Jeter gets key to city on final Spring Training day

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/29/2014 4:31 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- The stadium was called Legends Field back in the spring of 1996, having just opened its gates to the public, and it was where a 21-year-old Derek Jeter celebrated that he was going north as the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop.

Nearly two decades later, Jeter stood outside those same clubhouse doors, leaving the facility -- now referred to as George M. Steinbrenner Field -- for the final time as an active player. The captain has played his last Spring Training game.

"It hasn't really set in," Jeter said. "It's odd to think that I won't be back. I've been coming here since '96; the first year it opened was my first year. It will be a little different; it will probably be a little more different next year when Spring Training starts. Right now, I'm just looking forward to getting to Houston."

Jeter was honored prior to what would have been his final spring game on Saturday, as he was presented with a key to the city of Tampa. The game was cancelled due to rain moments after the presentation.

"I live here, so now I can do whatever I want when I'm in Tampa," Jeter said with a smile. "I don't know how long it unlocks the doors for. It always feels good to be recognized. I spend a lot of time here, I live here in the offseason, so I thought it was very nice."

Jeter, 39, concluded his final spring with the Yankees batting .137 (7-for-51), with a double and two RBIs. He said that it took him longer than expected to regain his timing after missing most of last year due to injuries, but the veteran said that he feels prepared to begin the season as the Yanks' everyday shortstop.

"I feel good. That was the most important thing," Jeter said. "Spring Training is a progression, both physically and being game-ready. I feel I'm where I want to be right now."

Jeter said that he doesn't remember much about that spring of '96, except for that the facility was brand new. He has also recalled how Steinbrenner was unsure about going into the season with an unproven shortstop.

As the story goes, the Mariners offered journeyman infielder Felix Fermin to the Yankees, seeking pitchers Mariano Rivera or Bob Wickman in return -- a deal would have changed the course of franchise history. It was never especially close to happening, as the front office and manager Joe Torre went to bat for Jeter.

In recent seasons, Jeter has acknowledged trying to fast-forward the clock to Opening Day. He hopes that he was able to slow things down a little bit in his final run through the Grapefruit League.

"I just tried to not look forward to the end of it," Jeter said. "Most people look forward to the end of spring about two weeks into it, but I just tried to take it in, day in and day out. That's what I'll remember."

Solarte makes team; Yankees option Nunez

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yangervis Solarte found a seat inside his clubhouse locker and pointed to the goosebumps running up and down his arms. The infielder was just told that he had made the Yankees' Opening Day roster, and he still was in a state of disbelief.

"This is a dream come true, outside of having my family and my children," Solarte said through an interpreter. "This is a new beginning. I have great happiness. Now I have to work hard. This is when the work actually starts."

Solarte, 26, beat out Eduardo Nunez for the final backup infield spot on the roster, with Nunez optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

A non-roster invitee, Solarte was a standout this spring, batting .429 (18-for-42) with two homers and nine RBIs, leading the club in hits and tied for the lead in RBIs. He said that he did not know what to think coming into the final day of the spring.

"I basically was just focused on how happy I was with everything, the way that I performed this Spring Training and being here," Solarte said. "Every day I kept moving forward, so I just stayed positive."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that it had been a difficult decision, but the switch-hitting Solarte has more career experience playing second and third base, which gave him an advantage.

"We thought he won the spot in Spring Training," Girardi said. "I thought defensively he played well. I thought he gave you good at-bats every time he went up there, whether it was from the left side or the right side."

Nunez left the clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field without speaking to reporters. Girardi said that Nunez was "very disappointed and upset" by the decision, and that it had been "extremely difficult" to tell Nunez he had not made the team.

"We all love Nuney," Girardi said. "There's something about his character and who he is that just makes him a guy that everyone roots for and wants to see him do well and have a great career. But it's difficult. The past two days have been really difficult on me."

With Brendan Ryan beginning the year on the disabled list, Girardi said that he envisions using Dean Anna as the primary backup to shortstop Derek Jeter, while using Solarte more at second and third base.

The Yankees need to make a 40-man roster move before 3 p.m. ET on Sunday to accommodate Solarte; that decision has not yet been announced.

Tanaka wins award for top Yankees rookie

TAMPA, Fla. -- As Masahiro Tanaka wraps up his first big league Spring Training camp and prepares to head into the regular season, the Yankees right-hander has already tucked one award under his belt.

The Yankees announced Saturday that Tanaka was the recipient of the 2014 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training. Tanaka received the award in a ceremony before Saturday's game against the Marlins was cancelled due to rain.

Tanaka, 25, went 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in five appearances (three starts) this spring, allowing five earned runs in 21 innings. He led the team with 26 strikeouts while walking only three batters, permitting 15 hits.

"I do feel that I learned a lot throughout Spring Training," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I think the important thing for me is not to stop here and keep learning as the season progresses."

Tanaka completed his spring by hurling six innings of three-hit ball with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 Yankees victory over the Marlins on Friday. He is scheduled to make his Major League debut on April 4 against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The award was established in honor of James P. Dawson (1896-1953), who began a 45-year career with The New York Times as a copy boy in 1908. Eight years later, he became boxing editor and covered boxing and baseball until his death during Spring Training in 1953.

The Yankees' beat writers vote on the award; Yangervis Solarte, who hit .429 this spring to win a roster spot, was the runner-up. In conjunction with the award, Tanaka will receive a watch from Betteridge Jewelers.

Bombers bits

• Girardi said that there is "a pretty good chance" that Saturday's washed-out batting order is the one he'll use against the Astros on April 1. That lineup: Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeter, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano, Brett Gardner, Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson.

Girardi said that in hitting Gardner seventh, "He's a guy that we feel we could hit anywhere in the top or anywhere down to give some speed. He had a pretty good year offensively last year, and that's where we decided to put him."

• Most of the Yankees' roster left for Houston after Saturday's game was cancelled; ace CC Sabathia planned to attend Saturday's NBA matchup between the Rockets and Clippers. Some remained behind, including Girardi, who will watch Michael Pineda's 10 a.m. ET Minor League game on Sunday before flying to Houston. The Yankees have a 3 p.m. ET workout on Monday at Minute Maid Park to prepare for Tuesday's season opener.

• Ryan (pinched nerve in upper back) said that he would be "pretty disappointed" if he is unable to play in the big leagues before May 1. Ryan is staying back in Tampa to continue rehabbing, and he said that he will resume swinging a bat underwater on Monday. He expects to be given about 50 at-bats in Minor League and simulated games before joining the big league club.

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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Tanaka wins award for top Yankees rookie

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/29/2014 4:31 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- As Masahiro Tanaka wraps up his first big league Spring Training camp and prepares to head into the regular season, the Yankees right-hander has already tucked one award under his belt.

The Yankees announced Saturday that Tanaka was the recipient of the 2014 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training. Tanaka received the award in a ceremony before Saturday's game against the Marlins was cancelled due to rain.

Tanaka, 25, went 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in five appearances (three starts) this spring, allowing five earned runs in 21 innings. He led the team with 26 strikeouts while walking only three batters, permitting 15 hits.

"I do feel that I learned a lot throughout Spring Training," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I think the important thing for me is not to stop here and keep learning as the season progresses."

Tanaka completed his spring by hurling six innings of three-hit ball with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 Yankees victory over the Marlins on Friday. He is scheduled to make his Major League debut on April 4 against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The award was established in honor of James P. Dawson (1896-1953), who began a 45-year career with The New York Times as a copy boy in 1908. Eight years later, he became boxing editor and covered boxing and baseball until his death during Spring Training in 1953.

The Yankees' beat writers vote on the award; Yangervis Solarte, who hit .429 this spring to win a roster spot, was the runner-up. In conjunction with the award, Tanaka will receive a watch from Betteridge Jewelers.

Solarte makes team; Yankees option Nunez

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yangervis Solarte found a seat inside his clubhouse locker and pointed to the goosebumps running up and down his arms. The infielder was just told that he had made the Yankees' Opening Day roster, and he still was in a state of disbelief.

"This is a dream come true, outside of having my family and my children," Solarte said through an interpreter. "This is a new beginning. I have great happiness. Now I have to work hard. This is when the work actually starts."

Solarte, 26, beat out Eduardo Nunez for the final backup infield spot on the roster, with Nunez optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

A non-roster invitee, Solarte was a standout this spring, batting .429 (18-for-42) with two homers and nine RBIs, leading the club in hits and tied for the lead in RBIs. He said that he did not know what to think coming into the final day of the spring.

"I basically was just focused on how happy I was with everything, the way that I performed this Spring Training and being here," Solarte said. "Every day I kept moving forward, so I just stayed positive."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that it had been a difficult decision, but the switch-hitting Solarte has more career experience playing second and third base, which gave him an advantage.

"We thought he won the spot in Spring Training," Girardi said. "I thought defensively he played well. I thought he gave you good at-bats every time he went up there, whether it was from the left side or the right side."

Nunez left the clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field without speaking to reporters. Girardi said that Nunez was "very disappointed and upset" by the decision, and that it had been "extremely difficult" to tell Nunez he had not made the team.

"We all love Nuney," Girardi said. "There's something about his character and who he is that just makes him a guy that everyone roots for and wants to see him do well and have a great career. But it's difficult. The past two days have been really difficult on me."

With Brendan Ryan beginning the year on the disabled list, Girardi said that he envisions using Dean Anna as the primary backup to shortstop Derek Jeter, while using Solarte more at second and third base.

The Yankees need to make a 40-man roster move before 3 p.m. ET on Sunday to accommodate Solarte; that decision has not yet been announced.

Jeter gets key to city on final Spring Training day

TAMPA, Fla. -- The stadium was called Legends Field back in the spring of 1996, having just opened its gates to the public, and it was where a 21-year-old Derek Jeter celebrated that he was going north as the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop.

Nearly two decades later, Jeter stood outside those same clubhouse doors, leaving the facility -- now referred to as George M. Steinbrenner Field -- for the final time as an active player. The captain has played his last Spring Training game.

"It hasn't really set in," Jeter said. "It's odd to think that I won't be back. I've been coming here since '96; the first year it opened was my first year. It will be a little different; it will probably be a little more different next year when Spring Training starts. Right now, I'm just looking forward to getting to Houston."

Jeter was honored prior to what would have been his final spring game on Saturday, as he was presented with a key to the city of Tampa. The game was cancelled due to rain moments after the presentation.

"I live here, so now I can do whatever I want when I'm in Tampa," Jeter said with a smile. "I don't know how long it unlocks the doors for. It always feels good to be recognized. I spend a lot of time here, I live here in the offseason, so I thought it was very nice."

Jeter, 39, concluded his final spring with the Yankees batting .137 (7-for-51), with a double and two RBIs. He said that it took him longer than expected to regain his timing after missing most of last year due to injuries, but the veteran said that he feels prepared to begin the season as the Yanks' everyday shortstop.

"I feel good. That was the most important thing," Jeter said. "Spring Training is a progression, both physically and being game-ready. I feel I'm where I want to be right now."

Jeter said that he doesn't remember much about that spring of '96, except for that the facility was brand new. He has also recalled how Steinbrenner was unsure about going into the season with an unproven shortstop.

As the story goes, the Mariners offered journeyman infielder Felix Fermin to the Yankees, seeking pitchers Mariano Rivera or Bob Wickman in return -- a deal would have changed the course of franchise history. It was never especially close to happening, as the front office and manager Joe Torre went to bat for Jeter.

In recent seasons, Jeter has acknowledged trying to fast-forward the clock to Opening Day. He hopes that he was able to slow things down a little bit in his final run through the Grapefruit League.

"I just tried to not look forward to the end of it," Jeter said. "Most people look forward to the end of spring about two weeks into it, but I just tried to take it in, day in and day out. That's what I'll remember."

Bombers bits

• Girardi said that there is "a pretty good chance" that Saturday's washed-out batting order is the one he'll use against the Astros on April 1. That lineup: Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeter, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano, Brett Gardner, Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson.

Girardi said that in hitting Gardner seventh, "He's a guy that we feel we could hit anywhere in the top or anywhere down to give some speed. He had a pretty good year offensively last year, and that's where we decided to put him."

• Most of the Yankees' roster left for Houston after Saturday's game was cancelled; ace CC Sabathia planned to attend Saturday's NBA matchup between the Rockets and Clippers. Some remained behind, including Girardi, who will watch Michael Pineda's 10 a.m. ET Minor League game on Sunday before flying to Houston. The Yankees have a 3 p.m. ET workout on Monday at Minute Maid Park to prepare for Tuesday's season opener.

• Ryan (pinched nerve in upper back) said that he would be "pretty disappointed" if he is unable to play in the big leagues before May 1. Ryan is staying back in Tampa to continue rehabbing, and he said that he will resume swinging a bat underwater on Monday. He expects to be given about 50 at-bats in Minor League and simulated games before joining the big league club.

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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Solarte makes team; Yankees option Nunez

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/29/2014 4:31 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yangervis Solarte found a seat inside his clubhouse locker and pointed to the goosebumps running up and down his arms. The infielder was just told that he had made the Yankees' Opening Day roster, and he still was in a state of disbelief.

"This is a dream come true, outside of having my family and my children," Solarte said through an interpreter. "This is a new beginning. I have great happiness. Now I have to work hard. This is when the work actually starts."

Solarte, 26, beat out Eduardo Nunez for the final backup infield spot on the roster, with Nunez optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

A non-roster invitee, Solarte was a standout this spring, batting .429 (18-for-42) with two homers and nine RBIs, leading the club in hits and tied for the lead in RBIs. He said that he did not know what to think coming into the final day of the spring.

"I basically was just focused on how happy I was with everything, the way that I performed this Spring Training and being here," Solarte said. "Every day I kept moving forward, so I just stayed positive."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that it had been a difficult decision, but the switch-hitting Solarte has more career experience playing second and third base, which gave him an advantage.

"We thought he won the spot in Spring Training," Girardi said. "I thought defensively he played well. I thought he gave you good at-bats every time he went up there, whether it was from the left side or the right side."

Nunez left the clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field without speaking to reporters. Girardi said that Nunez was "very disappointed and upset" by the decision, and that it had been "extremely difficult" to tell Nunez he had not made the team.

"We all love Nuney," Girardi said. "There's something about his character and who he is that just makes him a guy that everyone roots for and wants to see him do well and have a great career. But it's difficult. The past two days have been really difficult on me."

With Brendan Ryan beginning the year on the disabled list, Girardi said that he envisions using Dean Anna as the primary backup to shortstop Derek Jeter, while using Solarte more at second and third base.

The Yankees need to make a 40-man roster move before 3 p.m. ET on Sunday to accommodate Solarte; that decision has not yet been announced.

Jeter gets key to city on final Spring Training day

TAMPA, Fla. -- The stadium was called Legends Field back in the spring of 1996, having just opened its gates to the public, and it was where a 21-year-old Derek Jeter celebrated that he was going north as the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop.

Nearly two decades later, Jeter stood outside those same clubhouse doors, leaving the facility -- now referred to as George M. Steinbrenner Field -- for the final time as an active player. The captain has played his last Spring Training game.

"It hasn't really set in," Jeter said. "It's odd to think that I won't be back. I've been coming here since '96; the first year it opened was my first year. It will be a little different; it will probably be a little more different next year when Spring Training starts. Right now, I'm just looking forward to getting to Houston."

Jeter was honored prior to what would have been his final spring game on Saturday, as he was presented with a key to the city of Tampa. The game was cancelled due to rain moments after the presentation.

"I live here, so now I can do whatever I want when I'm in Tampa," Jeter said with a smile. "I don't know how long it unlocks the doors for. It always feels good to be recognized. I spend a lot of time here, I live here in the offseason, so I thought it was very nice."

Jeter, 39, concluded his final spring with the Yankees batting .137 (7-for-51), with a double and two RBIs. He said that it took him longer than expected to regain his timing after missing most of last year due to injuries, but the veteran said that he feels prepared to begin the season as the Yanks' everyday shortstop.

"I feel good. That was the most important thing," Jeter said. "Spring Training is a progression, both physically and being game-ready. I feel I'm where I want to be right now."

Jeter said that he doesn't remember much about that spring of '96, except for that the facility was brand new. He has also recalled how Steinbrenner was unsure about going into the season with an unproven shortstop.

As the story goes, the Mariners offered journeyman infielder Felix Fermin to the Yankees, seeking pitchers Mariano Rivera or Bob Wickman in return -- a deal would have changed the course of franchise history. It was never especially close to happening, as the front office and manager Joe Torre went to bat for Jeter.

In recent seasons, Jeter has acknowledged trying to fast-forward the clock to Opening Day. He hopes that he was able to slow things down a little bit in his final run through the Grapefruit League.

"I just tried to not look forward to the end of it," Jeter said. "Most people look forward to the end of spring about two weeks into it, but I just tried to take it in, day in and day out. That's what I'll remember."

Tanaka wins award for top Yankees rookie

TAMPA, Fla. -- As Masahiro Tanaka wraps up his first big league Spring Training camp and prepares to head into the regular season, the Yankees right-hander has already tucked one award under his belt.

The Yankees announced Saturday that Tanaka was the recipient of the 2014 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training. Tanaka received the award in a ceremony before Saturday's game against the Marlins was cancelled due to rain.

Tanaka, 25, went 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in five appearances (three starts) this spring, allowing five earned runs in 21 innings. He led the team with 26 strikeouts while walking only three batters, permitting 15 hits.

"I do feel that I learned a lot throughout Spring Training," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I think the important thing for me is not to stop here and keep learning as the season progresses."

Tanaka completed his spring by hurling six innings of three-hit ball with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 Yankees victory over the Marlins on Friday. He is scheduled to make his Major League debut on April 4 against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The award was established in honor of James P. Dawson (1896-1953), who began a 45-year career with The New York Times as a copy boy in 1908. Eight years later, he became boxing editor and covered boxing and baseball until his death during Spring Training in 1953.

The Yankees' beat writers vote on the award; Yangervis Solarte, who hit .429 this spring to win a roster spot, was the runner-up. In conjunction with the award, Tanaka will receive a watch from Betteridge Jewelers.

Bombers bits

• Girardi said that there is "a pretty good chance" that Saturday's washed-out batting order is the one he'll use against the Astros on April 1. That lineup: Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeter, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano, Brett Gardner, Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson.

Girardi said that in hitting Gardner seventh, "He's a guy that we feel we could hit anywhere in the top or anywhere down to give some speed. He had a pretty good year offensively last year, and that's where we decided to put him."

• Most of the Yankees' roster left for Houston after Saturday's game was cancelled; ace CC Sabathia planned to attend Saturday's NBA matchup between the Rockets and Clippers. Some remained behind, including Girardi, who will watch Michael Pineda's 10 a.m. ET Minor League game on Sunday before flying to Houston. The Yankees have a 3 p.m. ET workout on Monday at Minute Maid Park to prepare for Tuesday's season opener.

• Ryan (pinched nerve in upper back) said that he would be "pretty disappointed" if he is unable to play in the big leagues before May 1. Ryan is staying back in Tampa to continue rehabbing, and he said that he will resume swinging a bat underwater on Monday. He expects to be given about 50 at-bats in Minor League and simulated games before joining the big league club.

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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Yankees bring back Aceves on Minors deal

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees have signed right-hander Alfredo Aceves, a member of the club's 2009 World Series championship roster, to a Minor League contract.

Aceves, 31, opted out of his deal with the Orioles earlier on Friday after being told that he would not make the big league roster.

Aceves will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a starting pitcher, providing the organization with extra depth at that level after the Yanks named David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno to the Opening Day roster.

After beginning his big league career with the Yankees in 2008, Aceves spent the last three seasons with the Red Sox. He was 4-1 with a 4.86 ERA in 11 games (six starts) for Boston in 2013.

Anna makes roster; Nunez, Solarte up in air

TAMPA, Fla. -- The final roster spot in Yankees camp will come down to the last day of the spring, as utility infielders Eduardo Nunez and Yangervis Solarte have both been told not to pack for the trip to Houston.

Dean Anna was told that he has secured a spot on the roster, and the Yankees view Anna as the replacement for infielder Brendan Ryan, who will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list. That decision leaves Nunez and Solarte in limbo for one more night.

"Weird, a situation like that," Nunez said. "It's kind of weird, you know? You don't know where you're going on the last day of Spring Training. They said it's still up in the air."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he had "nothing else to really report" about the situation with Nunez and Solarte. Nunez has played in 270 games for the Yankees over the last four years, while Solarte batted .429 this spring as a non-roster invitee.

Technically, the Yankees have until 3 p.m. ET on Sunday to finalize their Opening Day roster. Girardi did confirm that Anna made the roster, news that was first revealed via Twitter by Jedd Gyorko, one of Anna's former Padres teammates.

"He gives you a ton of flexibility," Girardi said. "With Brendan Ryan out, he played a very good shortstop for us. He's a left-handed bat, so if we give [Derek Jeter] a day off, it'll probably be against a right-hander. He fits the mold."

Girardi said that he would also feel comfortable playing Anna at second or third base. Anna, 27, led the Pacific Coast League in hitting last year with a .331 average for Triple-A Tucson and would be making his big league debut with New York.

"I really feel a little numb more than anything right now," Anna said. "I think maybe Opening Day, that's when I'll start to feel what I feel. Everyone else is really excited for me, but it really just feels like another day right now -- which is kind of a weird feeling, really."

Betances, Nuno rewarded with spots on 25-man roster

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees have informed right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Vidal Nuno that they are on the club's 25-man roster to begin the season, rounding out the last of their bullpen decisions.

The hard-throwing Betances posted an 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 spring innings, while Nuno had a 3.38 mark in eight spring innings, transitioning to the bullpen after competing for the Yankees' fifth starter vacancy.

"We liked the camps that they had," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Betances had a great camp. We think Nuno gives us a lot of flexibility as far as a second left-hander, but also a guy that can give you some innings if you bring him in to face a left, right, left. He'll give you a couple of innings."

The Yankees still need to finalize one backup infield spot after telling Dean Anna that he made the club on Friday. They are continuing to discuss how to decide the remaining spot between Eduardo Nunez and non-roster invitee Yangervis Solarte.

Betances and Nuno will join the mix leading to closer David Robertson. Left-hander Matt Thornton and right-hander Shawn Kelley were considered early locks for the bullpen, and fifth starter runners-up David Phelps and Adam Warren are also beginning the year in relief.

"Our bullpen has some flexibility because three guys can really give you some good distance," Girardi said, referring to Phelps, Warren and Nuno.

Betances, 26, made eight previous big league appearances (one start) with the Yankees in 2011 and '13. Once a top starting pitching prospect, Betances was converted into a full-time reliever last season.

"I did what I had to do. I felt like I earned my spot," Betances said. "Now it's just competing and trying to help the team as much as I can."

Nuno, 26, was 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA in five games (three starts) with New York last season. Once property of the Indians' organization, Nuno had a stint in independent ball before latching on with the Yankees.

"I can sleep a little bit better now, just knowing that I'm heading to Houston and then New York," Nuno said. "It's just a long journey. I'm just really happy, really thrilled about how I got the news. Now it's back to work."

The team also gave serious consideration to left-hander Cesar Cabral, who threw 9 1/3 scoreless innings this spring, but the club's early schedule played a part in the decision to leave Cabral off the roster.

"We play 13 games in a row to get out of the gate," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "I think taking our best pitching going north -- the fact that we're playing 13 games in a row, Nuno can give you length as well as that he's left-handed. That gave him a leg up."

Ellsbury expects to be in Opening Day lineup

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury played six innings of a Minor League game in center field on Friday, going 2-for-5 with an infield single, and said that he expects to be ready to be in the Opening Day lineup.

"I felt pretty good," Ellsbury said. "I played it like a normal game, busting it out of the box. I played like I normally would."

General manager Brian Cashman said that the Yankees could have played Ellsbury against the Marlins on Friday, but decided to have Ellsbury play in a 10 a.m. ET game because of weather concerns.

Ellsbury hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game since March 14 due to a sore right calf. Saturday's forecast is threatening, but the Yankees believe Ellsbury could play in the 1:05 p.m. ET game (watch free on MLB.TV) against the Marlins at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"I'm pretty confident that he's through this, but we'll just wait and see," manager Joe Girardi said.

Girardi has given some thought to what he would do with his early-season lineups if Ellsbury is not available.

"I might move Brett [Gardner] over, and I could put Ich [Suzuki] in left. There's a lot of different things I could do," Girardi said. "Might be a situation where I put [Alfonso] Soriano in left for a day and put Ich in right and DH [Carlos] Beltran. We thought it was important that Brett got a lot of reps in left field."

Teixeira addresses bad habit, encouraged by health

TAMPA, Fla. -- Mark Teixeira said that he had been protecting his surgically repaired right wrist and not taking his most powerful cuts at the plate this spring, but a sit-down with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has addressed the problem.

"It was something I didn't know I was doing," Teixeira said. "Kevin and I have, over the last week, we've been really trying to work on me taking my full swing. What I noticed in game film from Spring Training, I was protecting my swing the way I was doing last year when I was hurt. I think it's just bad habits that I got into last year."

Teixeira said that, when batting left-handed, he was taking his left hand off the bat in mid-swing to protect his right wrist -- doing it in games as well as in batting practice.

Long and manager Joe Girardi were encouraged that Teixeira -- who was batting .091 (3-for-33) this spring, heading into Friday night's game against the Marlins -- seemed to start taking better swings on Thursday against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla.

"We all needed to see that," Long said. "You want these guys going into the season feeling good about their swing and what they're doing, how the ball is coming off the bat. For everybody; Tex certainly, and Joe wanted to see it, I wanted to see it as well. We got positive feedback."

Teixeira said that despite his lackluster spring numbers, he has been encouraged by making it through the spring healthy.

"I've been hitting some nice line drives, but those line drives I need to get under and hit for home runs," Teixeira said. "That'll come with just getting stronger as the season goes on. No one can predict what the season's going to give you, but what I do know is that through six weeks of Spring Training, I'm healthy. And that's a really good sign."

Teixeira also said that he believes his usual target goals of 30 home runs and 100 RBIs can be in play.

"My thing has been, since early in my career, if I'm on the field, that's what I'm going to do," Teixeira said. "So I need to be on the field for 162 games. We talked about my plan this whole spring, it was to get my body in position to play 150-plus games. The way I feel today, I'm confident that I can do that."

Bombers bits

• Michael Pineda will not be on the team's charter flight to Houston; the right-hander is scheduled to stay back and pitch in a Minor League or intrasquad game on Sunday morning. Pineda's first Yankees start is scheduled for April 5 in Toronto.

• Yankees infielder Brendan Ryan (pinched nerve in upper back) will not be ready to be activated when eligible on April 5. Ryan will begin the year on the disabled list, retroactive to March 21, and Cashman indicated that he will need longer than 15 days.

"He hasn't done anything, and he only had [nine] plate appearances before he got hurt," Cashman said. "That doesn't count, because it was so long ago. He's going to have to start from scratch."

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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Ten-aka: Masahiro dominant as Yanks blank Marlins

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/28/2014 10:27 P.M. ET

Masahiro Tanaka tossed six superb innings, allowing three hits and striking out 10. (AP)

TAMPA, Fla. -- As Spring Training draws to a close, Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka gave the Yankees more reason to feel good about their rotation, pitching New York to a 3-0 victory over the Marlins on Friday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"Really good. [Tanaka] and Kuroda were really good tonight, I thought," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "They both did what you want to see in your last outing."

Coming on in relief of Kuroda, Tanaka was dominant, striking out 10 while holding the Marlins to three hits over six innings. He threw 82 pitches, 60 for strikes.

Scheduled to start the Yanks' fourth game of the year on April 4 in Toronto, Tanaka wrapped up his first spring with the Yankees with a 2.14 ERA, striking out 26 and walking three in 21 innings.

Kuroda pitched three innings of three-hit ball, preparing to take the mound in New York's second game of the season on Wednesday in Houston. Kuroda walked none and struck out four, finishing the spring with a 4.76 ERA.

"I think all my pitches were good," Kuroda said through an interpreter. "My breaking balls were moving, and my two-seamer was really sharp."

Starter Kevin Slowey pitched three perfect innings for Miami, striking out two in his sixth appearance and third start of the spring.

Carlos Marmol, Dan Jennings, A.J. Ramos and Mike Dunn followed Slowey and combined to hold the Yankees hitless through seven innings, before Steve Cishek allowed three hits and two runs in the eighth. Kelly Johnson doubled, and Brian Roberts' single plated Eduardo Nunez, who pinch-ran for Johnson. Yangervis Solarte then tacked on an RBI single.

The Yankees got on the board in the fourth against Marmol, as Brett Gardner flashed his speed, reaching on an error and stealing twice before coming home on a Brian McCann groundout.

Up next: Ivan Nova (2-1, 3.66 ERA) will get the ball as the Yankees host the Marlins in a 1:05 p.m. ET Spring Training finale at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla, on Saturday (watch free on MLB.TV). Right-hander Tom Koehler (1-1, 1.50) will start for Miami.

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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Anna makes roster; Nunez, Solarte up in air

TAMPA, Fla. -- The final roster spot in Yankees camp will come down to the last day of the spring, as utility infielders Eduardo Nunez and Yangervis Solarte have both been told not to pack for the trip to Houston.

Dean Anna was told that he has secured a spot on the roster, and the Yankees view Anna as the replacement for infielder Brendan Ryan, who will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list. That decision leaves Nunez and Solarte in limbo for one more night.

"Weird, a situation like that," Nunez said. "It's kind of weird, you know? You don't know where you're going on the last day of Spring Training. They said it's still up in the air."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he had "nothing else to really report" about the situation with Nunez and Solarte. Nunez has played in 270 games for the Yankees over the last four years, while Solarte batted .429 this spring as a non-roster invitee.

Technically, the Yankees have until 3 p.m. ET on Sunday to finalize their Opening Day roster. Girardi did confirm that Anna made the roster, news that was first revealed via Twitter by Jedd Gyorko, one of Anna's former Padres teammates.

"He gives you a ton of flexibility," Girardi said. "With Brendan Ryan out, he played a very good shortstop for us. He's a left-handed bat, so if we give [Derek Jeter] a day off, it'll probably be against a right-hander. He fits the mold."

Girardi said that he would also feel comfortable playing Anna at second or third base. Anna, 27, led the Pacific Coast League in hitting last year with a .331 average for Triple-A Tucson and would be making his big league debut with New York.

"I really feel a little numb more than anything right now," Anna said. "I think maybe Opening Day, that's when I'll start to feel what I feel. Everyone else is really excited for me, but it really just feels like another day right now -- which is kind of a weird feeling, really."

Betances, Nuno rewarded with spots on 25-man roster

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees have informed right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Vidal Nuno that they are on the club's 25-man roster to begin the season, rounding out the last of their bullpen decisions.

The hard-throwing Betances posted an 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 spring innings, while Nuno had a 3.38 mark in eight spring innings, transitioning to the bullpen after competing for the Yankees' fifth starter vacancy.

"We liked the camps that they had," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Betances had a great camp. We think Nuno gives us a lot of flexibility as far as a second left-hander, but also a guy that can give you some innings if you bring him in to face a left, right, left. He'll give you a couple of innings."

The Yankees still need to finalize one backup infield spot after telling Dean Anna that he made the club on Friday. They are continuing to discuss how to decide the remaining spot between Eduardo Nunez and non-roster invitee Yangervis Solarte.

Betances and Nuno will join the mix leading to closer David Robertson. Left-hander Matt Thornton and right-hander Shawn Kelley were considered early locks for the bullpen, and fifth starter runners-up David Phelps and Adam Warren are also beginning the year in relief.

"Our bullpen has some flexibility because three guys can really give you some good distance," Girardi said, referring to Phelps, Warren and Nuno.

Betances, 26, made eight previous big league appearances (one start) with the Yankees in 2011 and '13. Once a top starting pitching prospect, Betances was converted into a full-time reliever last season.

"I did what I had to do. I felt like I earned my spot," Betances said. "Now it's just competing and trying to help the team as much as I can."

Nuno, 26, was 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA in five games (three starts) with New York last season. Once property of the Indians' organization, Nuno had a stint in independent ball before latching on with the Yankees.

"I can sleep a little bit better now, just knowing that I'm heading to Houston and then New York," Nuno said. "It's just a long journey. I'm just really happy, really thrilled about how I got the news. Now it's back to work."

The team also gave serious consideration to left-hander Cesar Cabral, who threw 9 1/3 scoreless innings this spring, but the club's early schedule played a part in the decision to leave Cabral off the roster.

"We play 13 games in a row to get out of the gate," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "I think taking our best pitching going north -- the fact that we're playing 13 games in a row, Nuno can give you length as well as that he's left-handed. That gave him a leg up."

Ellsbury expects to be in Opening Day lineup

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury played six innings of a Minor League game in center field on Friday, going 2-for-5 with an infield single, and said that he expects to be ready to be in the Opening Day lineup.

"I felt pretty good," Ellsbury said. "I played it like a normal game, busting it out of the box. I played like I normally would."

General manager Brian Cashman said that the Yankees could have played Ellsbury against the Marlins on Friday, but decided to have Ellsbury play in a 10 a.m. ET game because of weather concerns.

Ellsbury hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game since March 14 due to a sore right calf. Saturday's forecast is threatening, but the Yankees believe Ellsbury could play in the 1:05 p.m. ET game (watch free on MLB.TV) against the Marlins at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"I'm pretty confident that he's through this, but we'll just wait and see," manager Joe Girardi said.

Girardi has given some thought to what he would do with his early-season lineups if Ellsbury is not available.

"I might move Brett [Gardner] over, and I could put Ich [Suzuki] in left. There's a lot of different things I could do," Girardi said. "Might be a situation where I put [Alfonso] Soriano in left for a day and put Ich in right and DH [Carlos] Beltran. We thought it was important that Brett got a lot of reps in left field."

Teixeira addresses bad habit, encouraged by health

TAMPA, Fla. -- Mark Teixeira said that he had been protecting his surgically repaired right wrist and not taking his most powerful cuts at the plate this spring, but a sit-down with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has addressed the problem.

"It was something I didn't know I was doing," Teixeira said. "Kevin and I have, over the last week, we've been really trying to work on me taking my full swing. What I noticed in game film from Spring Training, I was protecting my swing the way I was doing last year when I was hurt. I think it's just bad habits that I got into last year."

Teixeira said that, when batting left-handed, he was taking his left hand off the bat in mid-swing to protect his right wrist -- doing it in games as well as in batting practice.

Long and manager Joe Girardi were encouraged that Teixeira -- who was batting .091 (3-for-33) this spring, heading into Friday night's game against the Marlins -- seemed to start taking better swings on Thursday against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla.

"We all needed to see that," Long said. "You want these guys going into the season feeling good about their swing and what they're doing, how the ball is coming off the bat. For everybody; Tex certainly, and Joe wanted to see it, I wanted to see it as well. We got positive feedback."

Teixeira said that despite his lackluster spring numbers, he has been encouraged by making it through the spring healthy.

"I've been hitting some nice line drives, but those line drives I need to get under and hit for home runs," Teixeira said. "That'll come with just getting stronger as the season goes on. No one can predict what the season's going to give you, but what I do know is that through six weeks of Spring Training, I'm healthy. And that's a really good sign."

Teixeira also said that he believes his usual target goals of 30 home runs and 100 RBIs can be in play.

"My thing has been, since early in my career, if I'm on the field, that's what I'm going to do," Teixeira said. "So I need to be on the field for 162 games. We talked about my plan this whole spring, it was to get my body in position to play 150-plus games. The way I feel today, I'm confident that I can do that."

Yankees bring back Aceves on Minors deal

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees have signed right-hander Alfredo Aceves, a member of the club's 2009 World Series championship roster, to a Minor League contract.

Aceves, 31, opted out of his deal with the Orioles earlier on Friday after being told that he would not make the big league roster.

Aceves will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a starting pitcher, providing the organization with extra depth at that level after the Yanks named David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno to the Opening Day roster.

After beginning his big league career with the Yankees in 2008, Aceves spent the last three seasons with the Red Sox. He was 4-1 with a 4.86 ERA in 11 games (six starts) for Boston in 2013.

Bombers bits

• Michael Pineda will not be on the team's charter flight to Houston; the right-hander is scheduled to stay back and pitch in a Minor League or intrasquad game on Sunday morning. Pineda's first Yankees start is scheduled for April 5 in Toronto.

• Yankees infielder Brendan Ryan (pinched nerve in upper back) will not be ready to be activated when eligible on April 5. Ryan will begin the year on the disabled list, retroactive to March 21, and Cashman indicated that he will need longer than 15 days.

"He hasn't done anything, and he only had [nine] plate appearances before he got hurt," Cashman said. "That doesn't count, because it was so long ago. He's going to have to start from scratch."

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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CC ready, eager to shoulder load for Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. -- The weight of the Yankees' dark postseason was voluntarily stacked on CC Sabathia's shoulders, and the left-hander filled part of his winter by crunching the numbers. Five or six more wins somewhere in that schedule, he thought, and they'd have still been playing.

Sabathia still smolders that his campaign did not live up to expectations, and when it is suggested that the 2013 Yankees had many other issues, he dismisses the easy exit. It is the responsibility of the ace to lead the staff, a mantra that Sabathia takes to heart.

"After having a bad year last year and not helping the team, we want to get back to the playoffs," Sabathia said. "I think it starts with me."

April 1: Yankees vs. Astros, 7:10 p.m. ET
CC Sabathia vs. Scott Feldman

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Opening Day MLBlog

Sabathia will have the ball in his left hand on Tuesday in Houston, marking his 11th career Opening Day start and his sixth with the Yankees, tying Lefty Gomez and placing Sabathia one short of a club record shared by Whitey Ford, Mel Stottlemyre and Ron Guidry.

He will do so coming off an encouraging finish to his Grapefruit League workload. With four scoreless innings against the Pirates on Thursday, Sabathia lowered his spring ERA to 1.29 in 21 innings. Over his last three starts, Sabathia hurled 16 scoreless frames with seven hits, a walk and 12 strikeouts.

"I've preached it for years -- you go as far as your pitching," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "CC has been our guy for quite some time. He's a vital part of the pitching staff. We expect him to have a good year."

Trying to wash away the flavor of last year's career-worst 4.78 ERA, the 33-year-old Sabathia said that he was able to work harder this offseason. The results were immediately noticeable; Sabathia said that he reported to camp at 275 pounds, down from 315 a few years ago and back to his old Cleveland Indians weight.

While Cap'n Crunch cereal is no longer banned from Sabathia's diet, he said that he cut carbohydrates and had trainer T.J. Lopez increase the intensity of his workouts. The passing of a cousin, Demetrius Davis, from heart disease at age 45 in December 2012 served as a wakeup call for Sabathia, who wants to be healthier on and off the field.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has commented that he believes Sabathia looks stronger than last season, and there is truth to that. Sabathia admitted that he was not feeling top-notch when the Yankees broke camp a year ago, and while he was coming back from elbow surgery, he also believes that some of his rapid weight loss contributed.

"I didn't know that the weight loss was going to affect me that much," Sabathia said. "There were just some games that I was short [on energy], just didn't have the stuff. It was frustrating, but I can accept getting beat this year if I do, just because I feel so much better."

Sabathia is also in the midst of a transition into a final phase of his career, where he has accepted that his days of high-octane velocity are behind him, citing a big league odometer that is at 2,445 innings and counting. A fastball in the high 80s and the low 90s is going to be the new normal.

"I'm only 33 years old, but it's still my 14th season," Sabathia said. "That's a lot of wear and tear on your arm."

He has tired of talking about the radar gun readings, preferring to discuss his plan to challenge hitters and try to get swings early in the count. It is no coincidence that Sabathia spent a lot of the last 12 months talking with Andy Pettitte, even borrowing a cutter grip from the now-retired-again lefty.

"We talked a lot about this last year. CC's got everything it takes to be successful -- mentally, pitch-stuff-wise," Pettitte said. "When your velocity's not quite there, you've got to rely a little bit more on movement and command, and be able to change speeds and do different pitching. And I think he can do all those things.

"... He's too much of a competitor not to be successful, and he's got a great club around him. He's going to be just fine. The biggest thing for me is I'm trying to get him not to worry about it. Whatever the velocity is, it is. You can't worry about that. You've got to get guys out with what you've got."

Sabathia used this spring to rediscover his changeup, a weapon that the Yankees begged him to use more last season, when he had become slider-happy. Sabathia said that he never had a good feel for the changeup last year, but he threw it often during his winter workouts and has fallen back in love with the pitch.

He is also encouraged by the cutter, which Pettitte showed off a few years ago before continuing to encourage Sabathia to work the pitch in this spring. The cutter remains a fourth option for Sabathia, who does like how it has been pounded into the ground this spring.

"I know velocity can be important when you're making mistakes, but CC was a guy who had velocity that had really good command," Girardi said. "And if his command is there, he's going to have success."

With a contract that extends through 2016, the Yankees have already placed their big bet. Sabathia has something to prove, and his team is hopeful that he can stand tall as the head of a staff that expects its share of wins from Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda.

"I feel like I set the tone," Sabathia said. "We do have a great pitching staff and our offense has gotten better, but I do put a lot of pressure on myself to go out there and try to lead the staff."

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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After cuts, Yankees gear up for final decisions

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/27/2014 5:09 P.M. ET

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Yankees are closing in on their final roster decisions of the spring, shipping 10 more players to Minor League camp and preparing to have lengthy discussions before finalizing their 25-man Opening Day roster on Friday.

New York made seven roster moves after Wednesday's game, optioning right-hander Preston Claiborne and outfielder Zoilo Almonte to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They also reassigned infielders Russ Canzler and Scott Sizemore, and right-handers David Herndon, Jim Miller and Yoshinori Tateyama to Minor League camp.

The club announced on Thursday that it also reassigned right-handers Danny Burawa and Chris Leroux, as well as left-hander Fred Lewis, to Minor League camp. Thirty-five players remain in big league camp, and manager Joe Girardi said that all of the final decisions will be announced on Friday.

"It's been a fierce camp here, and [they] have had a good camp here," Girardi said. "We always tell them, 'At some point, the phone's going to ring, and you want to be that person who's throwing the best.'"

With infielder Brendan Ryan starting the year on the 15-day disabled list due to a pinched nerve in his upper back, Girardi and his staff will have to choose two backup infielders from the group of Eduardo Nunez, Dean Anna and non-roster invitee Yangervis Solarte.

"I always say, 'If you're playing, you have a chance to show us something,'" Girardi said. "It will probably be a long discussion [Friday] on what we feel the best fits are."

There are four vacancies in the bullpen, and two of them appear to be locked in for right-handers David Phelps and Adam Warren. Right-hander Dellin Betances has pitched well this spring but has a Minor League option remaining, giving the club some flexibility.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that the club would prefer to have an additional left-handed reliever, so Vidal Nuno or Cesar Cabral could win a bullpen spot. Right-handers Matt Daley and Shane Greene also remain in camp.

"We're trying to [narrow it down], because people have to pack and get ready for their season," Girardi said.

Nunez, Anna, Solarte await Yanks' choices

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Eduardo Nunez has not packed one stitch of clothing for the regular season, and probably won't until Saturday. He is one of three Yankees infielders stuck in a holding pattern while the team decides how to finish off the 25-man roster.

"It's funny, but it's not funny," said Nunez, with a laugh.

Nunez, Dean Anna and non-roster invitee Yangervis Solarte all had one last crack to impress the Yankees' coaches on Thursday, grabbing starts in a 4-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Pirates at McKechnie Field.

Nunez went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Anna and Solarte each went hitless in four at-bats. The Yankees plan to take two of the three and will give the topic a lot of thought and discussion on Friday, when an announcement is expected.

"This was not a great Spring Training for offense, but I'm learning a lot," said the 27-year-old Nunez, who batted .265 this spring. "I got my confidence at third base and second base, too. But I don't worry about my hitting, because I can do better with that."

Nunez has played in 129 career big league games, all with the Yankees, but manager Joe Girardi has said that neither of their two vacancies have been decided. Nunez said that getting the late nod to make the club is not out of the ordinary for him.

"The last two years, they [told] me the last two days of the camp," Nunez said. "So for me, it's not a surprise. I've always been in this situation."

Solarte, 26, was among the Yankees' top offensive players of the spring. A non-roster invitee who played at Triple-A in the Rangers' system the last two years, Solarte hit .415 (17-for-41) with two homers and eight RBIs to put himself on the radar.

"I feel pretty satisfied with the work that I have done, but regarding the chances, that's something I cannot control and I leave that to the Yankees," Solarte said through an interpreter.

Solarte was nearly promoted to the big leagues by the Rangers last September, and said that he would report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre if he doesn't make the Yankees' Opening Day roster.

"I will take an opportunity, either if it's up here on the team or down in Triple-A," Solarte said. "You just want an opportunity."

Anna, 27, was acquired from the Padres in November after leading the Pacific Coast League with a .331 average last year, and is attending his first big league camp this spring.

He said that he did not feel any added pressure on Thursday, knowing that the Yankees will be judging more than just one game to make their decisions.

"That's over with. That's how I felt the first week, where I needed to do something no matter what," Anna said. "But now it's just, get ready for the season. Whatever happens from here on out, I feel I did pretty well."

Yankees send righty Claiborne to Triple-A

TAMPA, Fla. -- Right-hander Preston Claiborne made 44 appearances at the big league level last season for the Yankees, but his stuff never appeared to be quite as crisp this spring, manager Joe Girardi said.

Claiborne was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Wednesday's appearance against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla. Claiborne faced six batters and did not record an out, charged with six earned runs on four hits with a walk and hit-by-pitch.

"With what he did last year, we thought that he would have a really good chance of being in our bullpen," Girardi said. "He just really never got on a roll in Spring Training. As we told him, we know he's capable of pitching much better than he did. It's his job just to go get ready."

Claiborne, 26, posted a 4.11 ERA in 50 1/3 big league innings last season. His ERA in seven Grapefruit League appearances this spring was 14.29 (nine runs in 5 2/3 innings), and Girardi said that Claiborne seemed disappointed by the demotion.

"I don't think anyone ever takes the news well," Girardi said. "I think he understood, and he understood that he was not throwing the ball the way that he was capable of. But he was very determined to go fix that."

Bomber bits

• Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (sore right calf) was scheduled to have a workout day on Thursday, then will play in Minor League games on Friday and Saturday, according to Girardi. The Yanks' reports on Ellsbury have been "really, really good," Girardi said.

• Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Alfonso Soriano continues to have maintenance on his stiff right shoulder, which will stretch into the regular season.

"Some of it has to do with years in the big leagues, is probably one way to put it," Girardi said.

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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Nunez, Anna, Solarte await Yanks' choices

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/27/2014 5:09 P.M. ET

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Eduardo Nunez has not packed one stitch of clothing for the regular season, and probably won't until Saturday. He is one of three Yankees infielders stuck in a holding pattern while the team decides how to finish off the 25-man roster.

"It's funny, but it's not funny," said Nunez, with a laugh.

Nunez, Dean Anna and non-roster invitee Yangervis Solarte all had one last crack to impress the Yankees' coaches on Thursday, grabbing starts in a 4-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Pirates at McKechnie Field.

Nunez went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Anna and Solarte each went hitless in four at-bats. The Yankees plan to take two of the three and will give the topic a lot of thought and discussion on Friday, when an announcement is expected.

"This was not a great Spring Training for offense, but I'm learning a lot," said the 27-year-old Nunez, who batted .265 this spring. "I got my confidence at third base and second base, too. But I don't worry about my hitting, because I can do better with that."

Nunez has played in 129 career big league games, all with the Yankees, but manager Joe Girardi has said that neither of their two vacancies have been decided. Nunez said that getting the late nod to make the club is not out of the ordinary for him.

"The last two years, they [told] me the last two days of the camp," Nunez said. "So for me, it's not a surprise. I've always been in this situation."

Solarte, 26, was among the Yankees' top offensive players of the spring. A non-roster invitee who played at Triple-A in the Rangers' system the last two years, Solarte hit .415 (17-for-41) with two homers and eight RBIs to put himself on the radar.

"I feel pretty satisfied with the work that I have done, but regarding the chances, that's something I cannot control and I leave that to the Yankees," Solarte said through an interpreter.

Solarte was nearly promoted to the big leagues by the Rangers last September, and said that he would report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre if he doesn't make the Yankees' Opening Day roster.

"I will take an opportunity, either if it's up here on the team or down in Triple-A," Solarte said. "You just want an opportunity."

Anna, 27, was acquired from the Padres in November after leading the Pacific Coast League with a .331 average last year, and is attending his first big league camp this spring.

He said that he did not feel any added pressure on Thursday, knowing that the Yankees will be judging more than just one game to make their decisions.

"That's over with. That's how I felt the first week, where I needed to do something no matter what," Anna said. "But now it's just, get ready for the season. Whatever happens from here on out, I feel I did pretty well."

After cuts, Yankees gear up for final decisions

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Yankees are closing in on their final roster decisions of the spring, shipping 10 more players to Minor League camp and preparing to have lengthy discussions before finalizing their 25-man Opening Day roster on Friday.

New York made seven roster moves after Wednesday's game, optioning right-hander Preston Claiborne and outfielder Zoilo Almonte to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They also reassigned infielders Russ Canzler and Scott Sizemore, and right-handers David Herndon, Jim Miller and Yoshinori Tateyama to Minor League camp.

The club announced on Thursday that it also reassigned right-handers Danny Burawa and Chris Leroux, as well as left-hander Fred Lewis, to Minor League camp. Thirty-five players remain in big league camp, and manager Joe Girardi said that all of the final decisions will be announced on Friday.

"It's been a fierce camp here, and [they] have had a good camp here," Girardi said. "We always tell them, 'At some point, the phone's going to ring, and you want to be that person who's throwing the best.'"

With infielder Brendan Ryan starting the year on the 15-day disabled list due to a pinched nerve in his upper back, Girardi and his staff will have to choose two backup infielders from the group of Eduardo Nunez, Dean Anna and non-roster invitee Yangervis Solarte.

"I always say, 'If you're playing, you have a chance to show us something,'" Girardi said. "It will probably be a long discussion [Friday] on what we feel the best fits are."

There are four vacancies in the bullpen, and two of them appear to be locked in for right-handers David Phelps and Adam Warren. Right-hander Dellin Betances has pitched well this spring but has a Minor League option remaining, giving the club some flexibility.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that the club would prefer to have an additional left-handed reliever, so Vidal Nuno or Cesar Cabral could win a bullpen spot. Right-handers Matt Daley and Shane Greene also remain in camp.

"We're trying to [narrow it down], because people have to pack and get ready for their season," Girardi said.

Yankees send righty Claiborne to Triple-A

TAMPA, Fla. -- Right-hander Preston Claiborne made 44 appearances at the big league level last season for the Yankees, but his stuff never appeared to be quite as crisp this spring, manager Joe Girardi said.

Claiborne was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Wednesday's appearance against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla. Claiborne faced six batters and did not record an out, charged with six earned runs on four hits with a walk and hit-by-pitch.

"With what he did last year, we thought that he would have a really good chance of being in our bullpen," Girardi said. "He just really never got on a roll in Spring Training. As we told him, we know he's capable of pitching much better than he did. It's his job just to go get ready."

Claiborne, 26, posted a 4.11 ERA in 50 1/3 big league innings last season. His ERA in seven Grapefruit League appearances this spring was 14.29 (nine runs in 5 2/3 innings), and Girardi said that Claiborne seemed disappointed by the demotion.

"I don't think anyone ever takes the news well," Girardi said. "I think he understood, and he understood that he was not throwing the ball the way that he was capable of. But he was very determined to go fix that."

Bomber bits

• Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (sore right calf) was scheduled to have a workout day on Thursday, then will play in Minor League games on Friday and Saturday, according to Girardi. The Yanks' reports on Ellsbury have been "really, really good," Girardi said.

• Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Alfonso Soriano continues to have maintenance on his stiff right shoulder, which will stretch into the regular season.

"Some of it has to do with years in the big leagues, is probably one way to put it," Girardi said.

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, added depth could key successful 2014

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees learned not to watch each of Derek Jeter's steps so closely, marveled at how Masahiro Tanaka adapted to his new workplace with relative ease, and were able to spend more time on the field instead of the trainers' table.

For those and several other reasons, this is wrapping up as a successful spring for the Yankees. They are ready to exit this Grapefruit League dress rehearsal and see how their revamped roster plays for real, beginning on April 1 against the Astros in Houston.

"I like the guys that we have," said Jeter, who began the spring by announcing that 2014 will be his final season. "I think we have a lot of talent here, a lot of optimism. The bottom line is, you have to perform on the field, but I like the guys that we have."

April 1: Yankees vs. Astros, 7:10 p.m. ET
CC Sabathia vs. Scott Feldman

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Around the time Jeter was scribbling notes for his Facebook post read around the world, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was devoting his attention to a roster pockmarked by question marks that could only be answered by a full seven weeks in the Florida sun.

New York's infield of Mark Teixeira, Brian Roberts, Jeter and Kelly Johnson reported with legitimate concerns at each spot, and the rotation included a great unknown in Tanaka, who spun a perfect 24-0 season with Japan's Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles into a seven-year, $155 million deal.

Add in a fifth starter battle that included the nearly forgotten Michael Pineda, who still has yet to throw his first official pitch in a pinstripes uniform, and David Robertson's unenviable move into Mariano Rivera's territory as Yankees closer. And after all that?

"It's been pretty good," Girardi said. "Knock on wood, we've been pretty healthy in Spring Training. I think we've gotten the guys ready that we feel we need to get ready to go. I think it's been a pretty good spring."

Jeter has preached for years that teams go as far as their pitching, and the Yankees feel that they have reasons to be encouraged. It starts with CC Sabathia, who is in the process of re-inventing himself as he prepares for his 11th career Opening Day start and sixth with New York.

Citing the wear and tear of 2,775 big league innings, Sabathia has acknowledged that his fastball velocity may never crackle in the high 90's again. That doesn't mean he cannot win; Sabathia has rediscovered his changeup, still trusts his slider and is toying with a cutter borrowed from Andy Pettitte.

"I feel like I set the tone," Sabathia said. "We do have a great pitching staff and our offense has gotten better, but I do put a lot of pressure on myself to go out there and try to lead the staff."

Hiroki Kuroda showed a recharged battery after last year's second-half sputter and Ivan Nova has impressed with a mature attitude. The fifth starter competition flashed depth, and Tanaka -- despite beginning the season as the No. 4 starter -- appears to be living up to the hype as a solid big league-ready starter.

"Everything he's handled with ease, as if he's done it before," general manager Brian Cashman said. "He feels like he's been a part of this organization for more than the six or eight weeks it's been. [Hideki] Matsui was like that too; he's just fit in since Day 1."

Robertson received strong votes of confidence from Rivera and Yankees management over the winter, and he will pace a bullpen with a good deal of turnover. Shawn Kelley and Matt Thornton will fill prominent roles, with contributions from hurlers like David Phelps, Adam Warren and Dellin Betances.

"I'm committed to that [ninth] inning," Robertson said. "I've got to finish it. I'm your last chance, and you're not going to beat me today."

Coming off an 85-win season -- one that the Yankees believe they overachieved in, for what it's worth -- the offense was the largest area of upgrade. It started behind the plate with Brian McCann, who swings a power bat and has received rave reviews from the team's pitchers for his leadership and game-calling.

"It's humbling to put on this uniform and to share that little dirt area with the catchers in the past," McCann said. "As a baseball fan, that's a pretty cool experience."

Jacoby Ellsbury adds speed, spark and defense to the top of the order, trading in his Red Sox pedigree for the duties of setting the table for Jeter.

"I'm looking forward to it," Ellsbury said. "I'm excited for Opening Day, excited for the season to get underway. I know all the guys are anxious to get going."

The heart of the order features Carlos Beltran, who has quietly enjoyed a productive spring, and the welcome return of Teixeira. Limited to just 15 games last season, Teixeira has shown nary a wince or grimace stemming from his surgically repaired right wrist.

"I think the great thing is, look at our lineup," Teixeira said. "We're back to being the Yankees again. Last year, we weren't the Yankees. We had so many injuries and we had so many guys that should have been in there to be lots of anchors. That's back."

Alfonso Soriano extends the lineup as a dangerous designated hitter and part-time outfielder, while Johnson has worked long hours with infield coach Mick Kelleher to mold himself into a capable third baseman; so much that the Yankees have backed off the idea of platooning Johnson at the position.

"I think he's done a pretty good job in Spring Training understanding what his role is," Girardi said. "I think it's going to be just fine."

Roberts has seemed to be a fit at second base, buddying up with Jeter to hold down the middle infield. Health is Roberts' main concern after missing 445 games over the last four years, but he has had an incident-free spring.

The Yankees also feel good about their bench depth, which is highlighted by Francisco Cervelli, Eduardo Nunez and, of course, Ichiro Suzuki -- arguably over-qualified to be a fifth outfielder, but still trying to find a niche on a restocked roster that considers it mandatory to get back into postseason play.

"I think we have very good depth," Girardi said. "Last year with all the injuries, we just kind of ran out of depth. This year, I think our front office did a tremendous job."

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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Claiborne's struggles could factor for Girardi

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Preston Claiborne, who made 44 appearances in the big leagues for the Yankees last season, has had a rough spring and could begin the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The right-hander allowed six earned runs on four hits with a walk and did not record an out in Wednesday's appearance against the Blue Jays, part of Toronto's eight-run fifth inning. Claiborne also hit a batter with a pitch.

"The stuff has not been the same, for whatever reason," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "When we got him up last year he had been on a roll and he was throwing the ball very well. He has not been able to do that this spring, and it's something that we've looked at."

Claiborne, 26, was 0-2 with a 4.11 ERA with New York last season. His spring ERA rose from 4.76 to 14.29 with Wednesday's appearance, and Girardi has said that he was already facing difficult decisions to narrow down his bullpen choices.

David Robertson, Shawn Kelley and Matt Thornton were considered early locks, and Girardi has indicated that David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno will all be looked at to fill relief spots. Dellin Betances also pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday, lowering his spring ERA to 0.79.

"I think we look at taking our best team when we leave," Girardi said. "In saying that, we have some tough decisions to make over the next three days, and it's really less than that because we leave in three days."

Jeter just beginning to shed rust from lost season

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The hits may not have been falling very often for Derek Jeter this spring, but with Opening Day right around the corner, the Yankees' captain believes he is clicking into form at just the right time.

Jeter went 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs in the Yankees' 10-6 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, raising his spring average to .143 (7-for-49). He has said that it was taking longer than expected to knock rust off after being limited to 17 games last season.

"That's the goal, to get ready for Opening Day," Jeter said. "Sometimes you have to use more of the spring than others to get ready, but I feel good where I am right now. We have a couple more games left and then we'll start the year, so I'm happy with where I am."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he sees Jeter's timing improving every day. Jeter played back-to-back games at shortstop for the first time this spring on Tuesday and Wednesday; he is scheduled to have Thursday off, then will play on Saturday and Sunday.

"The big thing for me is he's healthy," Girardi said. "He's responding day after day, coming back, playing four out of five days. I think he's starting to swing the bat a little bit better. He's starting to get the ball in the air, line drives.

"I don't worry too much about Spring Training for veteran guys, especially a guy who really hasn't played in a year and a half. I don't worry about it. We've talked about his timing. He feels it's better and better. I think it will continue to improve and he'll be fine."

Jeter said that he has been on a normal spring schedule since camp started in February, but it has taken slightly longer to get in the rhythm of playing games. Jeter said that he finally started to feel comfortable a few days ago.

"For me, every spring it's pretty much the same thing," Jeter said. "This year may have taken a little bit longer, but first you want to make sure you're seeing the ball. Then it's you want to make sure you're swinging at good pitches, then it's contact.

"Driving balls in the air is usually the last thing that comes. It's usually been like that every spring. This year, maybe it's taken a little bit longer than other ones, but I think that's understandable considering I haven't played in quite some time."

Girardi said that he does not have any issues with Jeter's defensive play to date.

"He's consistent out there," Girardi said. "It's really nice to see him move without having to force it, like what we had to watch all last year. It was hard for everybody to watch, because it's not something that we were accustomed to.

"But he's went to his right, he's went to his left, he's come in. I don't remember a ball really going back, but he's looked pretty good."

Ellsbury plays field in Minor League contest

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury played in his second Minor League game in as many days on Wednesday, playing five innings in center field and reporting no issues.

Ellsbury played in a Class A game against a Pirates' squad at the Himes Complex in Tampa, Fla., going 1-for-4 with a walk. Ellsbury has not played in a Grapefruit League game since March 14 due to a sore right calf.

"I think it went very well," Ellsbury said. "Pleased with the results, pleased with how everything felt, couldn't ask for more. I did a little bit of everything."

Manager Joe Girardi said that it was "comforting" that Ellsbury was able to play the outfield. Ellsbury had only batted on Tuesday because of soggy conditions at the complex.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that Ellsbury will play in another Minor League game on Thursday, and he could play for the big league squad on Friday against the Marlins at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"I think he will be ready [for Opening Day], as long as he's feeling good and he's healthy," Cashman said.

Also in that Minor League game, Yankees closer David Robertson allowed a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning, striking out two.

Primed to be backup, Cervelli a 'plus' for Yanks

TAMPA, Fla. -- Francisco Cervelli just has to make it to the plane. By optioning Austin Romine to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, the Yankees have essentially confirmed that Cervelli will be their backup catcher this season.

Cervelli has enjoyed a terrific spring, entering play on Wednesday batting .455 (15-for-33) with a team-leading four homers, but he has been fooled before. In 2012, Cervelli seemed to be a roster lock before the Yankees made a last-minute trade to acquire Chris Stewart from the Giants.

"If I get my locker in Houston, I'll be happy," Cervelli said.

Cervelli's name has popped up in recent trade rumors -- the Rangers could be one suitor, having lost Geovany Soto for at least 10 weeks to a torn meniscus -- but Girardi said Cervelli adds experience and depth behind the plate for the Yankees.

"I think Cervy can be an everyday catcher, I do," Girardi said. "When it comes to catching, we have a ton in our organization. I mean, there's kids that we sent down that I believe are Major League catchers right now. And it's a real plus for us."

Girardi said that he does not envision making Cervelli anyone's personal catcher; rather, the skipper said, the Yankees will play Brian McCann as often as possible, using Cervelli to spell McCann twice out of every eight or nine days.

"He's been around here," Girardi said. "He's pretty familiar with most of the guys. I'll just put him in when I feel the day is right."

Cervelli said that he has been pleased with his spring. He has been catching all of the Yanks' starters, even toying with learning Japanese so he can communicate with Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka, and he said that last year's troubled season helped him mature.

"Everything that happened last year -- injury, suspension -- I had a lot of time to think, sit down and think about what I have to change, what I have to improve, and how I can manage my life," Cervelli said.

Cervelli was being thought of as the Yankees' regular catcher last season, but wound up playing in just 17 games. He fractured his right hand on a foul tip in April, had a setback in his rehab and then was hit with a 50-game suspension stemming from Major League Baseball's investigation into the Biogenesis clinic.

"I think [I wanted to] prove to the fans that ... I'm healthy and last year was an embarrassing moment for me," Cervelli said. "It's a moment I'm going to carry forever. I come here to play baseball, give everything to the Yankees, and also for myself because I never stop the way I work. I always want to be better."

Bomber bits

• Alfonso Soriano received treatment after Tuesday's game for a sore right shoulder. Soriano was back in the Yankees' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., serving as the designated hitter.

"It's something that he's had," Girardi said. "Players have to work through things. He'll get [Thursday] off and then we'll see how he is."

• Girardi said that his choices for backup infielders and relief pitchers will probably go down to the end of camp, and that the organization is still discussing their options.

"We're going to have to make a decision pretty quick here, because they're going to have to pack," Girardi said.

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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Ellsbury plays field in Minor League contest

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury played in his second Minor League game in as many days on Wednesday, playing five innings in center field and reporting no issues.

Ellsbury played in a Class A game against a Pirates' squad at the Himes Complex in Tampa, Fla., going 1-for-4 with a walk. Ellsbury has not played in a Grapefruit League game since March 14 due to a sore right calf.

"I think it went very well," Ellsbury said. "Pleased with the results, pleased with how everything felt, couldn't ask for more. I did a little bit of everything."

Manager Joe Girardi said that it was "comforting" that Ellsbury was able to play the outfield. Ellsbury had only batted on Tuesday because of soggy conditions at the complex.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that Ellsbury will play in another Minor League game on Thursday, and he could play for the big league squad on Friday against the Marlins at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"I think he will be ready [for Opening Day], as long as he's feeling good and he's healthy," Cashman said.

Also in that Minor League game, Yankees closer David Robertson allowed a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning, striking out two.

Jeter just beginning to shed rust from lost season

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The hits may not have been falling very often for Derek Jeter this spring, but with Opening Day right around the corner, the Yankees' captain believes he is clicking into form at just the right time.

Jeter went 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs in the Yankees' 10-6 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, raising his spring average to .143 (7-for-49). He has said that it was taking longer than expected to knock rust off after being limited to 17 games last season.

"That's the goal, to get ready for Opening Day," Jeter said. "Sometimes you have to use more of the spring than others to get ready, but I feel good where I am right now. We have a couple more games left and then we'll start the year, so I'm happy with where I am."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he sees Jeter's timing improving every day. Jeter played back-to-back games at shortstop for the first time this spring on Tuesday and Wednesday; he is scheduled to have Thursday off, then will play on Saturday and Sunday.

"The big thing for me is he's healthy," Girardi said. "He's responding day after day, coming back, playing four out of five days. I think he's starting to swing the bat a little bit better. He's starting to get the ball in the air, line drives.

"I don't worry too much about Spring Training for veteran guys, especially a guy who really hasn't played in a year and a half. I don't worry about it. We've talked about his timing. He feels it's better and better. I think it will continue to improve and he'll be fine."

Jeter said that he has been on a normal spring schedule since camp started in February, but it has taken slightly longer to get in the rhythm of playing games. Jeter said that he finally started to feel comfortable a few days ago.

"For me, every spring it's pretty much the same thing," Jeter said. "This year may have taken a little bit longer, but first you want to make sure you're seeing the ball. Then it's you want to make sure you're swinging at good pitches, then it's contact.

"Driving balls in the air is usually the last thing that comes. It's usually been like that every spring. This year, maybe it's taken a little bit longer than other ones, but I think that's understandable considering I haven't played in quite some time."

Girardi said that he does not have any issues with Jeter's defensive play to date.

"He's consistent out there," Girardi said. "It's really nice to see him move without having to force it, like what we had to watch all last year. It was hard for everybody to watch, because it's not something that we were accustomed to.

"But he's went to his right, he's went to his left, he's come in. I don't remember a ball really going back, but he's looked pretty good."

Claiborne's struggles could factor for Girardi

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Preston Claiborne, who made 44 appearances in the big leagues for the Yankees last season, has had a rough spring and could begin the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The right-hander allowed six earned runs on four hits with a walk and did not record an out in Wednesday's appearance against the Blue Jays, part of Toronto's eight-run fifth inning. Claiborne also hit a batter with a pitch.

"The stuff has not been the same, for whatever reason," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "When we got him up last year he had been on a roll and he was throwing the ball very well. He has not been able to do that this spring, and it's something that we've looked at."

Claiborne, 26, was 0-2 with a 4.11 ERA with New York last season. His spring ERA rose from 4.76 to 14.29 with Wednesday's appearance, and Girardi has said that he was already facing difficult decisions to narrow down his bullpen choices.

David Robertson, Shawn Kelley and Matt Thornton were considered early locks, and Girardi has indicated that David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno will all be looked at to fill relief spots. Dellin Betances also pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday, lowering his spring ERA to 0.79.

"I think we look at taking our best team when we leave," Girardi said. "In saying that, we have some tough decisions to make over the next three days, and it's really less than that because we leave in three days."

Primed to be backup, Cervelli a 'plus' for Yanks

TAMPA, Fla. -- Francisco Cervelli just has to make it to the plane. By optioning Austin Romine to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, the Yankees have essentially confirmed that Cervelli will be their backup catcher this season.

Cervelli has enjoyed a terrific spring, entering play on Wednesday batting .455 (15-for-33) with a team-leading four homers, but he has been fooled before. In 2012, Cervelli seemed to be a roster lock before the Yankees made a last-minute trade to acquire Chris Stewart from the Giants.

"If I get my locker in Houston, I'll be happy," Cervelli said.

Cervelli's name has popped up in recent trade rumors -- the Rangers could be one suitor, having lost Geovany Soto for at least 10 weeks to a torn meniscus -- but Girardi said Cervelli adds experience and depth behind the plate for the Yankees.

"I think Cervy can be an everyday catcher, I do," Girardi said. "When it comes to catching, we have a ton in our organization. I mean, there's kids that we sent down that I believe are Major League catchers right now. And it's a real plus for us."

Girardi said that he does not envision making Cervelli anyone's personal catcher; rather, the skipper said, the Yankees will play Brian McCann as often as possible, using Cervelli to spell McCann twice out of every eight or nine days.

"He's been around here," Girardi said. "He's pretty familiar with most of the guys. I'll just put him in when I feel the day is right."

Cervelli said that he has been pleased with his spring. He has been catching all of the Yanks' starters, even toying with learning Japanese so he can communicate with Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka, and he said that last year's troubled season helped him mature.

"Everything that happened last year -- injury, suspension -- I had a lot of time to think, sit down and think about what I have to change, what I have to improve, and how I can manage my life," Cervelli said.

Cervelli was being thought of as the Yankees' regular catcher last season, but wound up playing in just 17 games. He fractured his right hand on a foul tip in April, had a setback in his rehab and then was hit with a 50-game suspension stemming from Major League Baseball's investigation into the Biogenesis clinic.

"I think [I wanted to] prove to the fans that ... I'm healthy and last year was an embarrassing moment for me," Cervelli said. "It's a moment I'm going to carry forever. I come here to play baseball, give everything to the Yankees, and also for myself because I never stop the way I work. I always want to be better."

Bomber bits

• Alfonso Soriano received treatment after Tuesday's game for a sore right shoulder. Soriano was back in the Yankees' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., serving as the designated hitter.

"It's something that he's had," Girardi said. "Players have to work through things. He'll get [Thursday] off and then we'll see how he is."

• Girardi said that his choices for backup infielders and relief pitchers will probably go down to the end of camp, and that the organization is still discussing their options.

"We're going to have to make a decision pretty quick here, because they're going to have to pack," Girardi said.

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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