New York Yankees News: 3/5/12

- As you may have heard by now, the general consensus from the Yankees is that they will be trimming payroll to $189 million dollars by 2014. Brian Cashman admitted that the money owed to current players makes getting under that limit more difficult, but also said "We're still the Yankees. We're still going to outspend everybody else".

Don't expect the Yankees to pinch too many pennies, they'll still spend whatever it takes to get a winning team on the field, they may just have to do it with a few less long term and expensive Free Agent acquisitions.

- Mariano Rivera, who generally does as he pleases in Spring Training, will face live hitters for the first time today.

Chris Dickerson and Francisco Cervelli drew the short straws and get to be Rivera's practice targets. We should see Mo in a game eventually; likely whenever he feels like it.

- Mike Axisa at River Ave Blues answered a mailbag question about trading Robinson Cano or Curtis Granderson.

He believes that Cashman would consider it, but that it's ultimately unlikely that a trade would happen. Both players will be free agents after the 2013 season, and both are likely to get a nice payday when that happens. I believe the Yankees will end up resigning Cano to a long term deal and letting Granderson go (sadly, because I love Grandy), and Axisa seems to agree with that sentiment.

Look at what the Padres got in return for Adrian Gonzalez from the Red Sox. Would you be content with that type of a package of players in return for Cano? I can't say I would be.

- After getting off to a hot start in his first Spring Training game, Alex Rodriguez is happy, but knows it doesn't mean much.

A-Rod started last Spring on fire, so he knows to not put much thought into how he's hitting right now. He realizes that the Yankees need him on the field, and he couldn't be more right about that. It's ridiculously fun to watch him hit when he's healthy, and he looked like he had regained the ability to drive the ball that injuries took from him in 2011.

-The Yankees' biggest offseason acquisition, Michael Pineda, will start today against the Phillies.

This is probably the game I've been looking forward to most, just because I'm really excited to see Pineda pitch. Hopefully we'll get a look at his changeup that he and Larry Rothschild have been working on since camp began. A game thread to discuss such matters will be posted around 12:30 p.m.