Johnson: Teaming with Jeter is amazing

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 2/27/2014 7:16 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- When Derek Jeter was on these same fields in the spring of 1996, convincing Yankees officials that he was a starting shortstop, Kelly Johnson was an eighth-grader at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas.

So as Jeter took the field for his final spring home opener nearly two decades later, Johnson said that it was a surreal moment to turn his head left and realize that he was playing third base with Jeter at shortstop.

"I was in high school watching these guys step out on the field for the first time. I was their biggest fan," Johnson said. "I'm watching everything they do, Derek absolutely included. To be playing next to him and being on the same team is pretty amazing."

Johnson said that he was a shortstop in high school, so he paid close attention to all of the young shortstops around the league -- Jeter, of course, as well as players like Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra.

"Anybody that plays for the Yankees, you know who they are, even if you're not a fan," Johnson said. "When he was a rookie, you were definitely aware of Derek Jeter. Remember, that was also when all the other big-time shortstops, that was the big thing."

Johnson said that as an opponent, Jeter always made time to say hello to players on the other team, even rookies with only a few days of big league service under their belts. Johnson said that he has already learned that Jeter seems to be even more fun as a teammate.

"It's a long year. He keeps it light and has fun," Johnson said. "You can tell that this is where he's wanted to be his whole life. It really shows."

Phelps focused on strikes, not his role with Yanks

TAMPA, Fla. -- David Phelps is coming into camp competing to win the fifth-starter vacancy in the Yankees' rotation, but the right-hander feels confident that he will help the pitching staff no matter how he is utilized.

"It's kind of the same thing I've been saying -- this is the third year now," Phelps said. "My job is to go out there and get guys out, regardless of my role. I haven't changed the way I approach the season anyway, I'm just going out there and trying to get on a roll, throw strikes. Regardless of my role, that's how I'm going to approach it."

Phelps started for the Yankees in Thursday's 8-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Pirates, serving up a solo home run to Gregory Polanco in two innings. Phelps allowed two hits with no walks and four strikeouts, throwing 20 of 30 pitches for strikes.

"I felt really good today," Phelps said. "I was throwing strikes, and that was the biggest thing I wanted to take out of today. I didn't get behind too many guys, and the fastball command was there. For day one, I'll take it."

Phelps is competing with Michael Pineda, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno to win the final slot in the rotation. Yankees manager Joe Girardi has suggested that some of those contenders could wind up in a relief role, which is an assignment that Phelps has also filled.

"It's great just being back out there," Phelps said. "It's one thing throwing BP and throwing sim games, but when you're out there with an actual umpire, and no screen, no nets, and you're really playing the game, it definitely gets your heart pumping a little bit more."

Cervelli posts photo calling for peace in Venezuela

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli engaged with social media to show support for his troubled homeland on Thursday, posting a picture with several teammates pleading for peace in Venezuela.

It has been reported that 16 people have died as protests of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government become increasingly violent. In the photo Cervelli posted to Instagram, he is clutching a corner of Venezuela's flag among hand-written signs reading, "Paz," or peace.

"All of my friends have been doing that on the other teams," Cervelli said. "I think we're not trying to be in politics or whatever, because I don't believe in politics, I just play baseball.

"But I care about my people. My mom and dad are still there, and I'm always praying for them to be safe every day. It's a little message just for peace and no more people dead."

Four other Venezuelan members of the Yankees' roster are in the picture: catcher Francisco Arcia and infielders Jose Gil, Jose Pirela and Yangervis Solarte. Bullpen catcher Roman Rodriguez also took part.

In addition, Yankees stars CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki posed for the photo. Cervelli said that his teammates wanted to show support for the cause.

"Latin people have always been one," Cervelli said. "We are brothers, and everywhere we go, we make noise. We talk loud. That's the way we do things; and the music. We had other guys, [Ichiro] from Japan, [Sabathia] from here.

"I spend more time with these guys than my family, so we are a family. These are the people I have been working [with] for the last four years, so I think everybody feels the same thing."

Bombers bits

• Dressed in his full pinstripes for Thursday's Grapefruit League game, Brian Roberts said that he got a strange look from the Pirates' Chris Dickerson, who was a teammate of Roberts' with the Orioles last season.

"Dude, you just look weird,'" Dickerson told Roberts.

Roberts acknowledged that it is an adjustment to be dressing in navy blue pinstripes instead of black and orange, but he said that staying in the American League East and knowing Yankee Stadium well should help.

"I think in some ways I just feel strange," Roberts said. "But I think if I was putting on a San Diego Padres uniform, it would be even more weird."

• Left-hander Francisco Rondon (back) is "probably down for a couple of weeks," according to Girardi. Rondon felt stiffness while warming up on Wednesday in Bradenton, Fla.

• Right-hander Jose Ramirez had MRIs performed Thursday on his oblique and back. He was sidelined last season with an oblique injury that was originally thought to be a back issue.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Cervelli posts photo calling for peace in Venezuela

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 2/27/2014 7:16 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli engaged with social media to show support for his troubled homeland on Thursday, posting a picture with several teammates pleading for peace in Venezuela.

It has been reported that 16 people have died as protests of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government become increasingly violent. In the photo Cervelli posted to Instagram, he is clutching a corner of Venezuela's flag among hand-written signs reading, "Paz," or peace.

"All of my friends have been doing that on the other teams," Cervelli said. "I think we're not trying to be in politics or whatever, because I don't believe in politics, I just play baseball.

"But I care about my people. My mom and dad are still there, and I'm always praying for them to be safe every day. It's a little message just for peace and no more people dead."

Four other Venezuelan members of the Yankees' roster are in the picture: catcher Francisco Arcia and infielders Jose Gil, Jose Pirela and Yangervis Solarte. Bullpen catcher Roman Rodriguez also took part.

In addition, Yankees stars CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki posed for the photo. Cervelli said that his teammates wanted to show support for the cause.

"Latin people have always been one," Cervelli said. "We are brothers, and everywhere we go, we make noise. We talk loud. That's the way we do things; and the music. We had other guys, [Ichiro] from Japan, [Sabathia] from here.

"I spend more time with these guys than my family, so we are a family. These are the people I have been working [with] for the last four years, so I think everybody feels the same thing."

Phelps focused on strikes, not his role with Yanks

TAMPA, Fla. -- David Phelps is coming into camp competing to win the fifth-starter vacancy in the Yankees' rotation, but the right-hander feels confident that he will help the pitching staff no matter how he is utilized.

"It's kind of the same thing I've been saying -- this is the third year now," Phelps said. "My job is to go out there and get guys out, regardless of my role. I haven't changed the way I approach the season anyway, I'm just going out there and trying to get on a roll, throw strikes. Regardless of my role, that's how I'm going to approach it."

Phelps started for the Yankees in Thursday's 8-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Pirates, serving up a solo home run to Gregory Polanco in two innings. Phelps allowed two hits with no walks and four strikeouts, throwing 20 of 30 pitches for strikes.

"I felt really good today," Phelps said. "I was throwing strikes, and that was the biggest thing I wanted to take out of today. I didn't get behind too many guys, and the fastball command was there. For day one, I'll take it."

Phelps is competing with Michael Pineda, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno to win the final slot in the rotation. Yankees manager Joe Girardi has suggested that some of those contenders could wind up in a relief role, which is an assignment that Phelps has also filled.

"It's great just being back out there," Phelps said. "It's one thing throwing BP and throwing sim games, but when you're out there with an actual umpire, and no screen, no nets, and you're really playing the game, it definitely gets your heart pumping a little bit more."

Johnson: Teaming with Jeter is amazing

TAMPA, Fla. -- When Derek Jeter was on these same fields in the spring of 1996, convincing Yankees officials that he was a starting shortstop, Kelly Johnson was an eighth-grader at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas.

So as Jeter took the field for his final spring home opener nearly two decades later, Johnson said that it was a surreal moment to turn his head left and realize that he was playing third base with Jeter at shortstop.

"I was in high school watching these guys step out on the field for the first time. I was their biggest fan," Johnson said. "I'm watching everything they do, Derek absolutely included. To be playing next to him and being on the same team is pretty amazing."

Johnson said that he was a shortstop in high school, so he paid close attention to all of the young shortstops around the league -- Jeter, of course, as well as players like Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra.

"Anybody that plays for the Yankees, you know who they are, even if you're not a fan," Johnson said. "When he was a rookie, you were definitely aware of Derek Jeter. Remember, that was also when all the other big-time shortstops, that was the big thing."

Johnson said that as an opponent, Jeter always made time to say hello to players on the other team, even rookies with only a few days of big league service under their belts. Johnson said that he has already learned that Jeter seems to be even more fun as a teammate.

"It's a long year. He keeps it light and has fun," Johnson said. "You can tell that this is where he's wanted to be his whole life. It really shows."

Bombers bits

• Dressed in his full pinstripes for Thursday's Grapefruit League game, Brian Roberts said that he got a strange look from the Pirates' Chris Dickerson, who was a teammate of Roberts' with the Orioles last season.

"Dude, you just look weird,'" Dickerson told Roberts.

Roberts acknowledged that it is an adjustment to be dressing in navy blue pinstripes instead of black and orange, but he said that staying in the American League East and knowing Yankee Stadium well should help.

"I think in some ways I just feel strange," Roberts said. "But I think if I was putting on a San Diego Padres uniform, it would be even more weird."

• Left-hander Francisco Rondon (back) is "probably down for a couple of weeks," according to Girardi. Rondon felt stiffness while warming up on Wednesday in Bradenton, Fla.

• Right-hander Jose Ramirez had MRIs performed Thursday on his oblique and back. He was sidelined last season with an oblique injury that was originally thought to be a back issue.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Offseason of change: CC stronger than ever

One year ago, Yankees ace CC Sabathia weighed in at Spring Training camp at 275 pounds. This spring, he tipped the scales at exactly the same weight.

But camp has been buzzing about Sabathia's physical transformation, because it does indeed appear to be nearly as dramatic as his initial drop from 320 pounds. The Internet has been all aflutter with posts about his svelte appearance. Many of them have been negative, calling him "really skinny," "gaunt-looking" and "shockingly thin."

Sabathia has called the criticism "hilarious."

The six-time All-Star is still sporting the same ultra-baggy pinstripe pants he's worn in years past, and they do accentuate his lankiness. But take a look at him in workout gear and it's obvious his 6-foot-7 frame is considerably more toned than it has ever been.

Sabathia has basically done what every dieter in America dreams of doing; instead of merely dropping pounds, he has replaced fat with lean muscle, dropping his body fat percentage from nearly 25 percent to around 17 percent in just four months. According to trainer T.J. Lopez, Sabathia has added seven to 12 pounds of muscle.

How? By working out like he never has before.

In offseasons past, Sabathia has always struggled in a down-to-the-wire race to weigh under 300 pounds by the time pitchers and catchers report, as his contract mandates. That scramble included lots of long cardio sessions and calorie counting.

"It was like I was on 'The Biggest Loser,'" Sabathia said. "But this year I was already at the right weight and I was only worried about getting stronger."

Everyone knows 2013 was a disappointing year for the big lefty, who posted a 14-13 record and a career-worst 4.78 ERA in 211 innings. Sabathia admitted to feeling tired after four or five innings in his starts, and his fastball has also dropped a few miles an hour in velocity -- from 95 mph to around 92 mph -- in recent years.

Some of Sabathia's troubles last season could be attributed to muscle weakness, fatigue and loss of power that can be caused by rapid weight loss.

"He didn't have the leg strength he usually does," said Lopez. "So this offseason, it was all about getting him to a facility with the proper equipment to develop core, leg and total body strength."

Sabathia has trained with Lopez since 2010, but they had always worked out at Sabathia's New Jersey home, using mostly resistance bands, dumbbells and medicine balls. This winter, though, Lopez got Sabathia into a real gym, five or six times per week from mid-October through mid-February, so he could train using Olympic lifts and other exercises to add muscle and increase strength, explosiveness and power.

Sabathia always warmed up with mobility and core exercises. Workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays focused on strength exercises, including deadlift, squat and power clean variations -- all of which involve moving heavy weight on a barbell -- and box jumps, broad jumps and other lateral and linear bounding exercises to train explosiveness. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays were dedicated to sprints and sled work, some conditioning and the shoulder and rotator cuff maintenance exercises nearly every pitcher includes in his training program.

With the elbow issues Sabathia battled in 2012 a not-so-distant memory, this offseason also included a visit to Dr. James Andrews' biomechanics lab at American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala., for a full analysis of Sabathia's pitching motion. Dr. Andrews' team also tested Sabathia's shoulder girdle and rotator cuff strength, and gave Lopez manual resistance, rotational and rhythmic stabilization exercises to incorporate into Sabathia's shoulder maintenance program.

"We got a lot done when we were training in CC's house, but this year I wanted to change the plan a bit and get him out of his comfort zone," Lopez said. "We obviously weren't trying to create an Olympic athlete, but we did want to develop the extension and power he needs to be more explosive in his sport, and he loved it."

"[Before last season] it was like I was on 'The Biggest Loser.' But this year I was already at the right weight and I was only worried about getting stronger."

-- CC Sabathia

Sabathia, who was a high school quarterback in Vallejo, Calif., also loved Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild's suggestion for his offseason throwing program. From mid-October to mid-February, Sabathia and Lopez played catch with a football four times per week to redevelop and maintain arm strength. Sabathia began throwing a baseball again in mid-January, moving from soft toss and long toss to throwing off a mound by the beginning of February.

Sabathia's diet has also been completely revamped. When he was trying to lose weight, Sabathia eliminated all carbohydrates, which left him feeling weak and depleted.

"I felt like garbage," he said. "I had no energy. I lost the weight pretty quickly, but given how terrible I felt, I don't think that was the right way to do it."

Now, Sabathia eats four to five smaller meals per day, which include some carbohydrates, along with one protein shake.

"CC has a personal chef who will cook whatever [Sabathia] wants," Lopez said. "We've made sure to add more whole foods, fish and lean protein and more vegetables."

Because he is maintaining his target weight, Sabathia also no longer has to obsess about "cheat meals" and can indulge whenever he wants. That is, if he wants a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger, he'll go for it.

Sabathia, 33, is now entering his 14th season in the big leagues and claims this is the best he's felt in Spring Training in years.

"I have great energy and I feel strong, even just throwing bullpens and batting practice," he said. "And the arm is definitely coming quicker."

Sabathia is also reaping the rewards of his healthier lifestyle and stronger physique off the field. In the past, he had trouble keeping up with his four children, ages 10, 8, 5 and 3.

"I've got them now," he said, "and I'm going to make sure I can continue to sprint after them."

The Yankees agree that Sabathia's changes have been for the better.

"CC has done a great job of getting in better shape than he's ever been in, health-wise, and now he's also stronger and tighter," said general manager Brian Cashman. "He had excess weight that it was best for him to lose."

How Sabathia's new physique will affect his performance and velocity over the course of another long baseball season remains to be seen.

"The proof is on the field," Lopez said. "If it works, it works. And if it doesn't, so be it. But either way, CC is in a better position to succeed this year than he was last year, and he's never been more excited for a season."

Lindsay Berra is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @lindsayberra. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Mo honored Yanks coming to 'my beloved Panama'

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 2/26/2014 4:47 P.M. ET

Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is going back home to Panama next month, and he's taking his former teammates with him for a legendary weekend.

The "Legend Series" between the Yankees and the Marlins will be played March 15-16 at Panama City's Rod Carew Stadium, marking Major League Baseball's first visit to the country since 1947. The games, a rematch of the 2003 World Series, will honor the legacy of Rivera, who retired last season as baseball's all-time saves leader.

The "Legends Series" games count as part of the teams' Spring Training schedule.

"It means a lot to me and I want to thank the teams, because it's an honor and privilege to have the Marlins and my ex-teammates in my beloved Panama," said Rivera, who is serving as an ambassador for the event. "It's been a dream to have games in Panama. It's going to be great to be able to have these games there."

The "Legends Series" will also include charitable events and a gala that will benefit the Mariano Rivera Foundation. Proceeds will go to Children's Hospital in Panama City, the country's largest pediatric hospital. It's a cause close to Rivera's heart. The former closer said he has devoted much of his time to his family, charity and his church since retiring.

"I hope these games can help youth of Panama and motivate them by seeing professionals play," Rivera said. "They need to study, of course, but also do sports, and stay out of the streets. Baseball is not easy, but it's a beautiful sport and I know this is going to be something spectacular. I hope the country takes advantage of it and enjoys something we have not seen in years."

Rivera admits it would have been nice to play in Panama with the Yankees before he retired, but he does not regret walking away from the game. Yes, Rivera misses the competition and being around his teammates at times, but he's happy spending time with his wife and children.

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

The future Hall of Fame pitcher said he is especially looking forward to catching up with Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who recently announced that 2014 will be his final season. Rivera said he hasn't called his old friend yet, because he wants to congratulate him on his career in person.

"I didn't see [Jeter's retirement] coming at all," Rivera said. "For sure, I was one of the guys that thought you would have to pull uniform off of his body to take him out, but I was wrong. It was a surprise to me, but at the same time, he's happy and I'm happy. I just wish him the best. I just continue to pray for him all year so he can enjoy his retirement."

Panama will become the seventh country to host games between two Major League teams behind Mexico, Japan, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and China. Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy and members of the Yankees trained in Panama in February 1946 and played against a Panamanian professional league All-Star team.

The Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers played exhibition games in Panama during a trip that also included stops in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Venezuela in 1947.

Could Major League Baseball open the season in Panama one day? Rivera sure hopes so.

"I hope we can do can do something like that eventually, start the season in Panama," Rivera said. "It would be great for us Panamanians to have that blessing of big league games in Panama."

Those thinking Rivera will pitch sometime during the Legends Series need to think again.

"No, not a chance," Rivera said. "No chance."

Jesse Sanchez is a national reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @JesseSanchezMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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First game out of the way for Yanks' prized newcomers

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The opening inning of the Yankees' first Grapefruit League contest featured new leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury working a seven-pitch walk, then racing home when new catcher Brian McCann ripped a sharp single to center field.

That's a formula the Yankees could get used to. Three of the team's prized winter additions made their debuts in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates on Wednesday at McKechnie Field, as Ellsbury, McCann and Carlos Beltran continue to get acclimated to their new surroundings.

"It's exciting, getting on base and having these type of hitters hit behind you," Ellsbury said. "That's one of the big reasons I signed over here, for the opportunity to hopefully compete each year in the postseason."

Ellsbury walked twice, legged out an infield single and scored two runs while playing center field. McCann caught four innings and finished the day 1-for-2, and Beltran fouled out, struck out and grounded out.

"These are proven players," manager Joe Girardi said. "You learn a little bit about their personalities when you see them, but I have a pretty good idea of what they can do. I saw Jacoby enough. I know exactly what he can do. It's good to see them and to have discussions with them as things are going on."

In Girardi's mind, the three additions should improve a lineup that produced 650 runs last season, the Yankees' lowest total since 1991. McCann was the first upgrade to arrive, as the veteran All-Star agreed to a five-year, $85 million contract in November.

McCann had plenty of notice that his days with the Braves were drawing to a close, but even so, he strapped on the shinguards on Wednesday and acknowledged feeling differently from how he typically would for the first game of the spring.

"It was awesome. I was a little nervous," McCann said. "I felt good. Any time you put another uniform and go out for the first time, you get those butterflies. To get that out of the way, to get that first step, was nice."

Ellsbury inked his seven-year, $153 million deal shortly after McCann tried on his pinstripes during a Yankee Stadium news conference, and the former Red Sox sparkplug cheered when the Yankees finished their three-year, $45 million pact with Beltran.

"Each time we signed a new guy, I got a lot of phone calls," Ellsbury said. "It was important for me to sign early, but to see what they did after I signed made it that much more enjoyable in the offseason, knowing what kind of talent we're putting out on that field."

With substitutions beginning in the fifth inning on Wednesday, Beltran, Ellsbury and McCann completed their conditioning together, chugging through the outfield grass while the game continued.

Beyond the handful of innings they played on an overcast afternoon, the newest Yankees should be able to forge a bond just by spending time in the same clubhouses across the state of Florida.

"I'm new here, but there's a lot of new faces, a lot of new guys," Beltran said. "But they're guys who have been in the league for a long time. I know them. We just have to get used to playing together."

Beltran looks at Spring Training as a chance to work on his timing, so feel free to ignore Wednesday's results. He himself won't pay any real attention to his statistics until the season begins.

"I just want to feel solid at the plate, like my lower body is working," he said. "In Spring Training, you want to do well and want to get good results, but at the same time, I try not to focus on that. I try to focus on the way I feel at the plate."

Playing his first contest since the clinching game of last year's World Series, Ellsbury said it was "exciting" to get back to facing pitching at game speed following a few sun-splashed afternoons of batting practice in Tampa.

He showed patience in his first two at-bats, facing Bucs hurlers Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez, then reached on an infield single off Bryan Morris in the fifth inning.

"For the most part, I like to see as many pitches as I can in Spring Training," Ellsbury said. "At the same time, I still want to be aggressive in the zone, so there's a fine line. I think it worked out great."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Learning process ramps up for McCann

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The long feeling-out process between pitcher and catcher began in earnest on Wednesday for Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova and his new catcher, Brian McCann.

It was the first time Nova threw in a game to McCann, who signed a five-year, $85 million free-agent contract this past offseason and who just turned 30. And one by one, McCann will do the same with Yankees pitchers, from the veteran CC Sabathia to the heralded Masahiro Tanaka to new closer David Robertson.

First impressions were positive.

"[McCann] is great. He gives me a nice, low target," said Nova, who threw the first 36 pitches of 2014 for his club, as the Yanks opened the Grapefruit League season with a 6-5 loss to the Pirates at McKechnie Field. "I told him, 'For the first time, you give me the sign, and I'm going to throw it to you.' The way he called the game, I really liked it."

McCann is not a novice. He came to New York after nine seasons in Atlanta, where he built an impressive resume: seven selections to the National League All-Star team -- including the MVP hardware for the 2010 game at Angel Stadium -- and five Silver Sluggers.

McCann is a .277 hitter with a .991 fielding percentage, and he has thrown out 24 percent of would-be basestealers.

McCann is also well liked by his peers. He has been consistently voted as an All-Star by the players, which is all anyone needs to know about how much respect he generated around the Senior Circuit.

Despite all this, McCann is soft-spoken. There's no braggadocio at all. When told of Nova's remarks, McCann said that he is new on a team, with a new staff, and has to earn their respect.

"I hope my background generated some [respect], but that takes time," McCann said. "I've got to show them what I'm about, and that all takes time. This is Day 1 of a long Spring Training, which is really good for me and the pitchers to get some work in."

McCann's new life with the Yankees started well, as he singled home Jacoby Ellsbury in the first inning. In the bottom of the frame, Nova was a little erratic, walking Martin, and when the count went to 3-0 on reigning NL MVP Award winner Andrew McCutchen, McCann went to the mound to have a little chat with his pitcher.

"I was just trying to slow him down," McCann said. "He was pulling his four-seamer a little bit. I just wanted to get him [to pitch] down in the zone."

"I was getting a little bit too quick," Nova added. "He just wanted me to slow down, take it easy."

Nova wound up throwing a pair of strikes before McCutchen singled, but he struck out Pedro Alvarez with runners on first and second and ultimately pitched out of the inning without allowing a run.

Those are small gains, and nothing can replace experience.

Asked if he understands how to handle a pitcher by looking at videos or with a touch of sensory perception, McCann said, "Just catching for quite a while now, understanding what works and what doesn't. I've caught [1,046] games. The name of this game is to stay ahead and dictate counts. When he's got that two-seamer working, he's going to get a lot of ground balls."

McCann did spend the offseason looking at videos of Yanks pitchers after the signing became official on Dec. 3. He picked up arm angles and tendencies, how a hurler pitches with runners on base or behind in the count. Since camp opened earlier this month, McCann has caught them in bullpen sessions and has begun to understand how each physically approaches his job.

But nothing replaces the experience of working together in a game, beginning with Nova on Wednesday.

"Nothing can simulate a game," McCann said. "Nothing can simulate when there's a guy on third base or there are bases loaded with none out and you have to get that double play. Nothing can really simulate that. Game speed, game action is the only thing that can really get you ready for what you need to do."

There's also the stature of the pitcher. Nova, at 27, is still trying to find his way. He has pitched in parts of four seasons for the Yankees. He dealt with injuries and regressed in 2013, and even had to return to the Minors before showing flashes of his former brilliance during the second half.

Nova is working to find himself, and even with manager Joe Girardi designating him this spring as a member of the rotation, he doesn't feel secure.

"I don't have nothing, man," Nova said. "Nothing yet."

Enter the steadying hand of McCann.

"We have eight weeks together now to figure it all out," McCann said. "To figure out what he likes to do in what situations, what makes him tick, what makes him throw strikes. We have plenty of time to get that ironed out, but for Day 1, I think, it was a good start."

Barry M. Bloom is national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball. Follow @boomskie on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Nuno fans three in Yankees' win over Seminoles

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 2/25/2014 4:57 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees' Spring Training dress rehearsal is officially in the books. New York opened its exhibition schedule on Tuesday with an 8-3 victory over the Florida State Seminoles at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The contest was well attended by Florida State fans, who dominated the grandstands in their colors of garnet and gold. Yankees manager Joe Girardi remarked that it was the first time he'd ever seen the Bombers' own iconic colors outnumbered in the seats.

"I think it's fun," Girardi said. "It's enjoyable to see the kids. Obviously, I think it's enjoyable for them, to play kind of a local school -- most of their kids are from Florida. You could tell who had family [in attendance], because when they came in the game, that whole section would go kind of nuts."

Kicking off his bid to make the big league roster out of camp, left-hander Vidal Nuno started for the Yankees and was credited with the victory. He threw two scoreless innings around an infield single, walking none and striking out three.

Nuno threw 17 of his 26 pitches for strikes and said he did not feel much different facing a college team instead of a big league squad for his first outing of the spring.

"Not really. It's just, don't change your approach," Nuno said. "I didn't change my approach. You just start throwing strikes and get them off balance."

Ramon Flores homered for the Yankees, who also received RBI doubles from Dean Anna and John Ryan Murphy.

The contest marked the first meeting between the Yankees and the Seminoles since 1958, when New York defeated Florida State, 7-3, in a game that was played in Tallahassee, Fla.

Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston entered the game as a defensive replacement for Florida State in the fifth inning, playing left field. He grounded out to second base facing right-hander Shane Greene in the fifth inning, breaking his bat during the plate appearance, and worked the count full before striking out looking against Bryan Mitchell in the eighth.

"My favorite part of the day was just being out here, being around a bunch of big league guys," Winston said. "They proved it; they beat us. We were looking forward to giving them a good game and seeing those guys, just getting the opportunity to be on the same field as them."

Winston said that baseball continues to be a passion for him and that he has entertained thoughts of pursuing both baseball and football professionally, following in the paths of dual-sport athletes like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders.

As it was, Winston was able to fulfill one lifelong dream on Tuesday, meeting Yankees captain Derek Jeter. Jeter and Jorge Posada posed for a photograph with Winston outside the visiting clubhouse as they left the stadium.

"I was kind of star-struck," Winston said. "I just kept telling him it was an honor to meet him -- and it really was. I guess it feels like when I talk to little kids, how they feel sometimes. Sometimes they'll be speechless and that's how I was with Mr. Jeter."

New York is scheduled to play its first Grapefruit League game on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. ET against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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New faces take center stage in Grapefruit opener

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees spent the winter months working to repopulate their clubhouse, seeking out star players with solid track records in hopes of assembling the caliber of club that could bring a 28th World Series title to the Bronx.

Those additions came with a hefty price tag, but the Yankees believe that they were worthwhile investments. Manager Joe Girardi will be able to see some of his newest players in action on Wednesday, when the Yankees open their Grapefruit League schedule against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. ET.

Catcher Brian McCann, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and right fielder Carlos Beltran are all scheduled to make the trip, representing three highlights of the offseason spending spree and a combined $283 million in salary commitments.

"It's good to see. [We'll] get to see them in our uniform, guys that have had success other places," Girardi said. "I'm excited to see it."

Right-hander Ivan Nova is scheduled to make the start, opposed by left-hander Francisco Liriano. The Yankees opened their home slate with an 8-3 exhibition win over Florida State University on Tuesday.

New York is scheduled to host Pittsburgh on Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, a contest that will be Derek Jeter's first of the year. That game can be watched on MLB.TV and YES, and heard via Gameday Audio and WFAN.

McCann was New York's first big target, landing a five-year, $85 million pact in November. Upgrading behind the plate was a priority for the Yankees, and they are counting on the fact that McCann -- who hit at least 20 homers in each of the past six seasons for the Braves -- will make a smooth transition to the American League.

"They were the first ones to call," McCann said of the Yankees. "Right away, they said they wanted to come get me. Once I came to New York and met all the guys, it was a great experience, so it just kind of went from there."

McCann was thrilled by the pace of the offseason. With money to spend, the Yankees moved on to chase Ellsbury, Beltran and right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, as well as other complementary additions, including Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson and Matt Thornton.

"It seemed like every other week we were getting another great free agent," McCann said. "So already, with the team that they had here, with [Mark Teixeira] coming back and Jeter coming back, you look around, and it's a very exciting team."

Ellsbury agreed to a seven-year, $153 million deal in early December, coming off the free-agent board before the Winter Meetings. The speedy leadoff hitter promises to provide a dynamic presence in the order, trading his Red Sox uniform to begin a new chapter in pinstripes.

"I'm the same player from day one when I signed," Ellsbury said. "That's the mentality I'm going to take. You play the game hard, you play the game the right way, good things are going to happen."

Recognizing that his time in Boston was likely coming to an end, Ellsbury signed with the Yankees because he believes that the organization will give him a chance to add a championship ring to his collection.

"Once you get a taste of that one time -- and fortunately, I've had the chance to do it twice -- that's what you go into each year striving for," he said.

Beltran has been itching for the chance to wear a Yankees uniform for quite some time. He met with club executives, including the late Steinbrenner, back in the winter of 2004-05 to pitch his services -- a proposal that the Yankees ultimately passed on.

The eight-time All-Star finally landed his dream gig this winter, signing a three-year, $45 million pact. He made it to his first World Series last October with the Cardinals and expects to make at least one more trip.

"I look at the team, I look at our situation and the players that we have, and we have a pretty good chance," Beltran said. "Last year I experienced being in the playoffs and being in the World Series with the Cardinals, and it was a great feeling. Once you play there, you want to go there every year. Everything starts in Spring Training."

Girardi expects that McCann, Ellsbury and Beltran will each play four or five innings on Wednesday, depending on the length of the frames. Girardi is not concerned about his new stars getting acclimated.

"I don't worry so much about that right now," he said. "As we get further down the road, I'll pay attention to make sure they are comfortable and they feel like they know exactly what is expected of them. But so far, so good."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Winston 'starstruck' in exhibition vs. Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. -- When a Major League team opens its exhibition schedule against a college team, it usually doesn't attract a crowd of nearly 8,000, a marching band and an overflow press box.

Then again, these early tuneups usually don't feature the reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the defending national championship football team.

So when the Florida State Seminoles showed up at George M. Steinbrenner Field to play the Yankees on Tuesday, it transformed a pleasant Spring Training diversion into a full-blown event. And when Jameis Winston appeared on the field, heads turned in unison. A dozen cameras followed his every move, clicking and whirring.

Winston entered the game as a defensive replacement in left field in the bottom of the fifth inning. He batted twice, grounding out and striking out. Winston didn't get a chance to pitch because his arm is a little tender. Still, it was one of the most memorable days of his young life, because he played against the team he grew up cheering. Because he met manager Joe Girardi, first baseman Mark Teixeira and former catcher Jorge Posada. And, mostly, because Winston met Derek Jeter, his favorite ballplayer of all time.

It was enough to turn one of the most acclaimed college football players in the nation, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound 20-year-old, into a child again.

"I was kind of starstruck. I just kept telling him it was an honor to meet him," Winston said of Jeter. "And it really was. I guess it's how little kids feel sometimes when they talk to me. They can be kind of speechless. And that's how I was with Mr. Jeter. He was my favorite, by far, just because he's such a leader to that organization. He's the face of that organization. And I used to be a shortstop back in my day. My favorite number was 2. He's been a huge influence on my life."

There's something fascinating about elite athletes trying to juggle two sports. Four previous Heisman winners -- Vic Janowicz in 1950, Bo Jackson in '85, Ricky Williams in '98, Chris Weinke in 2000 -- were also proficient in baseball. Two pro football Hall of Famers, John Elway and Deion Sanders, starred in college. Of that group, only Janowicz, Sanders and Jackson played both sports professionally. Only Jackson made an All-Star team. In all, fewer than 70 men have appeared in at least one MLB and NFL game, among them Jim Thorpe and Brian Jordan.

The degree of difficulty in attempting double duty has only been amped up. Winston is both aware of and unintimidated by that reality.

"Times have changed. I know it was easier back then to play both sports. Athletes have changed, a lot of things have changed, but my mentality is still the same," Winston said. "I love both. I have a strong passion for both. I've probably had more success in football, but baseball is a passion of mine, and I want to play as long as possible."

Seminoles football coach Jimbo Fisher, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Yanks' 8-3 win, has no problem with his quarterback splitting his time. In fact, he encourages it.

"I think it's great," Fisher said. "I love [multiple]-sport guys. I think you learn to compete in different ways. Each sport is different. Baseball is very good, especially for a quarterback, because it's a game of failure. You're going to fail a lot, and to be able to respond right back and be able to handle a different temperament, I think it actually helps their development. Getting away from the monotony of one sport all the time, I think it helps the players. I really do."

Winston agrees.

"That's one thing that I always take from baseball is the failure part of it," he said. "Baseball is a failure sport, unless you're hot that day. Playing quarterback, if you throw an interception, you can't get down on yourself. You've just got to bounce back and lead your team down the field on a good drive. That's why I love playing both sports, the mental aspect for both. Both sports help me with each other."

Injuries would be a logical worry, but all concerned shrug that off as well.

"That's just part of the game," said Mike Martin, in his 35th year as FSU's head baseball coach. "You can't tell him not to slide. You can't tell him, 'Hey, be careful running into that padded wall.' He's wide open playing baseball, and, of course, wide open playing football. We would never do anything to overuse him. That's the key, in my opinion. And we treat him just like we do the other pitchers. We will not overuse him."

Added Fisher, philosophically: "If he's throwing in practice, a guy can fall into his knee. He can be running a drill in one of our offseason workouts. You see so many ACLs now. He can stick his foot in the ground. I mean, if you sit and worry about injuries, they occur. We'll prepare and train for his body to take those things, and then we'll adjust from there."

Winston had only one at-bat in Florida State's first six games and has given up just one hit in four relief innings, striking out three. Martin believes that pitching is where his baseball future lies.

"I really believe it's going to be easier for him playing two sports to develop as a pitcher/quarterback than he would as an outfielder/quarterback," Martin said. "But like Deion, you don't put anything past these unbelievable athletes. He liable to say, 'I want to play outfield. I want to play quarterback,' and go out there and accomplish it. But from an experience standpoint, I got to say pitching/quarterback is easier, because there is so much involved in being an everyday player."

For now, Winston is doing it all and having a blast. He both fit in by picking up batting-practice balls in the cage and stood out by standing and patiently signing autographs after the game was over. Using a wood bat instead of the standard collegiate aluminum model, Winston was sawed off by Yankees right-hander Shane Wilson in the fifth ... and drew a loud cheer just for breaking his bat.

A year ago, Winston was a redshirt football player and a largely overlooked baseball player. This year he's a Heisman Trophy winner. A lot has changed, but one thing has remained the same -- his love for baseball.

Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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MLB.com At Bat launches into spring

By Mark Newman / MLB.com | 2/25/2014 7:21 A.M. ET

Now reporting to camp: MLB.com At Bat.

The sports app standard bearer returned on Tuesday for a sixth year and with a new look to millions of mobile devices everywhere, in time for this week's start of Spring Training exhibitions.

The highest-grossing sports app five years running was launched by Major League Baseball Advanced Media for the iPhone, iPad, supported Android smartphones and tablets, Amazon Kindle Fire and BlackBerry 10. A Windows Phone 8 version of At Bat is expected to be available in March. Look for the update if you haven't already.

At Bat, which has been available since it became one of the original 500 apps to launch with the Apple App Store on July 10, 2008, was downloaded a record 10 million times in 2013. That was a 45-percent increase over the previous year.

"Wherever I am, so is my game," said Jason Aldean, the multiplatinum country music star, Braves fan and former high school first baseman, among those who embrace this rite of spring. "Now it's cool, because it's kind of anywhere you go, you've got it right there. You can be walking down the street and pull [your iPhone] out and be watching on your phone. … I can keep up with everything."

The app is a year-round presence for fans, and now comes the fun of using it to follow your favorite players. Here is a primer on the return of a sports superstar:

Mobile experience pioneer
Long hailed for introducing features that matter to fans, At Bat reports for live Cactus and Grapefruit League exhibitions with a full app redesign for iOS 7 on iPhone and iPad, among other new enhancements. You again have access to the core functionality At Bat has pioneered over its first five years, including: personalized team experiences to deliver a linear feed of content for a designated favorite team; searchable libraries of tens of thousands of video-on-demand highlight clips; and customizable original news reporting and fantasy baseball analysis from MLB.com club beat reporters and national columnists.

The forefront of mobile video
Since it became the first app to stream live video in 2009, At Bat has introduced an evolving set of ways for its millions of subscribers to consume live baseball games. Beginning on Opening Day, MLBAM again will provide blackout free live look-ins, in-game highlights delivered to At Bat in less than 60 seconds, the free MLB.TV Game of the Day, live statistical overlays such as pitch tracking and an archive of Classic Games. New video-driven features being built by MLBAM for 2014 will be announced at a later date.

Cross-platform accessibility
For the third year, MLB.TV Premium subscribers again will receive At Bat for free, unlocking the app's premium feature set. MLB.TV Premium is $129.99 a year or $24.99 a month, and signups are underway. Fans also may subscribe to At Bat for the one-time annual fee of $19.99, covering the entire season. iOS users may pay $2.99 a month with the recurring billing offering.

With an At Bat subscription, you get multi-platform live audio access for portability to take home, away and Spanish-language audio feeds to desktop and laptop computers. You also can have full premium feature access across all support iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

Spring Training features
Tuesday's 2014 launch is just the start, as a further At Bat Opening Day update will be coming in March. You can watch more than 200 Spring Training games live with an MLB.TV Premium subscription (iPhone, iPad, select Android phones & tablets, Kindle Fire, BlackBerry 10).

In addition, all the supported devices will let you: listen live to all available Spring Training radio broadcasts; track league-wide scoreboards and batter-by-batter action for every exhibition; get breaking news, schedules and interactive rosters and players stats for every team; and check full-season schedule calendars.

Rays fan Summerly Brown is a social media specialist at the office of admissions and scholarships at Mississippi State, where she is in grad school, and she said she watches most games live via a Macbook Pro and iPad 2. But now she also is armed with a new iPhone 5c poised to expand the overall capability of following everywhere.

"It depends on where I am by which device I use," Brown said. "I have used the MLB.com At Bat app to keep track of scores on my iPhone 4 in the past. Since I recently upgraded to a 5C, I plan to watch games via my mobile phone a lot this upcoming season. I use these devices to watch the games home after work, during cycling training at the gym with Wi-Fi, and downtime between work and my night classes during the season. … it gives you access everywhere, anytime."

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. Read and join other baseball fans on his MLB.com community blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Girardi, an ex-catcher, applauds collision rule

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi is on board with the new rule regarding collisions at home plate.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced on Monday the addition of Rule 7.13, covering home-plate collisions, on an experimental basis for the 2014 season. The rule will "prohibit the most egregious collisions at home plate," according to an MLB statement.

Keeping players healthy should be the priority, said Girardi, a former catcher.

"I think the way the rule was originally written, players weren't sure if they'd be able to adapt quick enough to it, so they made some tweaks to it. I think it's a pretty good rule. The biggest thing is, if you have a place to slide, you really need to slide," he said. "We don't want any of these unnecessary collisions because we want our players on the field, and we don't want the health issues to come back and haunt players 10, 20, 30 years from now. We just don't. Some of it's right away.

"I think it's a good rule, and I think it's a really good step in the right direction."

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, who was in Tampa on Monday to meet with the players, said he's spent a lot of time at various camps discussing the new rule with catchers to get a sense of how they feel about it.

"It's in large part what has been part of the challenge, making sure that something can be put together that guys can appreciate, understand, interpret and apply while also taking into account and respecting the fact that the game, for a lot of these guys, has been played one way with one mindset and one focal point. That doesn't change overnight," Clark said. "A lot of that comes into play with the rule itself is perhaps looking to change some habits. That's going to take time. And if you try to incorporate all kinds of moving pieces into something that's going to take some time with respect to habits to change, you're going to put guys in harm's way.

"That's been our focus, getting input from all the guys who are willing to offer it, both young guys, old guys, starters, guys that may be starters on any one given day, but making sure that we understand exactly where the guys are coming from and then putting something together that makes sense. Again, should we need to, we can adjust going forward. Should we need to scrap, we can do so. Should we need to continue to build out, we can do that as well."

MLBPA, A-Rod moving forward on good terms

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alex Rodriguez won't play for the Yankees in 2014, but he is once again a member in good standing with the Major League Baseball Players Association, new executive director Tony Clark said Monday.

Clark expects Rodriguez to serve his 162-game suspension and return to the Yankees in 2015, and he doesn't anticipate any retribution from Rodriguez's fellow players.

Rodriguez withdrew his lawsuits against the Players Association and Major League Baseball earlier this month after appealing his initial 211-game suspension. That penalty, for his use of performance-enhancing substances and his involvement with the now-shuttered Biogenesis anti-aging clinic, was dropped to 162 games by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz.

Clark said he hasn't spoken with Rodriguez, but he doesn't think A-Rod needs to address the issue any further in order to return.

"The page has been turned," said Clark, who stopped by George M. Steinbrenner Field for the MLBPA's annual closed-door meeting with the players in the Yankees' clubhouse and met with reporters for about 20 minutes afterward.

"Our membership is our membership. Alex is a member of the Players Association," Clark said. "He will serve the penalty that he's been given by the arbitrator. He will come back in Spring Training ready to go, wherever that happens to be. He's under contract to the Yankees. I would expect him to be in camp with the Yankees. Am I concerned about anything beyond that? No."

Clark wouldn't comment on anything specific that the MLBPA representatives discussed with the Yankees during Monday's meeting, but he acknowledged that the Biogenesis suspensions and the Joint Drug Agreement were among the topics of conversation.

Clark's predecessor, the late Michael Weiner, said after last year's meeting that he was skeptical of the Yankees' goal to keep their 2014 payroll under the $189 million luxury tax threshold. Clark said he was pleased to see that Weiner, a close friend, was right as the Yankees went on an offseason spending spree to bolster their roster.

"We always like to see clubs making decisions that they inevitably feel are going to help them be the last team standing," Clark said. "Obviously the New York Yankees are a special group, and them continuing to make decisions that they hope are going to have them be the last team standing, we always enjoy seeing, as we do with a lot of other teams who are interested in being that final team."

Facing 'long road,' Bailey happy to land with Yanks

TAMPA, Fla. -- Newly signed reliever Andrew Bailey is trying to look at his Minor League contract with the Yankees as a two-year deal, even though it's really a one-year pact with an option. But that doesn't mean he's given up hope on 2014 just yet.

Bailey, the former A's closer who is recovering from serious shoulder surgery, reported to George M. Steinbrenner Field on Monday. The 29-year-old is playing catch from 120 feet and is seven months into a 12-month rehab process, ideally putting him in line to return to the Majors down the stretch this season.

"The timetable and all that kind of stuff, I'm not going to rush it. I'm going to do it right. I've rushed injuries in the past, and I know how that works out," Bailey said. "This one especially, this is something where if it gets hurt again, and that capsule, it doesn't look great.

"I've got to do it right. Everything's going great right now, and I have a full expectation to pitch this year."

Bailey will be spending much more time rehabbing in Florida, even after the Yankees head north for the regular season. Still, the Voorhees, N.J., native said it's "something special" to put on the Yankees' pinstripes.

"I think it's a good opportunity for me, and obviously if I get back to being myself, helping this team win another championship is what it's about. ... Having guys of this stature to be able to talk to, and understand the process, and go through it, was really important to me. I valued that.

"Still a long road, but I'm in a great spot, with a great opportunity, with a great organization that knows what's ahead and is willing to walk that road with me."

Gardner's deal fortifies outfield for near future

TAMPA, Fla. -- News broke Sunday of Brett Gardner's four-year, $52 million extension from 2015-18, with a $12.5 million club option or $2 million buyout for the 2019 season, and the Yankees made it official Monday by announcing the deal.

Drafted and developed by the Yankees, Gardner will remain in pinstripes for the forseeable future after finding himself at the center of trade rumors throughout the winter.

"Excited. I like what he brings to the table, offensively, defensively and just his clubhouse presence. I like it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "The way he plays the game, he's a grinder."

With Gardner locked up until at least 2018, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury signed through 2020 with a '21 club option and right fielder Carlos Beltran on board for the next three years, it's hard to see any room opening up in the Yankees' outfield any time soon.

Of course, Beltran could wind up getting at-bats as the club's designated hitter some time during the life of his contract, which is part of the reason Girardi wasn't worried about a potential logjam.

"I think you go year by year. I don't think you can necessarily predict exactly what's going to happen over time," Girardi said. "Obviously those are three quality outfielders that you have, and if you put in the other two that we have, we have a pretty good corps of outfielders right now."

Girardi gave a similar answer when asked where Ichiro Suzuki now finds himself in the Yankees' outfield picture.

"We signed a number of outfielders as free agents, and things have a way of working themselves out in Spring Training, and exactly how he fits in right now I can't tell you," Girardi said. "My job is to keep everyone fresh, healthy and contributing, and I'll have to figure that out."

Bombers bits

• The Yankees set out for their annual team-bonding trip Monday morning, and it was a familiar one. As they did in 2009, the Yankees took part in a pool tournament. Manager Joe Girardi joked that the pool-hall outing will become a Spring Training staple if this season ends the same way '09 did.

"I think it's a great opportunity for guys to bond off the field a little bit, get to know each other," Girardi said. "You try to set it up where they're working with people they might work with during the season and they're working with people where we're not sure that they'll work with during the season."

• Outfielder/designated hitter Alfonso Soriano (flu) told Girardi he was feeling much better as he reported to the Yankees' clubhouse Monday morning. Soriano was scheduled to do some light work in the weight room and hit in the batting cage. Since he hasn't worked out with the team this spring, Girardi said, Soriano will be held back a bit as games begin Tuesday.

• Girardi said outfielder Brett Gardner, catcher Francisco Cervelli and infielder Kelly Johnson should be among the everyday players taking the field for Tuesday's 1:05 p.m. ET exhibition game against Florida State University. Left-hander Vidal Nuno is scheduled to start for the Yankees.

• The most scrutinized player on the field Tuesday might not play for the Yankees, though. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston, also an outfielder and reliever, has piqued Girardi's interest as well.

"It'll be fun," Girardi said. "Obviously he's extremely athletic. When you watch him play the game of football, he's got a great arm. He's pretty mature for his age, as an athlete and what he had to go through and handle, and I'm excited to see him."

• Infielder Scott Sizemore, recovering from a torn left ACL, likely won't begin playing in Spring Training games until the end of the week or the beginning of next week.

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Tigers, Yankees set to spring into ballgames

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | 2/25/2014 12:10 A.M. ET

Competitive baseball returns to the Major League calendar on Tuesday afternoon, as the Yankees and Tigers get their Spring Training slates underway with games against college opponents.

That's right: For the next 139 days, there will be some form of big league baseball on the schedule, a sure sign spring has arrived.

The Yankees host the Florida State Seminoles, who feature Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston, while the Tigers welcome Florida Southern to Joker Marchant Stadium. Both games begin at 1:05 p.m. ET.

The prospect of facing Winston, an outfielder and relief pitcher, has created a bit of a buzz in the Yankees' clubhouse, specifically for manager Joe Girardi, who is anxious to see what the national champion quarterback has to offer.

"It'll be fun," Girardi said. "Obviously, he's extremely athletic. When you watch him play the game of football, he's got a great arm."

For the Yankees, left-hander Vidal Nuno gets the start at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Nuno has an outside shot at earning the fifth spot in the club's starting rotation.

Girardi indicated he will likely use five or six pitchers in each of his team's first few games.

The Tigers also haven't announced their entire slate of pitchers, but Tuesday's contest will offer the first glimpse of Robbie Ray in a Detroit uniform. Ray came to the Tigers as part of a package of players in exchange for veteran right-hander Doug Fister, who went to the Nationals.

Ray will follow 23-year-old righty Drew VerHagen, who gets the start. The Tigers have traditionally given the ball to their prospects to open the Spring Training slate, and VerHagen is ranked No. 11 in the organization, according to MLB.com.

AJ Cassavell is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajcassavell. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Duckworth, Giese among scouting department adds

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 1/30/2014 12:29 P.M. ET

NEW YORK -- The Yankees on Thursday announced five additions to their Major League and professional scouting department, a group that includes former big league pitchers Brandon Duckworth and Dan Giese.

Also joining the Yankees' scouting department are Kendall Carter, Joe Espada and Dennis Twombley.

Duckworth, 38, concluded a 16-year playing career last season. His playing career spanned eight big league seasons with the Phillies (2001-03), Astros (2004-05) and Royals (2006-08). Duckworth pitched the last two seasons for Japan's Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles as a teammate of right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, completing his career by celebrating the 2013 Japan Series title.

Giese, 36, played 12 professional seasons and made 35 big league appearances with the Giants (2007), Yanks ('08) and Athletics ('09). With New York in 2008, Giese was 1-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 17 relief appearances and three starts.

Carter, 53, has been a national cross-checker with the Yankees for the past seven seasons. Carter was the Mariners' west area scout from 1991-95, and he spent 11 years with the D-backs as a western region national supervisor (1996) and national scouting supervisor (1997-2006).

Espada, 38, spent the last eight years as a coach and coordinator in the Marlins' organization, most recently serving as Miami's third-base coach. A former second-round pick of the Athletics in 1996, Espada also served the Marlins as a Minor League hitting coach (2006-07) and Minor League infield coordinator (2008-09).

Twombley, 38, has been an amateur scout in the Yankees' organization for the last six years, and he previously served five years in the same role for the Astros. Twombley was selected by the Yanks in the 1996 First-Year Player Draft and played in 167 games for the organization as a Minor League catcher.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Levine sees health as Yankees' priority

NEW YORK -- With the start of Spring Training just a couple of weeks away, the Yankees are not finished with the open market, although the big spending for this year may be over, said one of the team's top executives.

"I think for major free agents, we're done," club president Randy Levine told MLB.com during Wednesday night's outdoor NHL game at Yankee Stadium, a 2-1 Rangers win over the Islanders. "But we're always trying to improve the team. That always happens."

It has been an offseason of big spending for the Yanks on major free agents: $486 million worth.

The biggest-ticket items were a seven-year, $153 million deal with outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and a seven-year, $155 million contract with Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. In addition, the Tanaka transaction cost a $20 million posting fee paid to his former club, the Rakuten Golden Eagles.

The Yankees also signed catcher Brian McCann (five years, $85 million), outfielder Carlos Beltran (three years, $45 million), as well as reliever Matt Thornton and infielders Kelly Johnson and Brian Roberts for a total of $12 million in an attempt to remake a team that missed the playoffs for only the second time since the current three-division format was implemented in 1995.

The Yanks also re-signed right-hander Hiroki Kuroda for one year at $16 million.

"I think we're going to be very competitive," Levine said. "We've got a lot of exciting new pieces. Obviously, Tanaka is going to help our pitching staff. We're excited. But between Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury, those are three outstanding players, real character people. Hopefully [Mark Teixeira] gets back, and most importantly, hopefully we don't have the bad luck of injuries we had last year.

"The fact that we were able to overcome that and stay close was really amazing. I just wish for good health this year."

Teixeira, the team's first baseman, missed almost the entire 2013 season with a right wrist injury, and shortstop Derek Jeter missed substantial time after fracturing his left ankle during the 2012 postseason. Unlike last year at this time, when Jeter's ankle was still healing, the captain has been able to undergo a more normal offseason workout program rather than rehab the injury. He has only recently begun to engage in baseball activities.

Jeter's health is one of the biggest questions facing the Yankees as they head to Spring Training in Tampa, Fla. Pitchers and catchers are slated to report on Feb. 13. Jeter will be 40 on June 26, and with 3,316 hits, he's heading into his 20th big league season, all with the Yanks.

"Everything I know about Jeter is that our people are saying he's working out every day and he's healthy," Levine said.

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball. Follow @boomskie on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Around the Horn: Middle infield

With the start of Spring Training just a few weeks away, anticipation is building for the 2014 season. MLB.com will go around the horn to break down each area of the Yankees' roster, continuing with this look at the middle-infield spots.

NEW YORK -- If the best-case scenario plays out concerning the Yankees' middle infield, Derek Jeter and Brian Roberts will bounce back from injury issues and enjoy a healthy, productive year as the team's new double-play combination.

And what if they don't? That's a possibility most in the Bronx would prefer not to think about, not with Jeter trying to close the book on what he called a "nightmare" season and Roberts preparing for the unenviable task of making Yankees fans forget about Robinson Cano.

"My job is to get ready to play," Jeter said earlier this offseason. "That's what my job has always been. I don't make out lineup cards. All I can do is get ready in the offseason, come there and be ready to play. My job is to play short.

"It's always been my job since I've come up. It's still going to be my job. I understand the concerns because of everything that went down last year. I understand that. But I'll be ready to go."

Jeter, of course, was limited to just 17 games last season. He served four stints on the disabled list with complications largely stemming from the left ankle fracture he suffered in Game 1 of the 2012 American League Championship Series against the Tigers.

The 39-year-old captain rushed to be ready for Opening Day and refractured the ankle during Spring Training. He missed the first 91 games of the season, then suffered a strained quadriceps in his first game back on July 11, returning to the disabled list.

A calf strain and lingering discomfort in the ankle followed over the next two months, prompting two more DL assignments and an end to Jeter's season in early September. At the time, Jeter said that a full winter of lower-half conditioning would get him in shape to return to playing shortstop on a regular basis.

So far, all reports have been positive. Jeter has been working out at the Yanks' facility in Tampa, Fla., taking ground balls and batting practice. It's a familiar setting for Jeter, who seemed to fill most of his summer with the same activities at the complex.

"It's good to have a normal offseason and get some work in," said Jeter, who agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract in November. "Everything is normal now."

The best tests will come in game situations. Now more than a year removed from surgery, plenty of observers will be watching Jeter's durability and defensive range. He's up against history: only one player in Jeter's lifetime, Omar Vizquel, has played in 100 games as a shortstop at age 39 or older.

"Given his age and given the severity of the injury, I think we all have concerns," Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said. "But if anybody is going to succeed, it's going to be Derek. Nobody is tougher and nobody is going to work harder to get back."

Big changes are ahead at second base, where Cano was the Yankees' most productive hitter in 2013. Unwilling to match the 10-year, $240 million contract Cano landed with the Mariners, the Yanks capped their bid to keep Cano at seven years and $175 million, money they'd later put into the pockets of Carlos Beltran, Masahiro Tanaka and others.

To fill the void left by Cano's departure, they are rolling the dice that Roberts can have a solid comeback campaign. A two-time All-Star with the Orioles, Roberts signed an incentive-laden $2 million deal with the Yankees in December, representing a low-risk investment and a good challenge for Roberts to stay on the field after he missed 445 games over the last four seasons.

"It was something that appealed to me," Roberts told the YES Network. "I made it pretty clear that my objective, if somebody wanted me to and felt that I still could, was to play second base on a daily basis for the most part. So I think that's my goal, is to be the second baseman the majority of the games, hopefully."

Roberts made the final out at the old Yankee Stadium in 2008, and following a durable start to his career, has been sidelined by abdominal, concussion, hip and hamstring issues since the beginning of the 2010 campaign. The Yankees were encouraged that Roberts finished last year healthy with Baltimore, batting .249 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in 77 games.

"I felt like I really should have played a lot more games than I did last year, but I'm excited for the opportunity," Roberts said. "My goal is to come in and try and play as many games as they want me to play, and obviously help us get to where we want as an organization."

The Yankees have cushioned the duo by re-signing defensive whiz Brendan Ryan to a two-year, $5 million contract. Ryan batted .220 in 17 games for the Yanks last year after being acquired from Seattle in a September trade. He'll offer versatility to manager Joe Girardi, having played shortstop, second base and third base during his career.

New York also signed utility player Kelly Johnson to a one-year, $3 million in December. Johnson is currently being looked at as a major part of a platoon at third base, but second base is Johnson's natural position and he plans to continue working there this spring.

The Yankees are trying to hammer down a role for Eduardo Nunez, who played 75 games at shortstop last season and could also get some work at second base. Others who figure to see time in the middle infield this spring include Scott Sizemore, Dean Anna and Corban Joseph.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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