Image

Another quiet day for the Yankees in Tampa. So it goes. Spring training is in full swing and we’re not too far away from game action (this Sunday! and it’s on TV!).

Before we get to the story of the day and a few other notes, take a look at the ups and downs of Mike Tauchman’s day:

Take it easy there! It’s not even March yet. Then again, Tauchman is fighting for a job this spring. With Kyle Higashioka, Tyler Wade, and Brett Gardner assured bench roles already, there’s just one open spot remaining. Could be Tauchman, but he’ll have to beat out Jay Bruce and Derek Dietrich. At least Tauchman redeemed himself later:

Similar to what Lindsey tweeted, it’s still a lengthy spring training to get through. A lot of players are eager to head north within a week or two of Opening Day, but Tauchman could still be fighting for a job at that point.

The Big Story: Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner spoke to reporters this afternoon regarding a few topics, ranging from his offseason contract negotiations, his role on the team, Clint Frazier, and his playing future.

It’s no surprise to hear that the negotiations were frustrating. The Yankees seemed prepared to stand their ground until they got Gardner at their price, which they did. Greg Allen was around as insurance, even though I don’t think there’s anyone who’d prefer Allen to Gardner on this year’s team.

We already know that Clint Frazier is the team’s starting left fielder. Aaron Boone has said as much. So there’s no need to read into Gardner saying he’s planning on playing everyday. He’s saying that because of he course he is — he’s a competitor. Besides, it’s better to be ready to play daily. We sure as hell know that the Yankees have exhausted the injured list in recent years.

Speaking of Frazier, there’s absolutely no animosity between him and Gardner. For one, Gardner said this:

And two, Frazier is happy to see his teammate back.

You didn’t need these tweets to know that these two get along. Gardner’s a bit of a prankster, and we have already heard about Brett using some of Clint’s equipment during games. Frazier has joked about Gardner not taking his stuff already.

Lastly, let’s touch on Gardner’s future after this year. He’s 37. As you can see from Murti’s tweet above, retirement was “on the table” before he re-signed. This year really sounds like it could be his last though, considering Caldera’s tweet. I think Gardner could probably play another year or two, but his time is certainly coming. I’m glad there’ll be (some) fans in the stands to give him a good sendoff, should he actually depart for good.

Leftovers

  • Pitching Assignments: New signee Justin Wilson threw a side session at the gas station. Gerrit Cole, Domingo Germán, Jonathan Loaisiga, Lucas Luetge, Nick Nelson, Kyle Barraclough, Tyler Lyons, Nestor Cortes, Brooks Kriske, and Addison Russ threw live batting practice. (Bryan Hoch)
  • Grapefruit League Opener: Michael King starts the Yankees’ first spring training game on Sunday. It will be on YES and start at 1pm. Stay tuned for our TV schedule post forthcoming.
  • Bullpen competition: Aaron Boone told the media that one or two bullpen roles are up for grabs. He also noted that whoever the team carries as its fifth starter could act as a reliever in the early going given all of the off days to start the season. The Yankees have four days off in April.(Brendan Kuty)

In case you missed it earlier: Dom previewed the infield corners, Matt looked into ways Jordan Montgomery could improve, and I wrote about the Yankees’ strong pitching depth.

And that’s it for today. I’ll leave you all with this:

What does everyone think? Me personally: I’m a fan. I do wonder if pitchers would complain about it being distracting, which I suppose is a possibility. But it would add a little bit of personality into a league that we know lacks it.

Advertisements