Around the Empire: Yankees News - 5/22/15

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: The outcome to the Alex Rodriguez bonus situation will be decided by an arbitrator, Fredric Horowitz, the very same arbitrator that negotiated Rodriguez's suspension. This will come down to contractual semantics, and Horowitz will determine whether the Yankees have the choice of whether they can opt out of paying Rodriguez his bonus.

WDBJ | Seth Kovar: The owner of the new Yankees minor league affiliate in Pulaski is preparing for the season, and he is willing to invest a significant amount of money so the ballpark and facilities are in proper order. This owner, David Hagan, spent $3 million upgrading Calfee Park by adding a Jumbotron, new concession stands, and a clubhouse, and he also spent $4 million to renovate a building that could be used for player housing and as a local hotel.

Hartford Courant | Mike Anthony: In a nice piece looking at the career of Yankees minor leaguer Alex Smith, Smith reflects on the adjustments he had to make to get him all the way to Double-A, and how once he got a taste of big league spring training, he knew the highest level was within reach.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: When asked about what type of moves the team would make during the season, Hal Steinbrenner said that they would be similar to last year. The Yankees are willing to add salary to make the team better, just like they did last year by adding Chase Headley, Brandon McCarthy, and Stephen Drew, but they are not willing to part with their top prospects; because they are now coming closer to the big league level, now is not the time to sell them.