After a career full of them, this weekend's games in his native Panama may be the best testament to Mo's greatness yet.

There's a lot of different things that can happen when the truly great players retire. They get their numbers retired, they get streets or parts of stadiums dedicated to them, fans name their children after them, etc. But it takes a special type of player to encourage two professional teams to hop on a plane and fly down to your native country and play a set of games in the middle of Spring Training. That's exactly the case for the Yankees and the Florida Marlins, who will play a pair of games at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City on a field adorned with Mariano Rivera's iconic number 42. The two games are technically being referred to as a part of"The Legends Series", but it's The Mariano Classic for all intents and purposes.

For a man renowned for his humble nature, it probably doesn't matter much to Rivera that this series exists primarily due to his amazing career and universal popularity. The important thing is that a dream of his that formed as far back as 1998 has come true: the Yankees will be playing in his beloved Panama. So important is this weekend to him that he was touring the stadium like an amateur architect, looking to make sure that parking problems from the World Baseball Classic had been remedied. In addition to the two games, there have been various events generating money for Mariano's charity, The Mariano Rivera Foundation. So it's not just good baseball, it's for a good cause.

The Panamanian people should be in for a treat, as future fellow Hall of Famer Derek Jeter made the trip, along with Mo's heir apparent David Robertson, CC Sabathia and other stars. And if Mariano wants to give CC a few more pointers on that new cutter of his before his Sunday start, we would certainly would appreciate it. For the Marlins, man-beast Giancarlo Stanton made the trip. So the fans might be in for a nice home run ball, as long as they don't mind running 500 feet to go get it. Combine that with the excitement I'm sure the baseball-hungry crowd will generate and it should be quite compelling for two Spring Training games.

It's definitely going to be strange to see Mariano Rivera: baseball diplomat. It's the first chapter in a season that will be filled with moments of longing for Mo to don the pinstripes one more time. So be ready for two days of nostalgia as clips of Mariano's greatest hits get played in between the action and you start to wish it were 1998 all over again. It should be fun, and it certainly raises the bar for Derek Jeter's goodbye to baseball. A farewell tour is one thing, but a weekend of baseball in your honor is as impressive as it gets. Maybe Derek can convince the Yankees to come to Kalamazoo next year.

As a bonus, here's a quote from Mariano that's sure to get you right in your pinstriped hearts:

"I'm not on the 25-man roster anymore, but my heart will always be with the Yankees,"

Gotta love that guy.

David Phelps, Adam Warren, Michael Pineda and Vidal Nuno are all competing for the last spot in the rotation. Who do you think will win it?

For the past several years, the Yankees have had a spring training competition to determine the fifth starter in the rotation. This year is no different, and with only a little over two weeks left until Opening Day, Joe Girardi is going to have to make a decision soon. In an interview on Thursday, Girardi shed very little light on who was at the forefront of the competition between Vidal Nuno, David Phelps, Adam Warren and Michael Pineda.

Here are their stats so far:

Phelps 13.2 IP  4 ER  2 HR  2 BB  11 K  2.63 ERA  1.24 WHIP  .273 AVG

Pineda   4.2 IP  0 ER  0 HR  1 BB   9 K  0.00 ERA  1.07 WHIP  .235 AVG

Warren  4.1 IP  1 ER  1 HR   2 BB  3 K  2.08 ERA  1.85 WHIP  .353 AVG

Nuno     2.0 IP  1 ER  1 HR   0 BB  3 K  4.50 ERA  1.00 WHIP  .250 AVG

For some reason, Phelps has pitched the most innings, by a lot. Pineda has the best stats overall. Is it just me, or does it feel like it's really more of a competition between Phelps and Pineda? I mean, Robert Coello has pitched more innings than Nuno at this point, and the former has been terrible. Girardi, of course, refused to discount anyone. Nuno is a lefty, so he could break up the string of right-handers. Warren, Phelps and Nuno have experience as relievers, so they could all still make the team, regardless of whether they win the spot in the rotation. If Pineda doesn't make it into the rotation, he'll be starting in Triple-A.

Girardi said something interesting on the topic of Pineda, though. "Let's just say, hypothetically, he was a starter at some point. You're going to have to adjust. Because you're not getting 200 innings from [Pineda]." How would Pineda being on an innings-limit work out if he's the fifth starter? If he's pitching well, then it certainly would be a bummer if he didn't get to pitch the last half of the season (and, you know, during the postseason). On the same note, if he's pitching well, then it would be a waste if he's in Triple-A. What a dilemma.

How would you solve the Pineda innings-limit problem? Answer the poll below and let us know whether you think Warren, Phelps, Pineda or Nuno will win the fifth spot in the rotation.

Vidal Nuno will take the mound for the Yankees as a split-squad team takes on the Orioles.

The bench includes Peter O'Brien (C), Zach Wilson (1B), Rob Refsnyder (2B), Cito Culver (SS), Tyler Segdin (3B), Ben Gamel (LF), Jake Cave (CF), and Taylor Dugas (RF). Wes Wilson, Dan Fiorito and Ali Castillo are available to DH. In the bullpen for this game are Brian Gordon, Mark Montgomery, Danny Burawa, Diego Moreno, Joel De La Cruz, Shane Greene, Manuel Barreda, Graham Stoneburner, Branden Pinder and Charlie Short. Chris Tillman will get the start for the Orioles.

The game can be seen live on MLB Network.

Today's game has many options for viewing, so tune in!

I'm sure we're all a little down after hearing about Manny Machado's setback, but there is baseball on TV today if you want to take your mind off of it.

The Orioles will be going with a mixture of regulars, hopefuls, and scrubs in today's lineup, while the Yankees are trotting out a few familiar names, though the 6-9 hitters in their lineup are complete strangers to me.

Chris Tillman is starting for the Orioles and Suk-Min Yoon is also scheduled to pitch. Zach Britton, Evan Meek, Darren O'Day, Brad Brach, and Kelvin De La Cruz are also available, and they have Brock Hutzinger, Chris Jones, and Buck Britton over from minor league camp if needed.

There were a lot of raised eyebrows over Nelson Cruz playing center field, but Buck Showalter confirmed to Roch Kubatko that he's there not because they see him as a guy who can play center field, but because the other CFs aren't available and they want to get Cruz at bats against the left-handed starter. Here's a good quote from Buck for you:

I can tell you a long story about someone in Texas telling me that he's a center fielder and we're missing the boat on him. The second day, they asked me not to play him out there anymore.

Vidal Nuno is getting the start for the Yankees today. Here are the full lineups:

Let's go O's!

A joke question with a serious side.

Edited by Tiffany Villigan

Hey, dear readers. Sorry it's been a while since my last "Will Call" column. I guess I was just so excited about the Seahawks' crushing dismantling of the Denver Broncos. The parade I attended with over 500,000 of my closest friends, I'll never forget. It was so crowded that the only movement I had for 3 hours was moving my sign from one hand to the other. The Seahawks helped bring this community together. We need more of this. We need another celebration. So this brings me to my latest question. Which team will win a championship first: Mariners or Sonics?

When I posted this question on Facebook (originally asked as "Which team will win the next championship"), most people correctly viewed it as a joke. They gave joke responses or didn't think to adhere to the question, giving me a lot of answers of Storm, Sounders and, most obvious, Seahawks. Even though I suggested the question in jest, it should be, in a way, very serious.

There's a reason why I chose the Mariners in the question, as opposed to any other local team. The Sounders seem on their way with Dempsey; the Storm have won recent championships; and the Seahawks, well, come on! The reason I selected the Mariners against a team that's at least a couple of years away from being here is that, unfortunately, when I think mediocrity or futility in Northwest sports, I think of the Mariners.

One thing that I think supports this is arguably the greatest play in Mariners history: "The Double," where Ken Griffey Jr. slid into home plate, beating the Yankees in the ALDS. It was an incredible play and I remember being at my friend's house watching it. But true to form they lost in the ALCS. The Mariners are 1 of only 2 teams to never play in the World Series, the other being the newly relocated Nationals. Here is a stat that will blow your mind: more days have passed between today and "The Double" than passed between "The Double" and the first game the Mariners played. Luckily I can't say the team isn't willing to spend money on players anymore, with almost half a billion dollars being spent on Hernandez's and Cano's recent contracts. Still, it seems to me they'll fall a few games short.

So what's your opinion? Between the two teams, one of which doesn't even exist yet, who will win a championship first: The Mariners or Sonics? Leave a comment and answer the poll question.

Vidal Nuno looked good in his four innings, but a young lineup couldn't muster much offense.

With a bunch of regulars down in Panama, the Yankees' lineup featured quite a lot of minor leaguers. Only the first three hitters in the order, Ichiro Suzuki, Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson, look like they will make the team out of spring training. The rest of the linuep ranged from the likes of Austin Romine to Mason Williams to Carmen Angelini. The mostly young Yankee lineup would only push one run across as they fell 2-1 to the Orioles.

Chris Tillman held down the Yankees hitless through 3.1 innings and scoreless through five. The game's first run did not come until the top of the sixth when Francisco Arcia led off with a home run.

Vidal Nuno had similar success against a fairly decent Orioles' lineup. Nuno held the Orioles scoreless through four innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out three. Danny Burawa came in for him. Chris Davis tied the game with a solo home run against Burawa in the bottom of the sixth. That homer chased Burawa from the game. He went 1.2 innings allowing one run on three hits and a walk.

The Orioles took a lead in the bottom of the seventh. Mark Montgomery had come in to finish off the sixth for Burawa and came back out for the seventh. Delmon Young led off against Montgomery with a double. Jemile Weeks then came in to pinch run for Young. Weeks stole third and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Jonathan Schoop. That made the score 2-1 in favor of the Orioles.

The Yankees had a chance to tie the game in the top of the eighth after Arcia walked and Taylor Dugas doubled. But Darren O'Day struck out the next three hitters to get out of the inning.

Brian Gordon came in for the eighth inning replacing Montgomery. Montgomery went 1.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit. Gordon pitched a perfect eighth inning.

The Yankees couldn't get a run in the top of the ninth and the Orioles finished off a 2-1 win.

Tonight at 9 PM eastern is the first game against the Marlins in Panama. Tomorrow, the Yankees will play the Braves at 1:05 eastern, and the second Panama will be played at 2:05 eastern.

Box score.

Welcome to late night baseball in Panama. It's too bad we can't see or hear this game, but it's cool that it's happening! Both teams will be honoring Mariano Rivera in some way. Maybe they're just playing a ceremonial game for the Panamanian god. Tonight, Adam Warren, just one contestant in the fifth starter competition, will face off against Brad Hand of the Miami Marlins.

The Yankee bench will include Zelous Wheeler, Jose Pirela, Zoilo Almonte, Adonis Garcia, Antoan Richardson, Jose Gil, and Gary Sanchez. The bullpen will include Bruce Billings, Cesar Cabral, Robert Coello, Preston Claiborne, Matt Daley, Chris Leroux, Jim Miller, David Robertson, Yoshinori Tateyama, and Chase Whitley. CC Sabathia is also in attendance, but he'll be starting Sunday's game.

The first game of the Panama Legends Series took place, and though it wasn't televised, you didn't miss much. The Yankee offense was lulled into submission by Brad Hand (that's a dumb name) and company as they didn't get on base until the fifth inning when Dean Anna was hit by a pitch. Brett Gardner walked in the sixth and Zelous Wheeler walked in the eighth and that was it. The Yankees didn't get a single hit all night. Yeah, they honored Mo by getting no-hit. Awesome.

At least Adam Warren was brilliant tonight. In 4.1 innings, he allowed only two hits and struck out six, two of which were strikeouts of Giancarlo Stanton, so it wasn't just the scrubs he was dominating. The Marlins squeezed a run out of him in the fourth when Jake Marisnick singled and stole second. He moved to third on a groundout and was able to score on a wild pitch.

Chase Whitley came in and pitched an inning, striking out a batter, but also allowing a walk to Colin Moran and singles to Jake Marisnick and Christian Yelich, which brought the score 0–2 in the sixth inning. Matt Daley collected a strikeout over 1.2 innings and kept the Marlins quiet.

The eighth inning was bad for the Yankees as Robert Coello came in to do exactly what he's done throughout spring training. He allowed a hit and two walks (but got a strikeout!) to load the bases before he was lifted for Yoshinori Tateyama. Unfortunately, he then gave up two hits (but also got a strikeout!) to allow three runs to score, one of which deemed un-earned after an Adonis Garcia fielding error, and make it 0–5 Marlins. Jim Miller pitched non-terribly in the ninth, collecting a strikeout by not being bad.

The Yankees were really awful tonight, but hopefully they'll give Panama something to cheer about tomorrow when CC Sabathia takes the mound.

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Panama Legend Series: Yankees vs. Marlins
• Yankees 1, Orioles 2: Nuno impresses, young lineup doesn't
• Spring Training Game Eighteen: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles
• The battle for the fifth starter role continues with just two weeks until Opening Day
• Welcome to the Mariano Rivera Classic

Yankees News

An A-Blog For A-Rod | Brad Vietrogoski: Should the Yankees trade Francisco Cervelli?

ESN New York | Wallace Matthews: It's looking like Masahiro Tanaka will debut against the Blue Jays on April 4.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Vidal Nuno has made a case for a major league job of some kind.

ESPN New York | Marly Rivera: The Yankees' visit to Panama is a dream come true for Mariano Rivera.

An A-Blog For A-Rod | Brad Vietrogoski: Should the Yankees trade David Phelps?

MLB.com | Adam Berry: The Yankees are easing Masahiro Tanaka into pitching every fifth day.

CC Sabathia will be featuring a new pitch in 2014: the cutter. He learned it from his pal Andy Pettitte, who could be considered a cutter-guru. But how much will the pitch help the issues that plagued his 2013?

Any time a pitcher adds a new option to his arsenal or tinkers with a pitch grip, I'm pretty skeptical of any future benefit. If it was so easy to make such a change, why don't pitchers do so more often? To me, it's especially uninspiring when a pitcher does this after an extended period of difficulty. It seems logical to focus on resolving existing issues, rather than experimenting with a new pitch. Last week, CC Sabathia discussed adding a cutter to his pitch selection. You can tell by now that I don't have much faith in it being very helpful for CC.

Obviously, nobody is expecting this new pitch to be the panacea to Sabathia's poor 2013. There are greater underlying problems, primarily his increased propensity to allow home runs. His strikeout and walk peripherals did take a hit last year, but nonetheless were still pretty decent. It was the long ball that really killed him - he posted career highs in HR/9 and HR/FB. The likely reasons for this are his decreased velocity and command, two issues that a cut-fastball won't settle. He can no longer blow it past hitters with his diminished velocity, making his ability to paint the black increasingly important.

Sabathia's velocity probably isn't coming back, and he's acknowledged that he's prepared to pitch with whatever his left arm has in it. His command, however, is much more likely to bounce back. Should that occur, the home run totals will subside a bit. Knowing this, pitch location should be the primary concern for CC as he prepares for the regular season. Despite the fact that adding a cutter won't hone his command, and my general unenthusiastic opinion about pitch fiddling, if one squints just enough, there are some reasons to hold out hope for the pitch.

In theory, adding some movement to a fastball should make it more difficult for the hitter to square up. That, in turn, would result in fewer hard-hit balls and fewer home runs. Sabathia's fastball got clobbered last year, so perhaps mixing in some cutters could have an ulterior benefit to the four-seamer. Per one-thousand pitches, Sabathia's seen his home run totals jump on all of his pitches but the sinker, so pitch location is obviously much more important for his entire arsenal. Maybe, though, the cutter can play a role in minimizing this weakness in his fastball.

It also doesn't hurt that he's had two pitchers known for their cutters, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, around him during his tenure in pinstripes. CC attributed learning the pitch from Pettitte, who is in camp as a special instructor this spring. The pitch isn't going to magically work for Sabathia simply because Pettitte taught him the pitch, but it certainly can't be construed as a negative.

Ultimately, don't expect this pitch to amount to much, especially right away. If it was so easy to effectively add a new option to one's repertoire, it would be much more commonplace. The most important thing for Sabathia to combat in 2014 is his gopher-ball woes, which an improvement to his precision would quell. The incorporation of the cutter could help keep the ball in the yard, but location will prove to be paramount to Sabathia's performance.

Although he doesn't possess the flashiest of tools, Refsnyder has a chance to be the Yankees' future at second base, even as soon as 2015.

One of the best parts of spring training is when we, as fans, get to see prospects in-action, perhaps for the very first time. Among those prospects that we get to see in 2014 is second baseman Rob Refsnyder. Although Refsnyder has yet to play at Double-A, he has a golden opportunity in front of him to be the Yankees' long-term solution at second base, perhaps even by 2015.

In his first full-season in the Yankees' organization, Refsnyder hit .293/.413/.413 with 23 stolen bases between both Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa. Most of his work came at High-A, where he hit .283/.408/.404 in over 500 plate appearances. What makes Refsnyder impressive is his ability to reach base, as shown by his OBP, which includes a Florida State League-leading 15.8% walk-rate. In fact, while in High-A, Refsnyder walked (78) more times than he struck out (70), despite being young for the league.

Even though he has shown he can hit for a high average, reach base via walk at a very high rate, have a sweet swing for a right-handed batter, and be efficient on the base paths (83% MiLB career stolen base success rate), Refsnyder has been knocked for two things: his lack of power and his struggles defensively at second base.

In regards to the lack of power, Refsnyder hit just six home runs while sporting a rather pedestrian .120 ISO in 2013. A deeper look into the numbers shows that he could have been affected by the pitcher-friendly home environments of Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park and Steinbrenner Field. At home, Refsnyder sported a very weak .089 ISO, whereas he posted a much stronger .149 ISO on the road. Refsnyder won't be required to hit for too much power if he reaches the big leagues, anyway, as the league-average ISO for second baseman in 2013 was just .119.

On the defensive side, critics will point to Refsnyder's high error total as a sign that he can't stick at second base long-term, but the fact of the matter is that he has made plenty of strides defensively in what was his first year at the position. In total, Refsnyder committed 25 errors in 441 chances (.943 Fld%) and 108 games. However, the second baseman made only 10 of those errors after May 20 and just two in the final month of the season. MLB.com's Jim Callis believes Refsnyder improved defensively, saying that the soon-to-be-23-year-old can be "adequate-average" at second long-term.

Chad Jennings had a nice piece on Refsnyder recently, which mentioned that the former Arizona Wildcat learned some of the nuances of playing second base from Phillies star Chase Utley during a game just a few days ago. The hard-working Refsnyder also seems very humble, too; he told YES Network's Jack Curry that he'd be immature to think he'd be a part of the Yankees' future at second base given that he has yet to play above High-A; he needs to prove himself at the Double-A level first.

Although he doesn't have the flashy tools like top second base prospects such as Boston's Mookie Betts or St. Louis' Kolten Wong, Refsnyder has the ability to be a quality second baseman at the major league level, assuming he continues to progress at the minor league level. A look at next year's free agent market for second baseman shows that it is very weak, almost to the point where the Yankees may have to stay in-house for their solution at second base, even if the narrative suggests that the Yankees don't give their in-house prospects a chance. If Refsnyder even comes close to last year's offensive production, while continuing to make improvements defensively at second base, the Yankees could very well have their future second baseman in the organization already.

It's day two of the Legend Series in Panama, while back in Florida, Mashairo Tanaka gets another start.

Masahiro Tanaka will return to the mound against the Braves in Tampa, while CC Sabathia will get the start in game two of the Legend Series in Panama against the Marlins.

Yankees vs. Braves

Jacoby Ellsbury was scratched prior to the game due to calf tightness. The bench will include Francisco Arcia (C), Kyle Roller (1B), Carmen Angelini (SS), Tyler Segdin (3B), Ben Gamel (LF) and Taylor Dugas (RF). Available to DH are Austin Romine and Rob Refsnyder (also a Wilson, but the lineup card doesn't give an first initial). In the bullpen are Matt Thornton, Dellin Betances, Shawn Kelley, Shane Greene, Pat Venditte, Aaron Dott, and Caleb Cotham. Julio Tehran will start for the Braves.

Yankees vs. Marlins

The Braves game can be seen live on YES at 1:05 eastern, while the Marlins game (starting at 2 eastern) will not be televised.

Ryan Doumit and Freddie Freeman both left today's game against the Yankees with hand contusions.

In yet another cruel bit of injury news from Braves Spring Training, both catcher/outfielder Ryan Doumit and first baseman Freddie Freeman have left today's game against the New York Yankees in Tampa with hand injuries, which were later diagnosed as contusions.

Doumit's injury was sustained during the bottom of the second inning, when a pitch thrown by Julio Teherán was fouled off by Yankees DH Pete O'Brien directly onto what appeared to be the back of Doumit's exposed right hand. Doumit immediately departed to the clubhouse, being replaced by Christian Bethancourt, and appeared to be in a considerable amount of pain. As Jim Powell reports above, Doumit will need to undergo x-rays as a result of the injury to determine whether or not he sustained any broken bones.

It wasn't immediately clear what happened to Freeman, as he was replaced in the top of the 3rd inning by Ernesto Mejía as a pinch-hitter. However, Jim Powell's tweet seems to suggest that Freeman sustained an injury to his left, non-throwing thumb as a result of a batted ball during the bottom of the second inning. His departure from the game seemed to be mostly precautionary, fortunately. His injury does not appear to be as significant as Doumit's, as he will reportedly not undergo x-ray testing, but it will still be something to monitor.

We'll be sure to bring you the latest news as it pertains to these two newest injuries sustained in a horribly unlucky spring for the Braves, so be sure to stay tuned to Talking Chop for any updates.

Update

Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the x-rays on Doumit's contused finger were negative, so it appears that the Braves have dodged a bullet with today's injuries, as both are solely contusions. We will continue to monitor Doumit and Freeman's status as the season approaches.

Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia both impressed as the Yankees swept their split squad games against the Braves and Marlins.

Yankees 7, Braves 4

Masahiro Tanaka got the start against the Braves and impressed once again, this time against a strong Atlanta lineup in a 7-4 Yankees' win. Tanaka went 4.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks, while he struck out six. The offense also put together an impressive outing, including a six-run fifth inning to put the Yankees in front for good.

The Yankees opened the game's scoring in the bottom of the second when Ichiro Suzuki hit a two-out single to drive home Ramon Flores. The Braves got that run back in the fourth. With Tanaka on the hill, Tommy La Stella hit a two-out double that the wind carried all the way to the wall. That double scored Dan Uggla, who had drawn a walk off Tanaka. An inning later, the Braves took the lead against Matt Thornton. Thornton gave up a double to Jason Heyward and a single to B.J. Upton, which gave the Braves a 2-1 lead.

However, the Yankees came back with a six-run inning in the bottom of the fifth to put themselves well in front. Ichiro and Eduardo Nunez drew walks to lead off the inning, and both came around to score when Brian McCann doubled to right. The Yankees' added four more runs from there, thanks to hits from Kelly Johnson and Flores, a wild pitch, a Mason Williams sacrifice fly and an error from Andrelton Simmons. When it was over, the Yankees had a 7-2 lead.

The Braves got a run back in the top of the eighth when Justin Upton took a Shane Green pitch over the left field wall. That cut the Yankee lead to four runs.

An iffy inning in the ninth by Dellin Betances allowed the Braves to add another run. Betances walked La Stella and hit Elmer Reyes with a pitch, and after Tyler Green singled, the bases were loaded with one out. The Braves got a run when Todd Cunningham grounded out. Betances finished off the game without anymore trouble when he struck out Joey Terdoslavich to seal the win.

Box score.

Yankees 7, Marlins 0

After being no hit yesterday in Panama, the Yankees ensured there would be no repeat of that feat today. This time it was the Yankees' pitching that shined, holding the Marlins to just one hit. Headlining was CC Sabathia who threw five no-hit innings, striking out five. The offense would redeem their performance from yesterday, scoring seven runs as the Yankees split the Legend Series with a 7-0 win.

The Yankees got the game's first run in the top of the second. Francisco Cervelli and Yangervis Solarte reached on singles and Cervelli came around to score when Zelous Wheeler hit a ground-rule double.

The Yankees tacked on four more runs in the fifth inning. Corban Joseph led off with a double and scored a couple batters later when Carlos Beltran singled. Derek Jeter (who had walked in the at bat before Beltran's) scored when Cervelli singled. Solarte then singled to drive home both Beltran and Cervelli to make it 5-0 Yankees.

The offense continued their dominance with more runs in the ninth inning. Antoan Richardson led off with a single and scored when Gary Sanchez homered to make it 7-0. In all, the Yankees recorded 15 hits in the game.

After Sabathia's start, David Robertson, Preston Claiborne, Cesar Cabral and Chris Leroux combined to finish off the game fairly easily. Only Claiborne allowed a base runner over the last four innings, as the Yankees came away with a 7-0 win.

Box score.

The Yankees will take on the Pirates tomorrow at 1:05 eastern. That game will air on MLB Network at 11 PM eastern.

Yuniesky Betancourt has been below replacement level for his whole career, but it's crazy to see who played fewer career games than him.

We are not great fans of Eduardo Nunez around here, but Yuniesky Betancourt has been trolling baseball with his constant presence on MLB rosters for a far longer amount of time than Nunez. Although Yuni's off to Japan this year to make Ichiro Suzuki bemoan the fate of his old Orix team, the former's career games played total in Major League Baseball is already higher than it really should be.

In the below Sporcle quiz, there are 20 players of relative note who should all have probably had more career games played than Yuni, but that is not the case. So whose games played total is higher than Yuni's, and whose is disturbingly lower?

Have a spectacular evening. Use this as an open thread for tonight, too.

Robin Ventura names Tyler Flowers starting catcher, but the backup picture is as messy as ever

Whatever's the opposite of "hotly contested," that describes the race for the White Sox's starting catcher job.

And whatever you think of Tyler Flowers, he's the guy who won it.

Robin Ventura said on Sunday that Flowers will open the season as the Sox's starter "unless something drastically changes," which I'd like to think is a verbal elbow to Rick Hahn's ribs.

That's not so much a knock on Flowers, because even the shoulder surgery doesn't alter his outlook to a recognizable extent, he still serves a purpose on a 25-man roster. Last year's early slump aside, he blocks well enough. He receives well. He keeps the trains running on time. The other catchers in camp might have better individual tools, but Flowers bundles all of them up into something pitchers want to throw to. Toss in the occasional Murder Time homer, and that's a backup catcher you can trust.

But Flowers is the face of the problem for two reasons:

1. Flowers went virtually unchallenged.
   
2. There aren't any other comfortable backup catchers.

Look down the list, and every option for a time-share is unsavory.

You don't want Josh Phegley to be your backup catcher. He throws better than Flowers, but he gave away a lot of that edge by fumbling the exchange or poor decisions. He framed pitches better than expected, but his receiving is still rough, and criticisms of his game-calling surfaced in a way that it never did for Flowers while he learned the staff.

That doesn't even factor in his bat. He hit worse than a Flowers who needed surgery, which he attributed to pressing. He's underperforming an outperformable Flowers this spring too, which he attributed to being "overanxious." He's still young enough to improve, but these shortcomings won't fix themselves while sitting five times a week.

You don't want Adrian Nieto to be your backup catcher, through no fault of his own (unless you count the 50-game suspension). He hasn't even spent time at Double-A, so take the note about improvement with Phegley and apply it to Nieto, but more so. The Rule 5 rules force the Sox to place him on the 25-man roster or offer him back to the Nationals, but Washington shored up its upper-levels catcher ranks by acquiring Jose Lobaton, so the Nats might be willing to work out a trade instead of merely taking Nieto back for $25,000.

You don't want Hector Gimenez as your backup catcher, because he was the backup catcher last year, and Ventura didn't want to play him even while Flowers was at his worst. All those machinations behind the plate that make him somewhat entertaining also contribute to his slow pitch-calling and worse pitch-framing. Here's how Baseball Prospectus grades out the catchers in terms of framing runs per 7,000 chances over their career, limited sample sizes and all:

• Flowers: 7.6
• Phegley: 4.0
• Gimenez: -1.5

So yeah, when you look at Flowers headlining the depth chart once again, and Gimenez having a shot at backing him up once again, this is a reasonable visceral reaction:

That's why I think there's something to the Francisco Cervellirumors.

Hahn said during SoxFest that he didn't have an interest in acquiring a catcher who could hold a roster spot but wouldn't offer developmental upside, especially if he required playing time at the expense of catchers who could theoretically improve.

If you interpret this notion to the letter, than Cervelli -- 28 years old with a turbulent professional history and struggles against right-handed pitching -- doesn't fit a neat profile:

When you think of White Sox catching outside of who they have, think long term fit. That probably is not Cervelli

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 15, 2014

But if you believe the defensive metrics, then that changes the discussion. Cervelli is among the best pitch-framers in the game (career: 12.3 runs above average per 7,000 chances). BPro also grades him out as an above-average blocker, and his success rate with basestealers has fluctuated, but appears adequate.

Reading the Pinstripe Alley thread on the Cervelli-Gordon Beckham rumor, there doesn't appear to be a consensus on his worth. The post posited that such a trade is an "awful idea" for the Yankees, but others didn't see why Cervelli should have a significant asking price. I haven't seen nearly enough of Cervelli to know which side has a better shot at being right.

But when you compare Cervelli's chief flaw (starts hot, can't stay hot) against the shortcomings of the in-house catcher options, you can see why Hahn might want to give him a long look. The Sox don't have a guy behind Flowers who gives Ventura even one real reason to play him except "because he's there," or "because maybe..." if you're charitable.

Assuming Cervelli's skills have held up through a weird last couple of years -- broken foot, broken hand, Biogenesis scandal -- he brings something to the table on any given day. If a change of scenery brought a little more out of his bat, that's at least a backup catcher who could be played liberally over the next three years at a cost that's easy to absorb. That's not quite as good as "starting catcher of the future," but that's something of a "long-term fit" by the standards of a position. Look at what the Rays are doing with Jose Molina and Ryan Hanigan.

I can't say with any certainty whether Cervelli himself fits that description, but Sox don't need to set their sights on a potential 120-game catcher to firm up a forecast for 2015 and beyond. Paying a stomachable cost to acquire a 20something catcher who doesn't need to explain why he's on the roster would be a sizable step in the same direction.

More from South Side Sox

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• Spring training becoming a minefield for contenders
• Gordon Beckham has strained left oblique
• Right on Q: Selling the Sox

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Sporcle quiz open thread: More games than Yuni?
• Starting pitching and offense shine as Yankees sweep split squad games
• Spring Training Game Nineteen: Yankees vs. Braves & Yankees vs. Marlins
• Yankees prospects: Rob Refsnyder has a big opportunity in front of him
• CC Sabathia and his new cutter

Yankees News

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: Jacoby Ellsbury has a tight calf, but no one thinks it's going to be a big deal.

NoMaas | SJK: The "much different" Yankees infield could still use Stephen Drew.

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews:Manny Banuelos was reassigned to High-A Tampa, but he could end up anywhere for the regular season.

MLB Trade Rumors | Jeff Todd: How do the Yankees match up to the rest of the league when it comes to free agent dollars and years?

MLB.com | Adam Berry: Brian McCann enjoyed facing his old team, the Braves.

New York Daily News | Christian Red: Mariano Rivera's father talks about the Panama games.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff:Derek Jeter, Damon Oppenheimer, and Mark Newman are all on the hot seat this season.

An A-Blog For A-Rod | Brad Vietrogoski: Should the Yankees trade John Ryan Murphy, possibly to the Diamondbacks for Chris Owings, this spring?

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Comparing the defensive abilities of Raul Ibanez and Vernon Wells.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Brian Cashman discusses Masahiro Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury, Michael Pineda, Manny Banuelos, and Francisco Cervelli.

MLB.com | Adam Berry: Masahiro Tanaka has done a great job adapting to America and MLB so far.

What are the backup options at second base once Brian Roberts gets hurt?

The Yankees had to try their best to come up with some sort of replacement at second base once Robinson Cano dashed to the Pacific Northwest. First, the team wisely turned down a Brett Gardner-for-Brandon Phillips swap, then passed on giving Omar Infante a four-year contract, and finally watched Mark Ellis sign with the Cardinals. Once the dust settled, New York found themselves with Brian Roberts as their new everyday second baseman. Well, at least that's the plan right now. Brian Roberts is sure to get hurt sometime, thus testing New York's depth at the second base position.

Fortunately, along with the Roberts signing, the Yankees brought in a few players through trade and free agency to help shore up their second base depth, starting with Dean Anna. Anna was acquired in a trade with the Padres, in which the Yankees sent Low-A reliever Ben Paullus to San Diego. I have no idea what Paullus will ever amount to, but on the surface, it appears as though New York got the best of this minor trade. Anna can play all three non-first base infield positions, but is mainly a second baseman and shortstop, where he is known as a quality defender. Anna has also shown very good on-base skills, as evident by his minor-league-career .386 OBP and 12.5% walk-rate. Anna will surely start the year in Scranton, but once Roberts gets hurt, the "Dean of Swing" could get his first taste of the big leagues.

After acquiring Anna, the Yankees signed Scott Sizemore off the scrap-heap to a minor-league deal. Sizemore tore his ACL twice in each of the last two seasons and is currently trying to make his way back as a utility man for the Yankees. I personally wouldn't be surprised one bit if Sizemore ends up being Kelly Johnson's platoon partner at third base come Opening Day, but, at the same time, he could very well be sent to Triple-A to help make up for lost time. In addition to third base, Sizemore can play second base, and, barring further injury, could certainly be a Roberts backup plan at second.

In between the Anna and Sizemore acquisitions was another scrap-heap pickup in Yangervis Solarte. Solarte, a career minor leaguer, has taken the Grapefruit League by storm, hitting .517/.563/.724 through two weeks' worth of games. He is versatile, seeing time mainly at second (his most primary position) and third, with stops at left field, shortstop, and right field. "Versatile" can mean two different things, however; he can be versatile in that he can play well at multiple positions, or he can be versatile in that he's pretty bad wherever he plays, so teams just move him around when a better player comes around. I'm thinking Solarte's more of the latter than he is the former.

Anyway, since his primary position is second, Solarte could be given a chance in the Bronx once Roberts gets hurt, assuming all else fails. The smart money, however, is Solarte getting sent to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he'll most likely repeat his past Triple-A performances (~91 wRC+ in 263 career Triple-A games) and never be heard from again.

In terms of in-house solutions at second, there's Eduardo Nunez and Brendan Ryan. We all know the story with Nunez by now: almost everyone hates him as a player, yet he continues to get chance after chance. Nunez might end up being Kelly Johnson's platoon partner at third come Opening Day, partly because he's hit well this spring (.285/.310/.500). Once Roberts gets hurt, Nunez could slide over to second base full-time in what'd surely create a disaster outcome. (Johnson could also move to his normal position at second with Nunez moving to third, not that the thought of Nunez at third is much more comforting.) Ryan, on the other hand, is set to be Derek Jeter's caddie at shortstop, but could see time at second if need be.

How about in-house options at the minor league level? Well, there just isn't that much, unfortunately. There's Jose Pirela, who has some shiny stats at the Double-A level over the last two seasons (123 wRC+, 118 wRC+ in 2012 and 2013, respectively), but it took him three seasons to finally advance to the next minor-league level. There's also Corban Joseph, who has hit pretty well almost wherever he's been in the minors, but he's coming off of shoulder surgery. He also has had plenty of trouble at second base, to the point where he's seen most of his time at first base this spring and may have to settle there long-term.

Sadly, the respective Brian Roberts backup plans aren't that attractive at all. Even the two more intriguing options, Anna and Sizemore, certainly don't come without their faults. The Yankees could always turn to the trade market if need be, but of course it takes two (or sometimes three) to tango. The second base situation is basically a ticking-time bomb this year, given Roberts' recent health history and the so-so backup options that follow him. For now, the Yankees will just have to cross their fingers and hope for the best; it's all they can do until something unexpectedly goes right.

Because why should the essentially-defunct Big East in collegiate sports get all the hype?

On Sunday night, ESPN aired a special on the highly popular college basketball conference, the Big East, which saw its history basically come to a close last year, as several longtime staples departed while the conference broke up and rebooted. It was the end of an era, and it got me thinking about the Yankees and the history of their division, the American League East. For the past 45 years, the Yankees have competed in this division, and they have been fortunate enough to secure an incredible 18 AL East division titles, including an AL record nine titles in a row from 1998-2006. The relative stability of the division's three most successful teams have helped make the AL East arguably the most historically rich division in baseball.

When Major League Baseball decided to adopt divisional play beginning with the 1969 season, it was only logical that each league split into two divisions: one in the east, one in the west. While the National League made some strange decisions with their alignment, most notably sending the Atlanta Braves to the NL West division for no apparent reason, the AL split made sense. For the first three years, the AL East had the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers, Indians, and Senators. Those early years were all Baltimore. The O's became the first team in baseball to "three-peat" as division champions from 1969-71, an amazing streak success that also saw them win three consecutive AL pennants. The "Miracle Mets" shocked them in '69 and Roberto Clemente's Pirates trounced them in '71, but they reached their pinnacle with a World Series title over an early edition of Sparky Anderson's "Big Red Machine" in 1970. The young division quickly had its first shake-up in '72, when the hapless Senators moved to Texas and became the Rangers, abandoning baseball in the nation's capital for over 30 years. The Rangers moved to the AL West, so the AL East grabbed the next-closest team to balance out the divisions: the Brewers.

A Billy Martin-led Tigers team interrupted the Orioles' streak in '72, but Baltimore was back on top in '73 and '74, though none of them could contend with the rising Athletics dynasty out west. Boston won its first division title in '75 and swept the A's in the ALCS to give Oakland its first playoff series loss in four years. They won Game 6 of the World Series of course on Carlton Fisk's unforgettable homer, but the "Big Red Machine" was ultimately too much for them. The Yankees followed Boston's lead of restoring glory to its franchise with a return to the playoffs via the AL East title in '76 and thanks to Chris Chambliss, a return to the World Series as well. Just like Boston, however, the "Big Red Machine" destroyed them in the Fall Classic.

In '77, the Blue Jays joined the AL East as an expansion team, the first Canadian club in AL history. However, they were complete non-factors in the now-seven-team AL East during their first few seasons; the Yankees went on a roll by repeating as back-to-back division, league, and World Series champions. The '78 division title race was particularly memorable, as they fought back from a 14 1/2 game deficit in July to beat the free-falling Red Sox in a one-game playoff for the division title. The Orioles fought their way to the top of the heap '79 and made it to the World Series, where they blew a 3-1 series lead to the Pirates. The Yankees took the title back in '80 behind Dick Howser, but a sweep at the hands of their longtime punching bag AL West counterpart Royals led to the AL East's only absence from the Fall Classic over a 10-year stretch from 1975-84. During a weird '81 season split in half by the players' strike, first half leaders met second half leaders in the first Division Series in baseball history. The Yankees then took the division crown over the Brewers with a five-game ALDS victory (despite finishing four games behind Milwaukee in the overall AL East standings). They swept the A's in the ALCS, then lost to the Dodgers in the Fall Classic. Baseball's most celebrated franchise then somehow missed out on playoff baseball for 14 years in a row.

The Brewers had the greatest year of their AL history in '82, as they won a tight division race to secure their first AL East title, then stormed back from an 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five ALCS to win the pennant in a five-game series over the California Angels. "Harvey's Wallbangers" came within 11 outs of their first World Series victory, but they lost to the Cardinals and never again reached the AL playoffs. The Orioles and Tigers took turns romping to division titles and eventual World Series victories in '83 and '84, respectively, and the eight-year-old Blue Jays led by Bobby Cox stunned everyone by winning 99 games and the '85 AL East title. They blew a 3-1 lead in the ALCS to the Royals, but a year later, the AL East champion Red Sox returned the favor to the Angels en route to an agonizing World Series loss to the Mets.

The years 1987-1991 were uncharacteristically dry for the AL East, as none of their division champions could surpass the Twins or A's in the ALCS. A revamped Blue Jays squad came back in full force in '92, and they brought pride back to the AL East with back-to-back World Series wins over the Braves and Phillies. The '93-'94 off-season brought the next big shake-up to the division, as AL Central and NL Central divisions were added along with the promise of one Wild Card berth for each league's winningest team that did not capture a division title. Thus, the Brewers left the AL East, as did the Indians, who only had four winning seasons to show for their 25 seasons in the AL East. The long-suffering Cleveland fans would have to join the AL Central before snapping their 41-year playoff drought.

So in '94, the division had the Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Tigers. There was sadly no true division champion that year though, as the players' strike cancelled the postseason. The Yankees were all set to return to October baseball, as they had the best record in the AL at the time of the strike, but it was not meant to be. The next year, they were fortunate to rally for the first AL Wild Card berth, as the Red Sox and Mo Vaughn slugged their way to a division title. While neither team made it to the ALCS in '95, both AL East playoff teams made it to the ALCS in '96: the champion Yankees and the Wild Card O's. In an exciting and controversial five-game series, the Yankees emerged victorious in the first all-AL East ALCS, and they of course stunned the baseball world by taking down the defending champion Braves' vaunted pitching staff in the World Series.

Baltimore and New York swapped playoff spot in '97 as the O's took home the division title while the Yankees settled for the Wild Card. Neither was much of a match for their former AL East whipping boys in Cleveland. The Indians beat both teams on their way to the AL pennant. Joe Torre's Yankees, led by a talented young core that featured Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, returned to the top of the division in '98 with a then-AL record 114 victories and a dominant season that ended in another World Series title. They won the next nine division titles consecutively, adding two more champions in '99 and 2000 to complete a three-peat and winning the AL pennant in '01 and '03 to boot.

The Red Sox were a constant thorn in the Yankees' side, taking home the Wild Card in five of those nine seasons and playing against them during the ALCS in '99, '03, and '04. While the latter two were agonizing defeats for Boston, they stunned the Yankees in '04 to win the AL pennant and then end their 86-year championship drought. Both teams were one-and-done in '05, and the Red Sox missed the playoffs in '06 while the Yankees again went one-and-done. Boston ended the Yankees' streak of division titles with an AL East crown in '07 on their way to another World Series victory.

Although the Yankees made the playoffs that year, their 13-year streak of consecutive postseasons came to an end '08 during their last season at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox made it as the Wild Card in their place, but the team that won the title was a shocker: the newly-christened Tampa Bay Rays. Although Joe Maddon's team had spent a decade languishing in the cellar, they won 97 games out of nowhere in '08 to win their first AL East division title. They took down the White Sox in the ALDS, then dismantled the defending champion Red Sox in a seven-game ALCS to move on to the Fall Classic, where their Cinderella story came just short of a happy ending in a loss to the Phillies. Against those very same Phillies in '09 though, the Yankees came back with a vengeance thanks to free agent acquisitions like CC Sabathia and old standbys like Jeter; they won 103 games to win the division and beat Philly in six games to claim their 27th World Series title. Although Boston made the Wild Card that year, they were swept by the Angels in the ALDS and missed the playoffs during the next three years.

The Rays took the division title back in 2010, forcing the Yankees to settle for the Wild Card. Neither team had an answer to hired gun Cliff Lee and his Rangers though, as they both bowed out of the playoffs against the resurgent Rangers. It was the Yankees who won the AL East in 2011, and it looked like the Red Sox would take the Wild Card again. However, the Rays unfurled another comeback down the stretch as Boston lost their big lead and eventually fell on the last day of the season to make way for the Rays. Ultimately, it was all for naught, as both the Yanks and Rays were one-and-dones in the 2011 playoffs.

The Yankees won their 18th division title in 2012, persevering in a tight division race over the Rays and baseball's biggest surprise in 2012, the Orioles. Baltimore had gone through an awful stretch of 15 straight seasons under .500 before skipper Buck Showalter helped them break through with 93 wins to earn them a Wild Card spot. Under MLB's new rules, there were now two Wild Cards in each league, so the Orioles had to take down the Rangers in a one-game playoff to make it to a highly-competitive ALDS against the Yankees. Like in the regular season, the Yankees managed to hold the fort and beat them in five games before getting swept in the ALCS. The 2013 campaign witnessed an incredible end to the regular season, as the Rays had to win a one-game playoff over the Rangers just to make the Wild Card playoff, which they also won over the Indians to advance to the ALDS. The Red Sox bounced back from their worst season in 45 years to win the AL East and they dismissed the Rays in four games during the ALDS on their way to a World Series title.

The AL East has had a long and impressive history, with 26 pennants and 15 World Series titles. Both figures rank higher than any other baseball division's total. The entire division has combined to be over .500 in 33 of their 45 seasons, a very impressive figure. Here's to many more years of the division's dominance over baseball. With the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays all looking quite capable to take home the division title in 2014, it looks like the AL East will continue to be formidable for years to come.

Most AL East titles

1. New York Yankees, 18
2. Baltimore Orioles, 8
3. Boston Red Sox, 7
4. Toronto Blue Jays, 5
5. Detroit Tigers, 3
6. Tampa Bay Rays, 2
7. Milwaukee Brewers, 1
8 (tie). Cleveland Indians/Washington Senators, 0

Major MLB Awards

1969 - Mike Cuellar (BAL) and Denny McLain (DET), Cy Young
1970 - Thurman Munson (NYY), Rookie of the Year
1970 - Boog Powell (BAL), MVP
1971 - Chris Chambliss (CLE), Rookie of the Year
1972 - Carlton Fisk (BOS), Rookie of the Year
1972 - Gaylord Perry (CLE), Cy Young
1973 - Al Bumbry (BAL), Rookie of the Year
1973 - Jim Palmer (BAL), Cy Young
1975 - Fred Lynn (BOS), Rookie of the Year and MVP
1975 - Jim Palmer (BAL), Cy Young
1976 - Mark Fidrych (DET), Rookie of the Year
1976 - Jim Palmer (BAL), Cy Young
1976 - Thurman Munson (NYY), MVP
1977 - Eddie Murray (BAL), Rookie of the Year
1977 - Sparky Lyle (NYY), Cy Young
1978 - Lou Whitaker (DET), Rookie of the Year
1978 - Ron Guidry (NYY), Cy Young
1978 - Jim Rice (BOS), MVP
1979 - Alfredo Griffin (TOR), Rookie of the Year (tie)
1979 - Mike Flanagan (BAL), Cy Young
1980 - Joe Charboneau (CLE), Rookie of the Year
1980 - Steve Stone (BAL), Cy Young
1981 - Dave Righetti (NYY), Rookie of the Year
1981 - Rollie Fingers (MIL), Cy Young and MVP
1982 - Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL), Rookie of the Year
1982 - Pete Vuckovich (MIL), Cy Young
1982 - Robin Yount (MIL), MVP
1983 - Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL), MVP
1984 - Willie Hernandez (DET), Cy Young and MVP
1985 - Don Mattingly (NYY), MVP
1986 - Roger Clemens (BOS), Cy Young and MVP
1987 - Roger Clemens (BOS), Cy Young
1987 - George Bell (TOR), MVP
1989 - Gregg Olson (BAL), Rookie of the Year
1989 - Robin Yount (MIL), MVP
1990 - Sandy Alomar, Jr. (CLE), Rookie of the Year
1991 - Roger Clemens (BOS), Cy Young
1991 - Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL), MVP
1992 - Pat Listach (MIL), Rookie of the Year
1995 - Mo Vaughn (BOS), MVP
1996 - Derek Jeter (NYY), Rookie of the Year
1996 - Pat Hentgen (TOR), Cy Young
1997 - Nomar Garciaparra (BOS), Rookie of the Year
1997 - Roger Clemens (TOR), Cy Young
1998 - Roger Clemens (TOR), Cy Young
1999 - Pedro Martinez (BOS), Cy Young
2000 - Pedro Martinez (BOS), Cy  Young
2001 - Roger Clemens (NYY), Cy Young
2002 - Eric Hinske (TOR), Rookie of the Year
2003 - Roy Halladay (TOR), Cy Young
2005 - Alex Rodriguez (NYY), MVP
2007 - Dustin Pedroia (BOS), Rookie of the Year
2007 - Alex Rodriguez (NYY), MVP
2008 - Evan Longoria (TBR), Rookie of the Year
2008 - Dustin Pedroia (BOS), MVP
2011 - Jeremy Hellickson (TBR), Rookie of the Year
2012 - David Price (TBR), Cy Young
2013 - Wil Myers (TBR), Rookie of the Year

Year-by-Year history

Italics = Won World SeriesBold = Won AL pennant
*=Split-season due to strike, won division title in five-game playoff vs. second-half AL East leader Brewers
**=Strike-shortened season, no division title technically awarded due to cancelled playoffs

Hiroki Kuroda takes the mound to square off against Stolmey Pimentel at McKechnie Field.

The regular season is only a couple of weeks away. For any players who want to impress their respective ballclubs, now would be a good time to start. Here are today's lineups.

On the bench, the Yankees have John Ryan Murphy, Corban Joseph, Zelous Wheeler, Dean Anna, Jose Pirela, Ramon Flores, Jake Cave, Yeral Sanchez (Props to Andrew for finding the name of this one), Francisco Arcia, Jose Gil, Pete O'Brien, Casey Stevenson, and Mason Williams. The bullpen will consist of Chase Whitley, David Herndon, Mark Montgomery, Brian Gordon, Yoshinori Tateyama, Fred Lewis, Robert Coello, Branden Pinder, James Pazos, and Manny Barreda

As our ancestors used to say, Let's Go Yankees.

UPDATE:

The tarp is going on the field and today's game will not start on time. Stay tuned for more updates. #PiratesSTpic.twitter.com/253xLGuQmS

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 17, 2014

UPDATE:

Yankees-Pirates game has mercifully been cancelled due to rain.

— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) March 17, 2014

UPDATE:

Kuroda is slated to pitch today, despite the rainout. He's headed back to Tampa to throw 75 pitches indoors.

— Anthony McCarron (@AnthonyMcCarron) March 17, 2014