have otherwise hindered their careers. Does that apply to overcoming the adversity that comes with being a Major League closer? That remains to be seen, but the Yankees have to hope that even if both Miller and Betances regress from their super 2014 numbers (which is likely), that the drop-off won't be anything too noticeable.

Come April 6th, should the Yankees entire their season opener with a ninth inning lead and a save situation beckoning, expect Betances to get the call from the dugout. His reputation has already pegged him as one of the most dynamic relievers in all of the league, and frankly, the team should be promoting the fruits of its minor league system as much as possible in an era of so few homegrown studs for the Yankees. Miller will certainly get looks in the role and there is no reason to expect him to fail. The backend of the Yankees' bullpen figures to be the strength of the team this year. Of course, it's up to the offense and starting rotation to get them the lead.

It might finally be time to put the no. 21 back into circulation. The number hasn't been used regularly since Paul O`Neill retired after the 2001 season. It was briefly put back into circulation in 2008 before fan reaction caused the team to remove it completely, creating a 15-year span without the number being in full-time service. Now, in light of recent announcements, it seems time to make it available for use once again.

The issue of Paul O`Neill's number has been brought up many times over the years, but it was only tangentially acknowledged until the 2008 season when their six-year ban on the number came to an end during spring training. That year non-roster invitee Morgan Ensberg wore no. 21 for awhile before fans gave him such a hard time about it that he eventually gave it up. LaTroy Hawkins then picked it up for a time before he decided to get rid of it only weeks into the season, citing the headache it caused when fans booed him and taunted him for wearing the number. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and other veterans even told him it wasn't worth holding onto. Since that time, the number hasn't been touched.

Paul ONeill was one of the best Yankees among the dynasty era team and was absolutely deserving of such a sentiment, however, at some point, it needs to be time to move on. When the Yankees honored O`Neill with a plaque last year, it was clear that they felt he deserved some kind of recognition, but not enough that they'd permanently hang up his uniform. Now that the organization has decided to retire the numbers of Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada it seems excessive to also keep the no. 21 out of circulation as well.

I mean, it's not like they've had a long line of players who have had to give up the number, but it's still become this weird, looming issue that will eventually come into play again if anyone ever wants to wear the number at some point. It's also incredibly difficult to keep it out of circulation when someone like Roberto Clemente also wore the number, which is why Hawkins wanted to wear it in the first place.

As I've already written before, the Yankees have enough retired numbers as it is. There have been plenty of other beloved Yankees who have had their numbers reissued the season after they left. Johnny Damon's no. 18 was given to Chad Moeller in 2010; Hideki Matsui's no. 55 was reissued to Russell Martin in 2011; Robinson Cano's no. 24 was worn by Chris Young, Zoilo Almonte, and Scott Sizemore in 2014; and even now in spring training this year, Nathan Eovaldi is already wearing David Robertson's no. 30. If the Yankees aren't retiring Paul O`Neill's uniform than why is it still being kept out of circulation? There's still no one wearing it in camp this year, but should there be? I feel like 15 years and a plaque should be enough, no?

Sporting News | Jesse Spector: A .713 OPS for Alex Rodriguez? A top five rotation? Five bold predictions for the 2015 Yankees.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty:Masahiro Tanaka threw a 40-pitch bullpen session to Gary Sanchez on Thursday, dialing up his velocity higher than he has to this point in spring training. Larry Rothschild says they are bringing him along at a more comfortable pace and that there's no reason he won't be ready for Opening Day if everything continues as it has.

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: Alex Rodriguez was cheered by the crowd at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa during his batting practice session on the first full day of camp. The only other Yankee in attendance to draw much reaction from the crowd was Hideki Matsui, who was there serving as a guest instructor.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: A mix of notes from camp, including a little Q&A with Mark Teixeira. Also, Brian Cashman shuts down the idea of a six-man rotation actually coming to fruition.

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity... to seize everything you ever wanted. One playoff spot. Would you capture it? Or just let it slip? Yo.

Happy Friday, LGTers. Let's kick the weekend off right with the latest edition of News & Notes:

Indians news & notes

One Wild Card game made a huge difference to KC and CLE | Cleveland.com - The Indians went into 2014 with guarded optimism, while the Royals head into 2015 with excitement. The difference? One game. A loss in the WIld Card play-in killed a Tribe team that had just won ten in a row, while a mediocre Kansas City team got hot at the right time and rode the wave. Terry Pluto talks about what the game means for both franchises.

Terry Francona and the pressure of expectations | Wahoo's On First - Stats gurus and traditional journalists alike are predicting good things for the Indians this year. But one things analytics can never capture is the effect of a good manager. Tito may be criticized for some in-game moves, but WOF argues his most valuable work is in the work he does outside of games.

Overcoming elbow injuries, Floyd gets a new start | Indians.com - First it was Tommy John surgery, then a fractured elbow, but Gavin Floyd is looking to make a fresh start in Cleveland. An elbow fracture is rare, so it's hard to gauge how his rehab should progress, but so far he's showing no signs of the injuries affecting him. Can he land the #2 rotation spot for 2015?

Swisher good with the stick, but not the wheel: Indians quick hits | Cleveland.com - Early returns on Nick Swisher are positive from a hitting perspective, but he's still getting used to his robot knees. Speaking of robots, Tito notes that Corey Kluber has been smiling more in camp so far. Don't know how I feel about that...

Merrit warrants merit | Did The Tribe Win Last Night? - What's the only thing more coveted than a Right Handed Power Bat™? A left-handed (TINSTAA)Pitching Prospect, of course! Ryan Merrit, winner of last year's Bob Feller award for top pitcher in the Tribe org, could very well be that guy.

Francona skeptical of Brantley's defensive metrics | Cleveland.com - Every panic: Terry Francona hates advanced metrics! Just kidding. But he does think metrics undervalue the work of Michael Brantley in left field.

Don't tell Bryan Shaw he's unavailable | Cleveland.com - Tito loves using relievers, and Shaw loves pitching. But if you write "unavailable" next to his name, he'll probably cross it out and write something stupid instead.

Tidbits from around baseball

Negro leagues fading, but legacy remains | Cleveland.com - As former Negro League players pass on and the league begins to fade into the past, the PD takes A fascinating Cleveland-centric look. Ted Toles Jr., and 89 year-old former member of the Cleveland Buckeyes, recounts his experiences both as a player and a citizen during the pre-integration era.

Most irreplaceable players in MLB | Sports On Earth - AJ Cassavell looks at WAR projections to count down the ten most valuable players in MLB.

Rooting for Josh Hamilton | Sports On Earth - Josh Hamilton has long been a symbol of hope for people trying to overcome addiction. The first five years of his rejuvenated career were a borderline miracle. The last two have been a nightmare. Now, he has confessed to slipping, off the field again. Still, it's hard not to want to see him succeed and get through this latest challenge.

The death of the head-first slide (hopefully) | Fangraphs - FG hopes that with Nick Punto's decision to not play this year, his signature act of sliding head-first dangerously may be on its way out altogether.

Does missing out on Moncada mean the Yankees r cheep? | CBS Sports - Are you all a bunch of total idiots? No? Then duh.

Moneyball II: Charles Barkley, sports media, and he second stat war | Grantland - It's not specifically about baseball, but this is a fascinating read. While many have reacted negatively to Barkley's anti-analytics rant, Bryan Curtis argues that Barkley isn't fighting a war about the value of stats - because that war has already been won. This new war is about athletes vs. the media.

Can Tyler Wade show enough at the plate, and in the field, to show the Yankees that he belongs at shortstop?

Background

Needing desperately to replenish their system with quality shortstop prospects, the Yankees took Tyler Wade in the fourth round of the 2013 draft out of Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California. He had a commitment to play for San Diego State, but the Yankees were able to sign him about a week after the draft for $371,300, which was exactly slot value for his pick.

Wade is listed at 6'1" and 180 lbs and, at just 19 years old, he still has some room to fill out his frame a little bit. He's known for his athleticism, good hands and good range to either side too. His arm isn't the strongest, but it's not so weak that scouts feel he will one day have to switch positions. By all reports, it is believed that Wade's defense and skills will keep him at shortstop for his entire career. At the plate, he's a lefty who has a good sense of the strike zone and sprays line drives all over the field. He has no power whatsoever right now – only 1 home run in 179 career games as a pro – and isn't expected to add any significant pop as he matures, so we're probably looking at a bottom-of-the-order hitter here. He'll get on base and use his good speed to hopefully do some damage on the base paths.

2014 Results

Charleston (A): 129 G, .272/.350/.349, 24 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 22 SB, 118 K, 100 wRC+, 2.8 WARP

After a solid first pro season in 2013, the Yankees pushed Wade to Low-A Charleston. When fellow prospect Abi Avelino missed two months with a quad injury, Wade stepped into the starting shortstop role for the Riverdogs. He held his own, slashing .272/.350/.349 with 31 extra-base hits and a respectable 9.9% walk rate. As I mentioned before, Wade has no power, but he did manage to hit his first professional home run last year, on August 21 against Ty Buttrey of the Greenville Drive (Boston's Sally League affiliate). He also held his own defensively as Katoh's double play partner. Like any young shortstop, he made some errors, but he's still showing that he has the tools to stay at shortstop, which is all you're looking for from a 19-year old kid in A-ball.

2015 Outlook

It looks as though Wade will continue moving upward in 2015, as he is penciled in as the starting shortstop for the High-A Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League. Wade will be given the chance to prove he can play everyday shortstop at this new level as well, and has even been working on adding some power this off-season as his body fills in and he matures physically. He's not ever expected to be a double digit homers kind of hitter, but if he keeps working on his plate discipline and keeps hitting line drives everywhere, he should be OK. If he can develop into a 40 doubles guy, he shouldn't need to hit too many homers. I think he'll end up playing in Tampa all year long, and hopefully look to move up to AA Trenton in 2016 if he proves he can handle the pitching.

Between Wade, Avelino and Jorge Mateo, the Yankees certainly have replenished their shortstop depth in the lower levels. I'm excited to see which one of the bunch ends up in the Bronx. Maybe it will be Tyler.

Check out a Prospect Watch video from last July:

Previous installments: Episode I, Episode II, Episode III, Episode IV, Episode V

The back of the bus is quiet, but he liked the quiet. It gave him the chance to look around at the ol' bus one last time. He waited anxiously as the bus pulled up to his stop, picking at a loose thread on his slightly worn Wranglers. As the bus screeched to a halt, he cautiously stood, using the seats in front of him to balance.  "Ew... Why is this seat covered in raspberry jelly?" he said aloud as he wiped what he could of the jelly off his hand and back onto the seat. As he made his way to the front, he considered alerting the driver to the mess, but went down the bus stairs in silence. He was too tired for such things right now, and the bus driver looked tired, too. He strolled across the street from the stop to the bar he was looking for. A shaggy, mut of a dog sat in front of the door. The man gave the dog a quick pet behind the ears as he stepped over him and into the establishment. As he opened the door the rush of sound from Cesar Izturis singing "Ice, Ice, Baby", flooded his ears. Mark Ellis headed straight to the bar, ordered a glass of Armagnac, and drank.

- SFGate; SBNation; Comcast Sportsnet

By both traditional and advanced defensive measurements, Mark Ellis rates as one of the best defensive second basemen of all time.

— Drew Silva (@drewsilv) February 26, 2015

what else is going on in baseball...

what the cardinals are up to...

• Check out Randal Grichuk's place. - Fox Sports Midwest

• Cards pitcher Adam Wainwright says he hurt his abdominal muscle in the gym lifting a 45 pound weight. pic.twitter.com/whZXxc3cXB

  — Maurice Drummond (@MauriceDrummond) February 25, 2015

• What's Aledmys Diaz up to? - Scout
• The Cardinals are working on an education program in the wake of Oscar Taveras's tragic death. - STL Today
• Bill DeWitt is a lover of baseball, and for that, we thank him. - STL Today

• Michael Wacha faces hitters for first time in #cardinals camp. Molina catching, calling balls and strikes #stlcardspic.twitter.com/sSu3fvFnDn

  — Derrick Goold (@dgoold) February 25, 2015

• A healthy Jaime Garcia faces hitters for the first time this spring. #stlcardspic.twitter.com/woJecSHLrg

  — Jenifer Langosch (@LangoschMLB) February 25, 2015

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

• Ernie Banks's estate is the center of what looks to become an ugly dispute. - Hardball Talk
  
• A Red's prospect makes an impression at Spring Training. - MLB
• This young Red starts off his spring facing a tall Cuban lefty. - MLB

viva el stuff...

• bmarkham shows that the Cardinals are wise spenders. - Viva el Birdos
• Who would you protect in an expansion draft? johnjf125 gives us his thoughts. - Viva el Birdos

other things...

• Hey, the Blues won! - St. Louis Game Time

Joe Girardi did not always use the 41-year old outfielder as expected, and as a result, Suzuki is happy to be a Marlin.

Ichiro Suzuki does not have a problem serving as a fourth outfielder. But he had a problem serving as the fifth. According to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, Suzuki is pleased to be playing for the Marlins and is excited to move forward without Joe Girardi as his manager.

Suzuki, 41, will almost certainly help the Marlins in 2015. He is a leader in the clubhouse, he has a notable amount of experience, and he brings a left-handed bat and versatile glove. While Manager Mike Redmond may only use Suzuki once or twice a week, an already productive Marlins outfield significantly improved when Suzuki was signed to a $2 million deal. During his first press conference of the season, Suzuki made it clear he is happy to be with Miami. A new environment should prove to be beneficial too.

Despite the fact that Suzuki had a lot of success in New York, Kernan notes that even though Suzuki would not say it, he has often wondered why he was used or not called upon in varying situations.

"It was a great lesson for me to learn and I was able to go through that. If things happened that you couldn’t control and didn’t like, if you let that affect you and cut things off emotionally and mentally, you can’t do that, you’ve got to keep going.

"That was something I had to overcome.’’

Ichiro has posted 4,122 hits throughout the course of his baseball career, and is 156 shy of 3,000 major league hits. His 3,999 hit came last August in the first game of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays, however Girardi opted to only utilize Suzuki as a pinch runner in the second game. According to Kernan, that was not the first time Suzuki was placed in such a position.

There were other moves like the time Austin Romine, batting .138, replaced Ichiro in the order late in a game the Yankees were losing by one run, even though Ichiro was the Yankees’ hottest hitter at the time and had three hits in the game.

There were times Girardi last season used minor league journeymen Zelous Wheeler and Antoan Richardson ahead of Ichiro.

Suzuki will not see much starting time in 2015, although whenever Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, or Christian Yelich need time off, he will receive an opportunity. Suzuki will also be valuable as a left-handed pinch hitter, something the Marlins' bench has had difficulty maintaining in recent seasons. He accepted the Marlins' contract with an understanding of the situation, and appears to be eager to get started. Redmond may not have a ton of playing time to give Suzuki. But he can promise that he will be used the right way in situations that he will have success in.

Which original Devil Ray has more extra-base hits than Mickey Mantle?

Okay, this one is pretty easy, and probably won't win you a beer unless your stooge is from Bahstin. Because there are only two plausible answers to "Which original DRay has more extra base hits than Mickey Mantle?" One correct and obvious answer, and  one "ah that's too ahbivous so it's gahda be Bahggs" answer.

The case for Wade is pretty straight up. He played the majority of his career at that mini-golf course of ball park where he could slap a double off the windmill pretty much any time he wanted to. Which is true enough, as far as it goes. In his eleven seasons in Fenway, Boggs did top 40 doubles eight times, twice leading the league in the category. But that's not nearly enough to offset his lack of home runs, so no, you pink-hatted Slowinski, the answer is not Wade Bahhhggs.

(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

You Already Know who it is. It's the non-inducted half of the 493 club. It's the man who, if he ever is inducted, should go in wearing a blue "Baseball World" cap. It's the answer everyone except Dale Murray's mom gives to the question "what is the worst trade in Yankee history?" It's the Crime Dog: Fred McGriff. Of course it is.

"A double, please." (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

When I floated this tidbit by the masthead, Danny's response was "that sounds like a HOF case for McGriff." And if you don't look at it very closely, it is. But here's the thing: even though Mantle is still 16th on the career home run list, he's only 51st on the extra base hit list (McGriff is 47th). And the reason he's only 51st is because Mickey Mantle—who despite a history of knee injuries, was still a pretty fast guy for most of his career—just didn't hit many doubles.

How few did he hit? 344 to be exact, tied withBig Ed Konetchy, Greg Luzunski, and several others for 287th on the all-time list. Of the 26 guys in the 500 HR club, he's 16th in singles...and 24th in doubles. And even if you convert his not-too-shabby 72 triples to doubles, it hardly moves the needle. Apparently he only got doubles out drinking with Billy Martin.

Why did Mantle hit so few doubles? I dunno, 'cuz baseball is weird, man. Maybe it was some quirky artifact of Yankee Stadium's dimensions. Maybe it was a Yankee strategy to keep him from hurting his fragile knees. Maybe Bill Dickey was a crappy first base coach. My personal theory is that when he first hurt his knee in the '51 World Series, he actually tore his ACL, which didn't affect his straight line speed but made him tentative making the turn for second. Who knows?

In any case: yes, feel free to use this info to trip up a Saux fan. Use it on the Yankee fan next to you at the Trop . . . wait, who am I kidding, you're Rays' fans, you won't be at the game. Anyway, don't use it to bolster Crime Dog's HOF case. There are much better ways to do that.

The injury big has struck again for the first time this season. The Yankees have announced that Brendan Ryan will miss time thanks to a back strain he recently suffered in the opening days of spring training:

Brendan Ryan saw Dr. Daniel Murphy in Tampa, Fla. on Thursday and underwent a precautionary MRI which revealed a mid-back strain (cont'd)

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) February 27, 2015

(cont'd) The injury occurred while lifting weights in days leading up to start of ST, is expected to miss approx 5 days of on-field activity

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) February 27, 2015

If anyone feels like this is sounding familiar, it's because this is exactly what happened last year too. Every team suffers injuries during spring training, but in 2014, the biggest loss the Yankees suffered was that Brendan Ryan wouldn't be ready for Opening Day that year. This directly led to Dean Anna getting the call to start the season on the active roster and making his major league debut with the team. The backup infielder stayed with the team for most of the first month of the season before Ryan was healthy enough to return.

This year's injury doesn't sound nearly as serious and it is much earlier this time around, but you never really know. Brendan Ryan's place on the team was already in question with Derek Jeter now gone and Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew both capable of playing shortstop. Those likely to benefit from the injury include Jose Pirela, who is already on the 40-man roster, second base prospect Rob Refsnyder, and the group of non-roster invitees that include Nick Noonan, Cole Figueroa, and Jonathan Galvez. For all we know Ryan will be ready to go for Opening Day, but if this ends up being more serious than originally expected, Pirela's roster status will make him the easy favorite to win a place on the team.

Will this lefty break camp with the Yankees?

Background

The Yankees selected Tyler Webb in the 10th round of the 2013 Draft out of the University of South Carolina. The huge (6'6") left-handed reliever had a tremendous season his senior year, when he posted a 1.47 ERA along with 12.56 K/9 through 43 innings. Despite his size, Webb doesn't rely entirely on power, choosing to mix in fastballs which sit around 90 mph and curveballs. He also had Tommy John surgery in college, and he has experienced some fluctuation with his fastball velocity, though he hasn't had any real health issues since then. Webb's journey through the farm system started in Staten Island, where he pitched just five innings before being promoted to Charleston where he finished the season with 40 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.

2014 Results

Webb started his first full season in the minors in High-A Tampa. It wasn't long before he was promoted to Trenton, and finally to Scranton, where he ended the season. One positive is that Webb was able to maintain his strikeout numbers as he moved through the system. He even improved upon his 2013 numbers slightly, putting up 12.3 K/9 overall compared to 12.2 the year before. Webb also finished the season with a solid 2.9 BB/9. However, his ERA and FIP both inflated as he faced stiffer competition. Webb had a 4.04 ERA and 2.65 FIP through 35.2 IP in Double-A, then a 4.05 ERA and 3.76 FIP through 20 IP in Triple-A. He did have one particularly rough outing in Scranton where he gave up 4 runs in 0.2 IP, so small sample size could be to blame for making him look bad, especially since his strikeout numbers were still good across all three levels.

2015 Outlook

Despite putting together a very good season, and the fact that the Yankees could have used a lefty reliever to replace Matt Thornton, Webb did not end up being called up when rosters expanded in September. He did receive an invite to spring training, like fellow lefty Jacob Lindgren. This is a good chance for both of them to show what they've got, but the team isn't exactly lacking in lefties after adding Andrew Miller, Chasen Shreve and Justin Wilson to the roster over the offseason. Webb will probably start the year in Triple-A, but he could be a candidate to be called up early in the season if someone gets injured. He does have more time in the minors than Lindgren, so it will be interesting to see who gets the nod to be called up between the two if they both happen to be in Scranton at the same time. If he does make it to the Yankees bullpen this year, it could be the tallest group of relievers ever.

CC Sabathia showed up to camp this year at 305 lbs – the weight he played at during his most successful seasons. Is this a smart move for the big lefty?

As you all know by now, and have read on the wonderful coverage that the great staff at Pinstripe Alley provides, spring training is upon us. There are going to be a lot of little stories coming out of the Tampa camp, and we will all do our very best to bring them all to you, but I wanted to touch upon a slightly bigger story. Not bigger in importance, necessarily, just literally bigger. According to reports, CC Sabathia, the much beleaguered former ace of this staff, has reported to camp weighing 305 lbs. That puts him 30 lbs over what he weighed when he reported last spring, and a lot closer to the weight he played at during his better seasons in pinstripes. Will the extra weight bring back his prior successes, or is it just more bad news for CC?

First of all, why the weight gain? I think the answer here is fairly obvious. Sabathia thinks that adding some more weight to his frame will allow him to put more behind his pitches and hold up against the rigors of a long season. He says:

"I feel like this is a good weight. I feel a little stronger. I feel my legs under me, being a lot stronger, and being able to push off the mound."

So, to review, CC didn't just go home and sit on the couch a la Jesus Montero last offseason. He purposefully added 30 lbs to his 34-year old body in an attempt to get stronger. On one hand, CC never seemed to adjust to his lighter body over the last couple of seasons. As we know, he seemed more easily fatigued all the time, and his velocity dropped dramatically, to the point where his fastball can barely touch 90 mph now. Perhaps adding more weight to his body will, as he seems to think, give him more behind the ball and give him an extra mile per hour or two.

On the other hand, we're talking about a guy that missed the last five months of the season with a degenerative knee condition. This is a condition he's still taking platelet-rich plasma shots to treat. Should he really be adding more weight to that? The entire purpose of losing the weight in the first place was to take better care of himself. He could have kept the weight off and continued to try to make adjustments to his actual pitching, rather than risk putting more strain on his already degenerative joints.

My opinion? I think the Yankees are relying way too heavily (see what I did there?) on a guy who simply hasn't been the same in three years now anyway. It's clear that he's not the same pitcher he was when they signed him, which is perfectly fine. That's what happens to pitchers in their mid-30s. That's why it's not good to give them extensions that pay them $20-plus million a year until they're 37. At this point, I'd be willing to let CC try anything. If he thinks he needs to show up to camp looking like Mabel from Men on a Mission, I say go for it. If thinks the Shawn Bradley look is better, go for that instead. What he needs most is to go out there with confidence. I think he's just as likely to get hurt at 275 as he is at 305, so he should do whatever he needs to do to get his mind right out on that mound. If weighing 305 lbs does that for him, more power to him. His option year is tied to the health of his shoulder anyway, so he's gonna be around a while.

Hal's also pretty positive on Girardi and Cashman. For now, anyway.

Greg's piece from yesterday lends interesting perspective to the uneasy relationship Yankee supporters have had with ownership in the era of Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. Losing Yoan Moncada to the Red Sox has been only the most recent move - or lack thereof - that has drawn the ire of the fanbase. It has led to renewed accusations of cheapness directed at the Yankee brass. Scan the forums and comment threads around the internet and you'll find a fair few calls for the Steinbrenners to sell the team, or at least suggestions that the Yankees would be better served by them choosing to do so.

The calls have grown loud enough, apparently, to justify the question being put to Hal Steinbrenner, who in an interview with the New York Post declared in fairly unequivocal fashion that there are no plans for a change in ownership.

"The family is not selling the team. We have no intentions of selling the team. You can quote me on that. I am not sure why everyone continues to ask that. The Steinbrenner family is not selling a majority stake in the New York Yankees. We are not going anywhere."

Beyond that though, Hal expressed surprise at the criticism about potentially being overly thrifty. Steinbrenner pointed to the projected payroll of approximately $235 million, the free agent commitments to Chase Headley and Andrew Miller despite the lack of money coming off the books, and the $30 million in international amatuer free agent spending before the same again in fines. Steinbrenner also mentioned the luxury tax, revenue sharing, and financing costs of the new stadium, but mostly it went back to the previously expressed sentiment of simply not believing the team needs to increase expenditure far beyond where it is now.

"Do I think it is intelligent to end up at a $270 million or $280 million payroll? I never have."

Agree or disagree, this coupled with the previous statement suggesting the Steinbrenners will remain majority owners in the near future means that the Yankees effectively have payroll capped at current levels.

Hal Steinbrenner went into further detail about the offers made to Yoan Moncada. The team had a standing offer of a $12.5 million bonus out throughout the process, doubling it to $25 million in the final weekend. Steinbrenner clearly gave the impression of being the key voice beyond choosing not to raise the offer further, unwilling to match the $60+ million sum of bonus and fines to continue competing with the Boston Red Sox.

"For Moncada, that was just how far I was going to go for a player who is 19 years old and at least two years away from the majors with all the uncertainties that can happen with a prospect even that good."

Hal Steinbrenner ultimately decided that $50 million was as much as he was willing to risk on the potential of Yoan Moncada. Perhaps it was the right decision based on present information, perhaps not. Either way it will ultimately be judged in time based on the success of Moncada's career, particularly if he eventually makes the major leagues as a Red Sox.

Among other quotes in the two New York Post stories, were further positive sentiments about Hal Steinbrenner regarding the direction of the franchise, as well as the jobs being done by Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman. However, Hal has set an ambitious goal of competing for a championship, and suggested that failing to make the postseason would be an embarrassment. Hal Steinbrenner specifically did not rule out any level of organisation change should the Yankees miss the postseason for a third straight year.

No pressure, 2015 New York Yankees...

Sabathia will pitch in a knee brace; A-Rod taking reps at first base; Ryan injured doing bicep curls; McCann & Tex talk defensive shift strategies

New York Post | George A. King III: CC Sabathia has started wearing a knee brace on his right knee while he pitches and he will continue to wear it all season long. He says that it's no reason to be alarmed, he isn't feeling pain and that it's just part of his maintenance program.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees have said that they are interested in using Alex Rodriguez to backup first base some of the time, and he took reps there briefly yesterday. He didn't look very comfortable, but said that Mark Teixeira would be a good tutor.

LoHud Yankees Blog | Chad Jennings: First injury of the year award goes to Brendan Ryan, who strained his back doing bicep curls. Acknowledging the absurdity of the situation, Ryan said: "I don't know what I'm doing (in the weight room) in the first place, you know? What am I going to go from hitting two homers to four?" Exactly.

It's About The Money | Brad Vietrogoski: Brian McCann and Teixeira gave their thoughts on defensive shifts and trying to beat them. Unsurprisingly, Tex said that his plan is to hit home runs, doubles and to walk more, which is part of the reason why his production has decreased the past few seasons.