Masahiro Tanaka takes on Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies.

Weather permitting, Masahiro Tanaka will actually start his first game today as the Yankees travel to Clearwater, Florida to take on the Philadelphia Phillies. It's a split-squad game for the Phillies, who will send Kyle Kendrick to the mound. CC Sabathia will be pitching a simulated game back in Tampa. Today will be the first chance that the Yankees have of trying out the new instant replay system, including the full challenge system.

The lineup looks like one we could see on Opening Day, featuring all of the regulars except Jacoby Ellsbury. Both Mark Teixeira and Alfonso Soriano will be making their spring training debuts today.

Today's bench options include: John Ryan Murphy (C), Corban Joseph (1B), Yangervis Solarte (2B), Brendan Ryan (SS), Scott Sizemore (3B), Ramon Flores (LF), Antoan Richardson (CF), and Adonis Garcia (RF).

The bullpen options include: Bruce Billings, Chris Leroux, Mark Montgomery, Dan Burawa, Fred Lewis. Preston Claiborne, Cesar Cabral, Brian Gordon and Chase Whitley will be available just in case.

Weather update

In Clearwater. Pouring. Got text message during drive over here: tornado warning, seek shelter immediately.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 6, 2014

Stay tuned.

Update #2

Dugout is flooded in Clearwater... #playballpic.twitter.com/16IilPdvqv

— Ben Tuliebitz (@travelingsec) March 6, 2014

Phillies are saying first pitch will be 2:30 p.m. It's still raining here at Bright House Field.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 6, 2014

Who were the best players to star for the Yankees without winning a championship? Here's a position-by-position list.

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Last week, our own Justin Bopp created this image:

It's funny because of the face. But unpack it a little. What do you remember Gollum for? His doomed quest for a ring. What is Don Mattingly's legacy as a player? One of the few Yankees who never got that ring. Now unpack it even more.

Wait, no, that's it. Gollum and Mattingly and rings. That analogy is good for a chuckle, maybe, on a slow day. But it got the idea gland pumping: Is Don Mattingly the saddest Yankee? As in, is there anyone else in Yankees history who can combine a comparable good-to-great Yankees career without ever winning a championship?

Rules:

1. This is about the players who never won a championship at all. Rickey Henderson had a brilliant Yankees career, and Rickey didn't win a title with them, but Rickey did win a championship. Don't worry about Rickey.
   
   
2. I wanted to find players who played with the Yankees long enough to make an impact, or at least be (mostly) remembered as Yankees. Jack McDowell was a talented pitcher who was never on a championship team, and he played a season with the Yankees. He doesn't count.

Considering that last point, the quick, dirty, and effective way to search for the saddest Yankee is to search only for Wins Above Replacement accrued as a Yankee, then sift through that list for the players who didn't win a World Series. So here you go, the all-time team of Yankees who didn't win a World Series, despite being associated with the Yankees for an extended period:

C - Butch Wynegar, 11 WAR as a Yankee, 1982-1986
1B - Don Mattingly, 42 WAR, 1982-1995
2B - Horace Clarke, 16 WAR, 1965-1974
3B - Jerry Kenney, 9 WAR, 1967-1972
SS - John Knight, 6 WAR, 1909-1911, 1913
LF - Birdie Cree, 15 WAR, 1908-1915
CF - Bobby Murcer, 28 WAR, 1965-1974, 1979-1983
RF - Jesse Barfield, 10 WAR, 1989-1992
DH - Danny Tartabull, 8 WAR, 1992-1995

P - Mel Stottlemyre, 41 WAR, 1964-1974
P - Mike Mussina, 35 WAR, 2001-2008
P - Russ Ford, 26 WAR, 1909-1913
P - Tommy John, 20 WAR, 1979-1982, 1986-1989
P - Fritz Peterson, 20 WAR, 1966-1974

CL - Dave Righetti, 224 saves, 1979-1990

Some notes on the search for the saddest Yankee:

• Hold on, there, Kid Elberfeld fans. The modern World Series started in 1907, and most of Elberfeld's seasons with the Yankees came before that. Wouldn't be fair to include him.
  
  
• Clarke had to be here, having given his name to the whole Yankees era of not-winning things that -- fairly or not -- pretty much coincided exactly with his career.
  
  
• Jesse Barfield gets bonus points for missing out on the Blue Jays' titles, too, though that doesn't make him a strong contender
  
  
• Mel Stottlemyre won as a pitching coach, but otherwise, he is almost identical to Mattingly in tenure and value
  
  
• Someone is going to use this information as an argument against Mike Mussina, so do us a favor and eat this article after reading it. Quickly, there's no time, hurry, eat the article, leave no evidence, eat it.
  
  
Mike Mussina, 2006. (Getty Images)
• Bobby Murcer was so danged good in his 20s. He also played for the Yankees on two separate occasions, rejoining the team after their '78 title. He played in one World Series and went 0-for-3. Oof.
  
  
• I'd never heard of Jerry Kenney, but apparently, he was a golden defensive god in his limited time. I had Home Run Baker at first because I missed his titles with the A's. Once a year, I note that Omar Vizquel hit more home runs in a single season than Home Run Baker ever did. This is that time.
  
  
• Russ Ford didn't pitch for long, but boy, he was good when he pitched. If only there were some kind of surgery back then. Maybe something named after ...
  
  
• Tommy John pitched for the Dodgers in the '70s, the moved to the Yankees for two separate tours. Do you know how hard it is to have a career with the Dodgers and Yankees and not have a ring?
  
  
• Oh, right, Don Mattingly.

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There is more competition than I expected for the crown of saddest Yankee. Stottlemyre was the Mattingly of pitching, give or take; only his titles as a coach separates them. John and Murcer managed to mix in two different stretches with the Yankees, and they still didn't win a World Series with anyone.

No, it's Mattingly. He missed '78 by four seasons, and he missed '96 by one. It's hard to throw 14 darts at a list of Yankees seasons and miss a championship. Somehow, he managed. All he has are the fantastic memories of a spectacular career, a lucrative second career as a manager, and being better at baseball than any of us will ever be at anything in our lives.

Don Mattingly is the saddest Yankee.

_{(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)}

Take it easy on him, Joe. He did his best. It was Bobby Meacham's fault.

The Mariners are rumored to be scouting David Phelps - hey, wait a minute. While we're coming up with Nick Franklin trade proposals, why not talk about that other team from New York?

Ted Simmons, hair a little disheveled, top button undone, walked into the boardroom five minutes late. "Sorry," he told no one in particular. Jack nodded. Ted sat.

No one talked for a while.

Finally, Jeff Kingston broke the ice: a strategically timed throat-clearing. "Now that everyone's here..."

Jack snapped into focus mode. "Yes. Now that everyone's here -" brief dirty look at Ted" - let's get started." Jeff flipped open a folder he'd brought from the ops department. Pete pulled out a little notepad. Ted sat up a little straighter in his chair.

"Well, no sense beating about the bush," Roger intoned. "We all know what the problem is."

Ted snorted. Roger looked at him the way a sixth grade teacher looks at a noisy student, and just like that, he'd been guilted into speech.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's just... it's such a ridiculous problem to have, is all. I mean, sure, Nick Franklin probably can't play shortstop. The ops guys don't think so, I don't think so, you don't think so. But shortstop or no, he's a damn fine young player, and yet - come on. We're sitting on the most obvious piece of trade bait since Giancarlo Stanton."

"So why can't we find anyone to take him?"

Fictional Ted Simmons is right. This is getting absurd. Nick Franklin may not have a spot on the Mariners' roster, but all of the projection systems agree that he's an averageish hitter at an up-the-middle position with six years of team control left. He's Kelly Johnson, if Kelly Johnson were young and dirt cheap forever. Teams should be lining up to pay through the nose for Nick Franklin. If I were a fan of any other franchise, I would want my GM to trade for Nick Franklin, and then when he did it I'd write 1000 words about being worried he'd given up too much.

And yet.

Anyways, yesterday word came out that the Mariners have had scouts watching David Phelps. Before Scott mentioned that Yankee fans were drooling over the prospect of swapping Phelps for Franklin, I'd never considered the possibility of sending him to the Bombers - for me, they'd always been overshadowed as theoretical trade partners by the Mets. And, as Scott's article mentioned, a straight Franklin-for-Phelps swap would be pretty terrible for the Mariners. But when you think about it... well, there aren't very many more natural trade fits for Franklin than the Evil Empire.

On the one hand, they desperately need infielders. Their ostensible starting second baseman has averaged less than 50 games per year since 2010. Their starting shortstop has already announced his intent to retire at the end of this season. Their starting third baseman is Kelly Johnson, which, hey, I remember typing that name three paragraphs ago. For a team that's trying to compete (and yes, if you sign Jacoby EllsburyandBrian McCannandCarlos BeltranandMasahiro Tanaka in the same offseason, you're trying to compete), that is a hilariously terrible infield.

On the other hand, they're actually pretty stacked in the Mariners' two weakest areas: outfield and starting pitcher. OK, so they're not going to send Brett Gardner to Seattle right after extending him, and by similar logic Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran can probably keep their bags unpacked, but their fourth outfielder is Alfonso Soriano. Their fifth outfielder is Ichiro Suzuki. Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, Zoilo Almonte and Tyler Austin are four reasonably interesting mid-level prospects. In the rotation, they've got three spots locked up by big-name guys (C.C. Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, and Masahiro Tanaka) with a whole lot of serviceable depth behind them. Ivan Nova could probably be had. Phelps, of course, was being scouted, and has peripherals only slightly less sexy than Vidal Nuno's. Michael Pineda would be a hilarious return.

If I'm Jack Zduriencik, and I'm trading Nick Franklin, I want an immediate upgrade to either the outfield or the starting rotation, and I want some significant talent that'll stick with the organization for years to come. Keeping in mind that the Cubs are on the hook for Alfonso Soriano's 2014 salary, he could be a pretty interesting "impact" headliner provided the Mariners got a back-of-rotation starter like Phelps or Nuno into the bargain. Sure, the Yankees would then be short a DH, but they're the Yankees, and Kendrys Morales is still a free agent. On the other hand, if Brian Cashman were willing to send Ivan Nova to Seattle, a reasonable trade could be constructed that netted the Mariners Nova and one or two outfield prospects.

Look. It would be wonderful if the Mariners could turn Franklin and stuff into a great player instead of turning Franklin into a mediocre player and stuff, but if that deal existed, they probably would've made it already. Jeff Sullivan's insinuations that earlier this offseason they were prepared to send Franklin to the Rays for a back-of-rotation SP prospect leave me thinking that there just isn't much of a market for the Mariners' surplus 2B. Which is weird. 'Cause he's good.

But the news that the Mariners are scouting Yankees intrigues me. For all our talk about the Mets, and Rays, and Blue Jays, and Dodgers, none of them make quite as much sense for a Franklin trade as the Bombers. And hey, considering the Yankees just picked up a fun cop... perhaps it's not so far-fetched to imagine them wanting a deputy in the dugout.

After much hem-hawing around, the Yankees and Phillies decided that this spring training game needed happen, despite the rain. The game finally got underway at 2:30 after an hour and a half delay. Carlos Beltran was scratched before the game, otherwise the Yankees lineup featured almost all of the regulars.

Masahiro Tanaka started his first spring training game, and worked a clean first inning. He sat the batters down in order and got Chase Utley to strikeout chasing after his splitter. Tanaka gave up his first hit in the second inning, a Marlon Byrd double to deep center, but was able to get out of the inning without giving up a run.

The Yankees took the lead in the third inning, thanks to a home run to right off the bat of Ramon Flores. Derek Jeter singled to get his first hit of spring training but was unable to make it home. The Phillies immediately tied the game up in the bottom of the third, as Tanaka gave up his first run of spring training, a Freddy Galvis solo home run hit to deep right field.

Jonathan Papelbon relieved Kendrick in the fourth inning. Kelly Johnson hit his second single of the day through the gap in right, then stole second with one out and Brian Roberts at the plate. The inning ended with a Roberts pop up to Utley, and Mason Williams striking out. Bruce Billings came in to relieve Tanaka and pitched a clean inning.

With two outs, Jeter doubled to center in the fifth, but was stranded again as Mark Teixeira popped up to shortstop for the third out. Billings came out for the fifth, and quickly got into trouble, starting things off with a walk to Domonic Brown. Brown was subsequently caught stealing on a quick throw by John Ryan Murphy, which turned out to save a run from scoring, as Carlos Ruiz followed that play by hitting a solo home run to left. Billings decided to let John Mayberry in on the home run action, giving up another solo home run to left. 3-1 Phillies. Billings ended the inning with two strikeouts, but the damage was already done.

Brian Roberts made some nice plays on the field today (Pft, who needs Robinson Cano?). Alfonso Soriano managed to strikeout three times in his spring training debut. Scott Sizemore came on in the seventh and doubled to left off of Jeremy Horst. Adonis Garcia hit an RBI single through the gap in right that allowed Sizemore to slide into home just ahead of the tag. Horst walked Yangervis Solarte and Corban Joseph to load the bases, but Murphy lined out to center to end the inning.

Things got interesting in the seventh inning, when Mayberry hit a line drive double to right field off of Danny Burawa. Mayberry tried to stretch it to a triple and was thrown out at third in a close play that the Phillies wanted to challenge, but couldn't because the power happened to go out. So much for using the new instant replay system.

Gary Sanchez singled to lead off the eighth inning before coming around to score on a Jose Pirela triple that tied the game up at three a piece. The Yankees took the lead on a sac fly by Flores that scored Pirela for his second RBI of the game. Fred Lewis came on to close out the eighth inning for the Yankees and pitched a clean inning.

Solarte continued to swing a hot bat this spring with a single in the ninth but Joseph, Murphy, and Sanchez failed to drive him in. Lewis got a quick out in the ninth before being relieved by Mark Montgomery out of the bullpen. Montgomery got Darin Ruf swinging and induced a lazy fly out to end the game.

The Yankees take on the Tigers tomorrow night at 7:05 pm at Steinbrenner Field. Hiroki Kuroda is expected to make the start for New York and Michael Pineda will make his spring training debut out of the bullpen. Unfortunately, no video for the game will be available.

What can we expect from the man who may very well be the Opening Day starter at third base?

The biggest question mark heading into this season is the Yankee infield. There have been plenty of articles written about the uncertainty surrounding Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Brian Roberts, but there has not been much about the player most likely to be the Opening Day third baseman: Kelly Johnson.

Johnson is going to play a significant role on this year's Yankee team. Whether it's as the everyday starter at the hot corner, as a member of a platoon, or as the utility reserve backing up every infield position, it looks like we'll be seeing a lot of Johnson in 2014. While the future of the infield depends greatly on Jeter and Teixeira bouncing back from injuries, Johnson's ability to provide some solid defense in the field and some pop at the plate will go a long way towards making the Yankees contenders.

Potential

Johnson is certainly capable of delivering just what the Yankees need. Let's get one thing straight: Kelly Johnson is not bad. He's certainly no world-beater or All-Star, but Johnson has had quite a bit of success in his career, and at pitcher-friendly parks like Turner Field, too In 2007, Johnson posted a 118 wRC+, a .276/.375/.457 triple slash, and a 3.3 fWAR while playing for Atlanta, and in 2008, still with the Braves, he hit .287/.349/.446 with a 110 wRC+ and a 2.3 fWAR. In 2010 for Arizona, Johnson posted his best season as a pro, hitting .284/.370/.496 with a 129 wRC+ and a 5.4 fWAR.

However, since that season in Arizona, Johnson has admittedly struggled. In the three seasons since, he has only managed a total fWAR of 3.4, and he has not had a batting average over .235 in that same period. He strikes out far too much now (over 24% the last three seasons), he doesn't walk a lot (.37 BB/K average over the past three years), and while he's been a plus defender in his career, he has not been in recent years, according to the negative overall defensive ratings FanGraphs gave him the past two seasons.

His skills have admittedly been trending in the wrong direction over the past three years, but he did show some signs of life last year in Tampa Bay. There, he managed a 1.2 fWAR in only 118 games while posting a 101 wRC+. If he had maintained his 2013 stats over 162 games, he would have hit 22 home runs, scored 56 runs, and knocked in 71 runs. Those aren't Robinson Cano numbers, but they clearly show he's not Eduardo Nunez or Jayson Nix, either.

Defensively, Johnson isn't great, but he isn't awful either. While he's played almost his entire career at second base (-1.4 UZR/150 in over 6500 innings), he got over 100 innings in at third last year, posting a 24.4 UZR/150. It's a small sample size, but coupled with his average skills at second, it shows that, while he won't be winning a Gold Glove any time soon, he should provide the Yankees with solid defense at the hot corner.

Is a platoon even necessary?

Platooning Johnson with someone yet to be named has been thrown around, both here at Pinstripe Alley and by Yankees GM Brian Cashman. Johnson should offer a good option against left handed pitching, even though he's only posted a 73 wRC+ against them since 2011. That figure can be mostly blamed on two abysmal seasons in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, he hit .224 with a 65 wRC+ against lefties, and his 2012 was hardly an improvement, as he posted a 69 wRC+ against lefties with just a .201 batting average. However, 2013 was again a sign that Johnson was finding his form again--he hit .291 with a 95 wRC+ against left-handed pitching, which is much closer to his career wRC+ against lefties of 105.

While he looks like a pretty good bet against left-handers, it's not like his numbers against right-handed pitchers are bad. Last year he only batted .218 against them, but he did still manage a 103 wRC+, identical to his career wRC+ against right handed pitchers. Even in his woeful 2011 and 2012 seasons, he still managed to be alright against right-handers, posting wRC+'s of 102 and 90 (albeit with batting averages in .220 range). With the identity of his potential platoon partner still up in the air (not Nunez, not Nunez), the Yankees should see in Johnson a solid option to man third no matter who is on the mound. Unless another infielder makes a major impression in Spring Training (looking at you, Yangervis), Johnson should begin the season as the team's main third baseman, and not as a member of a platoon.

Importance to the 2014 Yankees infield

The focal point of this year's infield will unquestionably be Derek Jeter's retirement tour. Next will be Teixeira's wrist, but without a solid contributor at third, the question marks in the infield will become even bigger risks. Johnson should mitigate these risks. He won't be flashy and he won't singlehandedly take the Yankees to the playoffs, but he should offer both solid defense and offense at third. As a lefty, playing half his games in Yankee Stadium should only improve his offensive numbers.

With an offense that will include Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Brett Gardner, and hopefully rejuvenated versions of Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter, Kelly Johnson will not be expected to carry a major offensive load, like A-Rod was over the past decade or so. Nor will Johnson need to. If he puts up numbers like he did last year in Tampa, or even a bit higher (more in line with his career numbers, say 15-20 home runs, 70-80 RBI, and 50-60 runs scored, which isn't too shabby!) then Johnson should be a perfectly serviceable third baseman. In fact, he's probably the one infielder I am least worried about. He should be good - not great, but not bad, either - just as he's been over the majority of his career.

Masahiro Tanaka pitched, Brandon Phillips spoke and baseball was played.

Masahiro Tanaka made his debut as a starter for the Yankees on Thursday and allowed a home run in an otherwise solid three innings of work in his team's 4-3 victory over the Phillies.

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The highly touted Japanese hurler recorded four groundball outs and a strikeout in his first two innings of work, allowing only one baserunner by way of Marlon Byrd's second-inning double. Tanaka induced three more groundouts in the third, but sandwiched in between was a home run off the bat of light-hitting infielder Freddy Galvis, who entered the game with two hits in 15 spring training plate appearances.

Tanaka ended his day having allowed a run on two hits in three innings while striking out one and walking none after battling a rain delay of 1:26 prior to taking the mound.

Phillips talks about not talking

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips made headlines last month by declaring that he would not speak with reporters upon arriving to camp. That didn't stop Phillips from pouring out his feelings about being "mute" to Anthony Castrovince, who is a beat reporter for the Indians and apparently is not included in that bunch.

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"I don't have nothing to say to those cats. They know what the deal is. They just talk about how I was falling off and declining. How the [expletive] am I declining? I had 100 ... ribbies [RBI] last year. And I did that with one ... hand. And I won a Gold Glove? So how the [expletive] am I declining? Come on, man."

Phillips went on to discuss being hurt by all of the offseason trade rumors involving him, and about how he now knows that baseball is a business.

Welcome to the party, Brandon.

Yasiel Puig throws out Mike Trout

In case you missed Grant Brisbee's post from earlier today, serious baseball discussion fuel took place when this happened:

Today's spring training scores

Red Sox 0, Marlins 0 (eight innings)

Yankees 4, Phillies 3

Indians 1, Cubs 0

White Sox (SS) 6, Royals 6

Giants 3, Reds 2

Brewers 5, Rockies 3

Dodgers 4, Angels 4

Mariners 7, White Sox (SS) 4

Rangers 8, Padres 4

Athletics 8, Diamondbacks 8

Braves 3, Nationals 2

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Taking a closer look at Kelly Johnson
• Yankees 4, Phillies 3: Late inning comeback caps off win in Tanaka's second appearance
• Spring Training Game Ten: Yankees vs. Phillies
• Yankees spring training: Pitchers' Making the Team Meter - Week One
• Yankees spring training: Hitters' Making the Team Meter - Week One

Yankees News

Baseball Prospectus | Ben Lindbergh: With word that Phil Hughes is once again changing his pitch selection, here is a look back at all the times he tinkered with his repertoire over his career.

New York Daily News | Mark Feinsand: Mark Teixeira's return from injury in a slow process.

Bless You Boys | Al Beaton: Joba Chamberlain wants the fans to choose his facial hair!

New York Post | George A. King III:Andy Pettitte has taught CC Sabathia a new cutter.

The Wall Street Journal | Stu Woo:Masahiro Tanaka shared Japanese snack food with his new teammates.

Pinstripe Pundits | Derek Albin: The Yankees had the fifth-best farm system in 2008, but what did it get them?

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: So far Yangervis Solarte is one of the biggest winners, while Robert Coello is one of the biggest losers of the spring.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand:Brian McCann believes that Masahiro Tanaka is as good as advertised.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Masahiro Tanaka needed to make his first adjustment in America – a rain delay.

The Yankees have ample talent up and down the entire organization at catcher.

One of the Yankees' biggest strengths, not just at the big league level, but throughout the minor leagues, is their catching depth. Up and down the entire organization, the Yankees sport catchers with plenty of upside, so much so that you can say it's the team's biggest strength. Here is a look at those who headline the Yankees' catching depth, starting from the majors and down to the short-season leagues:

Brian McCann: Signed to a 5-year, $85 million deal with an option for a sixth year, McCann becomes quite possibly the best catcher in the American League. The now 30-year-old McCann hit .256/.336/.461 (122 wRC+) last season while playing his home games at pitcher-friendly Turner Field. He should see his power numbers (20 home runs, .205 ISO) spike up a bit with the move to Yankee Stadium. New York also signed McCann for his defense; he has shown a strong ability to frame and block pitches over the years and pitchers are said to like throwing to him.

Francisco Cervelli: Despite being maligned by at least a fraction of the fanbase, Cervelli has the tools to be a good backup catcher. Since last spring, Cervelli has shown better throwing mechanics and his blocking/framing numbers have been solid as well. Although he doesn't have much power (career .096 ISO), he does have a knack for reaching base at a good rate (career .343 OBP), while hitting left-handers as well (career 120 wRC+). If he manages to stay healthy, the Yankees could have themselves one of the best backup catchers in the business.

John Ryan Murphy: There were several Yankee prospects last year who had down years, but John Ryan Murphy certainly wasn't one of them. Splitting time between Double and Triple-A, Murphy hit a very solid .269/.347/.426 (116 wRC+) while continuing to make big strides at the catching position. His strong year, along with his overall success in the minor leagues prior to 2013, earned him the number two spot in PSA's prospect rankings. Murphy has also caught attention from the national writers, namely Keith Law, who thinks Murphy will be an everyday catcher for someone, even if that someone isn't the Yankees. Although he is blocked from the big leagues for now, Murphy is set to get the regular catching load at Scranton beginning next month.

Austin Romine: Romine went through plenty of growing pains last season, as the then 24-year-old had to adjust to a backup catcher's role with the big club while Chris Stewart inexplicably received more than his fair share of at-bats. Overall, Romine hit just .208/.255/.296 (48 wRC+) which would have been much worse had he not hit .353/.433/.529 through a handful of games during the middle of last summer. As far as I know, Romine still has minor league options remaining, so he should be set to (barring a trade) back up Murphy at Triple-A.

Gary Sanchez: Although he slipped a little bit across national prospect rankings, Sanchez's 2013 was still a productive one. He finally got promoted to Double-A late in the year, and he certainly held his own, hitting .250/.364/.380 in nearly two dozen games. His defense has received mixed reviews, however, so he'll need to prove this season that he has made strides behind the plate. It feels like he's been around forever, but Sanchez turned only 21 years of age in December so time is certainly on his side, even if there are catchers ahead of him in the pecking order.

Peter O`Brien: A product of the University of Miami, O`Brien has proven he can hit the ball a long, long way, showing so thus far in camp (at least during batting practice). Since joining the organization, he has shown impressive power numbers, namely 32 home runs and a .232 ISO in just over 170 games. After raking to a 1.012 OPS in Charleston last season, O'Brien more than held his own in Tampa, sporting a 122 wRC+ with 11 dingers and a .221 ISO in 66 games.

O`Brien's defense, however, is a question mark. After struggling behind the plate, he saw some time at third base, where he experienced growing pains (18 errors in 91 games). So far this spring, the Yankees have used O'Brien exclusively at catcher (and DH), and with Sanchez set to be Trenton's catcher, I'd have to think O`Brien would stay at Tampa to improve his catching skills. If not, O'Brien could be sent to Trenton anyways, where he could see time at third, and, perhaps, even some right field if Tyler Austin is sent to Triple-A Scranton.

Luis Torrens: The Yankees' top international signing from 2012 made his mark last season by batting .240 with a strong .348 OBP in his stateside debut. He didn't hit for much power at all, however (one home run, .052 ISO), but this is coming from someone who was (and still is) just 17 years of age and the youngest player in the league; he literally did not have a single plate appearance against a pitcher who was younger than him. Most 17-year-olds are either in their junior or senior year of high school, let alone playing under the hot, Florida sun in the Yankees' minor league system. Torrens also transitioned from third base to catcher, and is said to have made strides during his first season behind the dish. He's a long ways away from the majors, obviously, but there is plenty of upside already with Torrens.

There are more names in the Yankees' system at catcher who are intriguing, but these are the seven biggest names and make the catching depth what it is: One perennial All-Star at the big league level in the middle of his prime; a quality backup catcher with solid on-base skills and improving defense; a good prospect who is still pretty young and continues to make improvements with his bat and his glove; a once top prospect but has seen his stock fall, though has the tools to be a solid backup at the big league level; the organization's top prospect who has MVP potential at the big league level; an absolute masher but has plenty of room to improve behind the plate; and a very young, intriguing teenager who shows strong on-base skills while making improvements already behind the plate during his first season.

Because of their overall depth, teams have scouted the Yankees' catchers that are in camp, perhaps in effort to make a trade down the road. The Yankees have even showcased their catchers, in a way, by using a second catcher to DH during Grapefruit League action. Thanks to their catching depth, writers from this very site made trade proposals involving Yankee catchers in exchange for another team's infielder (Murphy for Didi Gregorius). Even if the Yankees have their fair share of organizational warts, it is pretty exciting to see how much talent they have at catcher up and down the entire franchise, and they are certainly in the driver's seat with how they use said depth.

Comparing Manny Machado with Will Middlebrooks, Evan Longoria, Brett Lawrie, and Kelly Johnson.

We end this week with a ranking of the third basemen in the AL East. The hot corner is an interesting position. It's not as important as second base or shortstop and yet you can't get away with stone hands like you can in left field. No one expects you to hit like Babe Ruth, but you can't hit like Brendan Ryan, either. You're caught in between. Perhaps this is why your chances of getting into the Hall of Fame are slim; only 15 third sackers have been inducted, the fewest at any position and only five more than the number of umpires. Sheesh, twice as many executives have been enshrined!

The AL East in 2014 will be home to some interesting players. There's a surefire star, a couple of young hopefuls, and one guy who's just kind of been stuck there out of necessity. You know their names; the following are their stats covering the 2012-2013 seasons:

Let the rankings begin!

Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles

Did you know that Machado just had the greatest age-20 season of any third baseman in history? The top five:

1. Machado, 6.2 fWAR (2013)
2. Rogers Hornsby, 5.3 fWAR (1916)
3. Adrian Beltre, 3.4 fWAR (1999)
4. Freddie Lindstrom, 3.1 fWAR (1961)
5. Buddy Lewis, 2.9 fWAR (1937)

Eddie Matthews and Cap Anson are next on the list. That's some good company; however, Machado's the only one on this list who accrued his value primarily with the glove. The fact that defensive statistics are still somewhat of a mystery, and can fluctuate year-to-year with seemingly no warning, gives me some pause for 2014. He's also coming off that gruesome knee injury; while he's taking grounders now, he hasn't played in a game and probably won't start the regular season. Finally, it's a difficult pill to swallow but one that you must: when you do so well one year, it's reasonable to expect some regression to occur the next.

So don't expect him to repeat his 6.2 fWAR season ... unless he learns some patience. His career walk rate of 4.2% leaves much to be desired. But there's pop in his bat (.435 SLG) and it all adds up to a 100 wRC+ during his time in the majors. Keeping in mind that he's 21, that's a significant achievement.

Will Middlebrooks, Boston Red Sox

Middlebrooks had a great rookie campaign in 2012. He notched a 122 wRC+ (.288/.325/.509) but underneath it was a sky-high BABIP of .335 and an HR/FB of 21.4%. Regression bit hard; although Middlebrooks walked more frequently and hit the ball well, his BABIP regressed to .265 and his HR/FB slipped to a great-but-not-elite 17.5%. He also missed a few games with a strained lower back.

As a result, he played only 94 games in 2013 and lost some of the shine he carried into the big leagues. After going 4-23 in the posteason, he was benched in favor of Xander Bogaerts for games 5 and 6 of the ALCS and didn't start in the World Series. He did, however, manage to obstruct Allen Craig at the end of Game 3 of the Series, giving the Cardinals the game and the Internet an occasion to pore over the official baseball rules.

Middlebrooks is still young (25), displays good power, and is probably due for some positive BABIP regression in 2014. However, he strikes out a lot and hardly walks at all (5% MLB career walk rate, career OBP of .294). Additionally, he's a below-average defender at the hot corner. He's not a threat to be great this year unless he has some hidden tricks up his sleeve.

According to baseball-reference.com, Middlebrooks right now is most similar to Frank Thomas. No, not that Frank Thomas ... the Frank Thomas who accumulated just 16.6 fWAR from 1951-1966.

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

Longoria is the total package. An on-base machine (.357 career OBP) and power threat (.512 SLG), he's put up 5.5 fWAR every year except his injury-shortened 2012 season, and even then he notched 2.5 fWAR in 74 games. DRS rates him as the second-best AL third baseman since 2008; UZR rates him as the best. And get this, he will play his age-28 season in 2014.

The fact that he'll make just $7.5 million in 2014 is absurd and a testament to Andrew Friedman's Darth Vader-esque powers. Longoria could easily make $25 million a year on the open market and would have a strong case for $30 million. Instead, the highest salary he can attain on his contract will be $19.5 million in 2022, and by then inflation will eat away at some of the value. He and Ben Zobrist are the poster children for surplus value and are the two reasons why Tampa Bay is a contender on a shoestring budget.

OK, enough hagiography. Can we leave it at I'm jealous?

Brett Lawrie, Toronto Blue Jays

Like Middlebrooks, Lawrie made a great impression in his first major-league campaign. In 2011 he put up an astounding 157 wRC+ (.293/.373/.580, 9 HR) in just 43 games. Also like Middlebrooks, Lawrie struggled to live up to that hype in the following years. His HR/FB rate dropped from 17% to 9%; meanwhile, his flyball rate plummeted from 45% to 30% (before inching up to 35%). As a result he hit just 11 homers each in 2012 and 2013. That's not what you'd expect from someone who hit nine in 43 games his first year. He has been victimized by several injuries, but was his power a mirage?

Despite the power outage, he gets on base far more often than Middlebrooks (.328 OBP) and strikes out much less often (16.1% K rate). He's over a year younger than Middlebrooks and has more major league experience. Finally, DRS and UZR both rate Lawrie highly, whereas neither stat favors Middlebrooks.

Kelly Johnson, New York Yankees

With Alex Rodriguez out for the year, the Yankees named Johnson their starting third baseman. Johnson's good, but he is overshadowed by the youth and talent on the other teams. He's the old man of the group at 32 and rates as an average defender, although he's played just 118 innings at the hot corner. He hits dingers, at least 15 a year, but he strikes out more than Middlebrooks does without bringing the same amount of power. The result is a wRC+ of 104, which is Machado territory. Since both of these comps are younger than him and each have a more defined skillset, Johnson can't compete.

Rankings

The lowdown:

1. Evan Longoria is the clear favorite here. He's been consistently excellent for six years now.
2. Manny Machado ranks second. A league-average hitter with superlative defense at age 21? Count me in.
3. Brett Lawrie ranks third. Injuries seem to be holding him back.
4. Will Middlebrooks slides to fourth place. If he struggles in 2014, he may see Pawtucket again.
5. Kelly Johnson brings up the rear in the AL East. Again, he's a good player, but he's outmatched in this division.

Greg, Jason, and I have a dudes night and discuss pie. Okay it's actually mostly baseball: spring training and the Yankees' roster competitions.

Just some dudes raving about Masahiro Tanaka and discussing pie. Problem?

[1:25] First impressions of our new Masahiro
[5:16] Mason Williams just swung at your pitch
[8:53] Yangervis vs. Nunez
[14:41] On Yankees trade chips, possibly working with the Mariners or Diamondbacks to acquire a young infielder
[24:50] We are... uneasy about Brian Roberts
[28:50] Also uneasy about the whole first base "all Tex or nothing" gamble, plus some thoughts on roster construction
[38:30] What exactly is CC Sabathia at this point? (also more thoughts on the rotation and bullpen)
[48:00] Tweetbag: Cano's regret, biggest spring training surprises thus far, Dellin Betances in the big league bullpen, best/worst off-season moves, best names in spring training
[58:45] Yankee/Mitre of the Week

Podcast link (Length: 1:08:06)

iTunes link

RSS feed

The betting lines for team wins in 2014 have been set and surprisingly, the Yankees may have been undersold by the oddsmakers.

A few weeks ago, a popular casino in Reno, Nevada published their expected 2014 win totals for each Major League Baseball team, to be used for over/under prop bets. The Yankees came in at 83.5 wins, which seems low considering that a team that trotted out an everyday lineup of Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, and a crew of misfits that would make Rachel Phelps proud managed to win 85 games last year. A few days later, the Reno numbers came in, the SuperBook in Las Vegas posted their expected win totals, which included a figure closer to last year, though still seemingly low: 85.5 wins for the Yanks. After spending roughly $500 million on new players in the off-season, shouldn't the Yankees, and their fans, expect more than a game or two's worth of improvement this year?

By looking at win values of Yankee regulars in 2013 and comparing to the projected win values of those who should be the regulars in 2014, we can take a stab at measuring just how much improvement we can expect in the wins department. The wonderful people at FanGraphs make this easy since they report the results of various projection systems for each player leading up to the start of the season. For more detailed information on the Steamer, Oliver, and ZiPS projection systems you can click here and here.

If 85 wins is the baseline that the Yankees are working with going into 2014, the numbers above tell us that they should improve by somewhere between nine and twelve wins and be a 94-97 win team. That's a far cry from what the casinos expect, but hey, great things can happen when you add a few stars and replace some of the worst players in baseball with merely competent ones.

The thing about betting lines, though, is that if a gamble looks too good to be true, it probably is. More astute fans know that the Yankees actually surrendered more runs than they scored last year. So Pythagorean-wise, they performed more like a 79-win team. Using 79 wins as the baseline means that the nine to twelve win improvement would put them somewhere between 88 and 91 wins this year. That's still pretty good and certainly puts them in playoff contention, but betting the over isn't quite the slam dunk that it originally seemed.

In the end, money talks and the Yankees were the Chatty Cathies of the off-season. With all those shiny new toys on the roster, gamblers have and will continue to throw cash at the over and that expected wins line should increase steadily as we get closer to April. Tell us how many wins you think the Yanks will end up with below.

My first run through the New York Yankees farm system revealed 50 names worthy of further examination. I have cut that down to 46 (listed below) and need to cut at least 10 more names.

New York Yankees46 players

Zoilo AlmonteOF
Miguel Andujar3B
Dean Anna2B
Tyler AustinOF
Abiatal Avelino SS
Manny BanuelosLHP
Dellin BetancesRHP
Greg Bird1B
Cesar CabralLHP
Jose CamposRHP
Jake CaveOF
Ian ClarkinLHP
Jordan CoteRHP
Cito CulverSS
Rookie DavisRHP
Rafael De PaulaRHP
Dietrich EnnsLHP
Thairo EstradaSS
Ramon FloresOF
Shane GreeneRHP
Slade HeathcottOF
Ty HensleyRHP
Eric Jagielo3B
Aaron JudgeOF
Gosuke Katoh2B
Bryan MitchellRHP
Mark MontgomeryRHP
J.R. MurphyC
Vidal NunoLHP
Pete O’BrienC
Michael O’NeillOF
David PalladinoRHP
Jose Pirela2B
Jose RamirezRHP
Robert RefsnyderOF
Nick RumbelowRHP
Gary SanchezC
Luis SeverinoRHP
Caleb Smith LHP
Masahiro TanakaRHP
Luis TorrensC
Nik TurleyLHP
Tyler WadeSS
Phil WalbyRHP
Tyler WebbLHP
Mason WilliamsOF

Despite the problems on the big league roster last year, this farm system has some depth to it, at least in C+ types.

In considering cuts, players on the 40-man roster or close to the majors would have an edge over similar prospects at the lower levels.

The Yankees spent $500 million on free agent additions this offseason and yet, with the loss of Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez, there are still plenty of holes that need to be filled. An easy way to fix these problems would be to orchestrate a trade using the depth that they have. Right now the Yankees have more than enough catchers and starting pitchers to dangle one of each to another team and it seems they might already be trying their best to show them off to potential suitors.

As far as catching depth is considered, neither John Ryan Murphy or Austin Romine seem destined for the major league team out of camp, but they're not being played like that's the case. Among all position players, Murphy has been in the second highest amount of games (7) with the second most at-bats (13). Romine is a little behind in both categories (5 and 11), but that's still more than a handful of projected MLB regulars have gotten. As for pitching, aside for a few relievers and some players that are assured a roster spot, David Phelps (4.2) and Adam Warren (4.1) have pitched the most innings.

Playing these guys as often as possible is a great way to drum up interest for them in front of scouts. It has already been reported that several teams are scouting Murphy and the Mariners are interested in Phelps. Trading with the White Sox, Diamondbacks or Mariners could get them some kind of infield help, whether it's more of a contract drop-off like Alexei Ramirez or Gordon Beckham or it's for a young controllable player like Didi Gregorius, Chris Owings, Dustin Ackley or Nick Franklin.

While dealing a catcher can happen at any point, I would hold off on trading Phelps until we see how Michael Pineda does in his return from injury. If he can't do the job, Phelps will essentially be the fifth starter, so it's important to handle that issue first.

It is my opinion that the Yankees would be better off trading one of Murphy/Romine and/or one of Phelps/Warren in order to fill the team's needs. It would mean the end of Eduardo Nunez and could then establish a backup plan for when Brian Roberts inevitably breaks. You could even acquire the next shortstop for when Derek Jeter retires. Imagine an infield of Nick Franklin and Chris Owings. If nothing else, it would be exciting, and it would only cost depth the Yankees won't be using.

A night game. How novel.

Tigers scheduled pitchers: Sanchez is starting

Tigers lineup: Davis lf, Hunter rf, Cabrera 3b, VMart dh, Avila c, Jackson cf, Lombardozzi 2b, Castellanos 3b, Worth ss

Yankees scheduled pitchers: Kuroda is starting

Yankees lineup: Ellsbury CF, Jeter SS, Beltran DH, McCann C, Soriano RF, Roberts 2B, Ichiro LF, Nunez 3B, Canzler 1B

Hiroki Kuroda will make the start tonight against the Detroit Tigers. However, the big news is that Michael Pineda will be making his return to the mound for the first time this spring. He is the final contestant for the fifth starter spot, and out of Vidal Nuno, Adam Warren, and David Phelps, some might say he's the favorite. Of course it would also happen that this game will not be televised, so you'll have to listen along and imagine.

The Yankees will have Francisco Cervelli (C), Jose Gil (1B), Jose Pirela (2B), Dean Anna (SS), Zelous Wheeler (3B), Zoilo Almonte (LF), Antoan Richardson (CF), Adonis Garcia (RF) first off the bench. Francisco Arcia, Peter O`Brien, Gary Sanchez, Corban Joseph, Yangervis Solarte, Ramon Flores, and Mason Williams will also be available. Tonight's bullpen will include David Robertson, Matt Thornton, Shawn Kelley, Preston Claiborne, Jim Miller, Robert Coello, and Yoshinori Tateyama.

Word is that Joba Chamberlain will be pitching against his former team tonight, too. That should be fun.

Somehow this game wasn't on TV or radio, so there's no evidence to suggest that any of the following actually happened. If it did, it wasn't very eventful until the end of the game, but there were some great things to come out of it. Hiroki Kuroda pitched great, striking out five, while giving up a hit and a walk over 2.2 innings. But no one cares.

What we do care about is Michael Pineda's spring debut. This is the first time Pineda has suited up for a game as a member of the Yankees and he definitely did not disappoint. In two innings, the big right-hander struck out four, one of which was Miguel Cabrera, and gave up a lonely single. This is what people had to say about his stuff:

Scouts had Pineda with 1 fastball at 93, mostly 90-92, mainly 91. Worked inside well/aggressively. Slider was wipeout at 80-82mph #Yankees

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 8, 2014

Pineda is done after two impressive innings. He threw 27 pitches, 21 were strikes.

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 8, 2014

1 scout: "If I'm #Yankees I'm pleased (with Pineda). Enough velocity. Sharp with slider/location. Appeared confident/aggrssive" #Yankees

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 8, 2014

Michael Pineda said his command was "perfect" and Brian McCann said his slider was "pretty much unhittable." 90-93 on fastball.

— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) March 8, 2014

This is all pretty exciting. It's early, so his velocity can improve, but he didn't show any sign of limitation due to injury. At least from what I could tell from no picture or sound.

The Yankees scored their first two runs in the bottom of the third when Carlos Beltran hit a two-run home run. The Tigers would tie it in the top of the seventh against Matt Thornton. The noted lefty surrendered a hit against lefty Alex Avila, a triple to right-handed Austin Jackson, a single to switch-hitter Steve Lombardozzi, and a single to right-hander Nick Castellanos all in one inning. Sure, he gave up a hit to everyone, but most of them were hitting right-handed, which is something they'll need to look out for in the regular season.

Other than Thornton, the bullpen pitched wonderfully. Shawn Kelley got the one batter he faced out, and David Robertson (K), Preston Claiborne, and Jim Miller (H) all pitched one inning each.

It wasn't until the bottom of the ninth when the Yankees scored again to win the game. Zelous Wheeler and Francisco Cervelli singled to put runners at the corners when Luis Marte balked to bring in the winning run in a finish that would have been spectacular if we could actually react to it in real time.

The Yankee offense wasn't able to do much for most of the game. Derek Jeter collected two hits, making him now 4-4 after an 0-10 start to the spring. Brian McCann, Jose Pirela, and Jose Gil also collected hits while Brian Roberts, Ichiro Suzuki, and Dean Anna all walked. Or so the box score tells me.

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Yankees 3, Tigers 2: Walk-off balk
• Spring Training Game Eleven: Yankees vs. Tigers
• Yankees are showcasing their depth for a trade
• Reno, Las Vegas, and the 2014 Yankees
• Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 38: Dude pie
• A look at the Yankees' strong organizational catching depth

Yankees News

ESPN MLB | Andrew Marchand:Michael Pineda talks about his first appearance of the spring.

New York Daily News | Nathaniel Vinton: Yogi Berra's wife, Carmen, passed away yesterday at the age of 85.

Sports Illustrated | Cliff Corcoran: Ex-Yankees David Wells and Tommy John are among the top five best post-Tommy John surgery careers.

Fangraphs | Jeff Sullivan: The Yankees have one of the harder schedules in baseball this year.

The Star-Ledger | Jorge Castillo: Alfonso Soriano will spend time in right field and at first base in order to add to his versatility.

Minor League Ball | John Sickels: A preliminary top prospect list for the New York Yankees organization.

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Finding a comparable player to Gary Sanchez.

LoHud | Chad Jennings:Mariano Rivera talked about the church he is renovating in New Rochelle.

It's About the Money | Michael Eder: Projecting what Brett Gardner can do for the Yankees in 2014.

The Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins: Injury updates for Jose Ramirez and Francisco Rondon.

New York Post | Joel Sherman:Manny Banuelos is just one of the latest pitchers to be indebted to the late Frank Jobe.

Most expect Masahiro Tanaka to be a #3 starter, but the track records of other split-throwing Japanese pitchers suggest he could be better than that.

The general consensus on Japanese import Masahiro Tanaka is that he'll be a solid #2 or #3 starter, but at least a notch or two below ace level. Few think he'll be a truly dominant force in the Yankees' rotation -- not this year, at least. According to a poll of both fans and industry insiders done by Baseball Prospectus, the consensus on Tanaka is that he'll be about as good as Homer Bailey in 2014, who's projected for about 2 or 3 WAR.

The logic behind this conclusion is sound -- as dominant as Tanaka was in the Nippon Baseball League last year, Major League Baseball is a completely different animal. Even Yu Darvish, who was the more dominant pitcher in Japan, didn't immediately set the world on fire when he made the leap in 2012.

To be fair though, Tanaka and Darvish are very different pitchers. Using a deadly fastball/slider combo, Darvish struck out 30% of the hitters he's faced in the majors after fanning 31% in his final year in Japan. Tanaka, on the other hand, does things a little differently. While he does strike out his fair share of batters (21% in Japan last year), his real skill is inducing ground balls -- something he does with his split finger fastball, which has looked all sorts of nasty this spring.

Since 2007, there have been seven Japanese starting pitchers that have made the transition to the MLB. According to PITCHF/X data, two of them relied on a splitter: Hiroki Kuroda has thrown his split 12% of the time, while Hisashi Iwakuma has thrown his 22% of the time -- easily the most of any starting pitcher in the PITCHF/X era. Here's a look at how these seven pitchers' ERA's from Japan have correlated to their MLB ERA's. The pitchers who threw splitters are colored red. The closer to the yellow line, the closer the pitcher came to replicating his NPB ERA in the majors.

Sure, this is a tiny sample and it would be foolish to make any definitive conclusions based on this data, but the disparity between the groups is interesting. Most of these pitchers posted ERA's significantly higher than they did in Japan, but Kuroda and Iwakuma saw their ERA's tick up by less than a run.

The few split-throwing relievers who have made the transition from Japan have also fared pretty well. Both Koji Uehara and Hideki Okajima enjoyed dominant relief stints in the states. The one exception was Ryota Igarashi, who never stuck in the big leagues, but was also never a top-shelf reliever in Japan.

Tanaka's never squared off against the best hitters in the world on a regular basis, so predicting his performance in the majors is no easy task. Still, I think many are selling him short by labeling him a mid-rotation starter.

The projection systems agree. These systems are far from perfect -- especially when they're asked to extrapolate off of something other than major league numbers, but boy do they love Tanaka. The worst projection I've come across came from Steamer, which still projected him for a 3.76 ERA -- better than both CC Sabathia (3.88) and Kuroda (3.97). Other projections are even more bullish: The Oliver system calls for a sparkling 2.59 ERA, which would easily make him one of the top two or three pitchers in the game.

A 2.59 ERA feels a little too optimistic, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Tanaka posts an ERA in the low 3's in 2014. Split-throwing pitchers have historically had smooth and successful transitions to American baseball and my money's on Tanaka doing the same this year.

Everybody's got someone they're pulling for. What player on the bubble do you most want to make the team?

It takes a remarkably short period of time for us fans to get attached to some players. It could be because we like their style of play, their personality, or something as simple as their name, but you just come to like some guys more than others. And on a team full of guys you're already rooting for you just end up rooting for that one guy just a little bit harder. I find myself doing a lot of that in spring training when it comes to those "fringe" players who are on the bubble of making the team. A player I've only seen a handful of times is suddenly the one I become most preoccupied with.

Thanks to PSA's handy dandy "Making the Team Meters", you can get a pretty good idea who the cast of characters that are fighting for spots is. I apparently was incorrect in my assessment that Jose Gil would make the team over Mark Teixeira. When you look at the lists, there's all kinds of guys that would be fun to pull for. You've got young guys hungry for a chance, some veterans looking to bounce back from injuries and whatever category Francisco Cervelli falls into (injury/PED comeback?). There's enjoyment to be had in watching the stars round into shape, obviously, but it's the guys fighting for jobs where the true intrigue in spring training lies.

While there's many deserving candidates to choose from, I think I'm pulling most for Dean Anna to make the team. The possibility of a player that was a standout in another team's system blossoming after yours was savvy enough to give him a chance intrigues me. Sure, he could just be one of many players that was a star in the minors and kept there for very legitimate reasons. But I would really like to see the guy get a chance to make a difference at the major league level. It's honestly not even because of an "anyone but Eduardo Nunez" mindset, I just want the guy to get the opportunity to show that his impressive work in the minors was a sign of a solid player and not just a fluke. Maybe he's the answer to all of the Yankees' infield concerns! Okay, I'll dial back the optimism.

Obviously all these talented fellows just can't make the team. Some will head down to the minors to continue to develop, some will be sent there as potential injury replacements and some poor guys will be handed their walking papers. So among all of the players the Yankees have in camp fighting for the right to don the pinstripes, who are you most rooting for to make the team? And don't be lame and pick Derek Jeter.

Ivan Nova will get the start against the Astros.

Ivan Nova gets the start as the Yankee take on the Astros in the twelfth game of spring training.

On the bench for the Yankees are Austin Romine (C), Corban Joseph (1B), Jose Pirela (2B), Yangervis Solarte (SS), Zelous Wheeler (3B), Ramon Flores (LF), Antoan Richardson (CF), and Adonis Garcis (RF). Available to DH are Peter O'Brien, Francisco Arcia, Jose Gil, and Gary Sanchez. In the bullpen are Manny Banuelos, Cesar Cabral, David Herndon, Fred Lewis, Chase Whitley, Mark Montgomery, Chris Leroux, and Dan Burawa.

This game can be seen on MLB Network and heard on WFAN.