Spring Headlines: CC Sabathia named Yankees fifth starter
The New York Yankees put the finishing touches on their starting rotation Friday, naming CC Sabathia as their No. 5 starter. Manager Joe Girardi gave the veteran left-hander the nod over another veteran, right-hander Ivan Nova, after holding a lengthy meeting with pitching coach Larry Rothschild . Nova will now shift to the bullpen, where he’ll serve as depth and await an opportunity.
Girardi had been weighing the decision as well as the order of his rotation right up to the final days of spring training. He only confirmed Masahiro Tanaka as his opening day starter on Wednesday. Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Luis Severino round out the rotation.
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The Yankees decision likely came down to trust, tenure and perhaps even salary. Sabathia is due to make $25 million this season, which would make it difficult to explain why he couldn’t win a spot. Nova definitely had a better spring overall, posting a 4.13 ERA in 24 innings compared to Sabathia’s 5.51 ERA over 16 1/3 innings.
Girardi did specifically note Sabathia’s strong September last season as a factor in his decision. With that in mind, general manager Brian Cashman added the words “for now” to the decision, indicating the evaulation process will continue. This is a position battle worth keeping an eye on.
OTHER SPRING HEADLINES
Good news: Despite a chip fracture in his non-throwing wrist, Yankees reliever Andrew Miller has been cleared for opening day. [Daily News]
Overblown: The Padres reported interest in acquiring Pablo Sandoval is said to be ‘overblown.’ They have little interest in taking on his contract. [@sdutdennislin]
Added depth: Speaking of the Padres, they added some starting pitcher depth by signing Jeremy Guthrie to a minor-league deal. [@Ken_Rosenthal]
Suspended: Free-agent catcher Taylor Teagarden received an 80-game suspension after appearing in Al-Jazeera’s PED report. [The Stew]
Available: Veteran left-hander Sean Burnett will opt out of his contract after not making the Nationals roster. [@ChrisCotillo]
Get ready: 30 things you need to know before MLB’s opening day. [The Stew]
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
