Where's The Rest Of CC Sabathia??

(Courtesy of the AP)

"Sabathia said he lost about 10 pounds over the winter and is down to 290. He said that’s what he was last spring, and that seems about right. He looks about the same as last spring. 'This is the ideal weight,' he said. 'I was probably about 300 by the end of last year, so I probably gained 10 pounds.'" (via Chad Jennings)

Either CC is wearing Shaq's shorts and t-shirt in that picture or he lost more than 10 pounds this offseason.  Seriously, what is going on there??  Is that a camera trick or something?  Dude looks fucking SVELTE.  If that's CC at 290 then I can say with 100% certainty that he looks better at 290 than I look at 200.  I'm also not 6'7" but you get the point.  The big fella is looking lean and mean.



P.S.- Is it the tights?  It's gotta be the tights.

Return Of The Spring Training New Numbers Game

(Obviously ain't going to be any of these)

One of the more fun parts of Spring Training is the juggling and assigning of numbers to new team members.  The exercise is especially tricky for the Yankees, who have their large collection of retired numbers and a couple of numbers that are off limits until they are officially retired.  It became even trickier this season with a greater influx of new players and a collection of returning players who decided they wanted to trade up for a better number this season.  Does any of this have any bearing on how each player will perform this season?  Absolutely not.  Is it worth covering on the first day of camp when all guys are doing is putting stuff in their lockers and maybe tossing a ball around?  I think so.  Especially now that I was smart enough to not guess at the new numbers this year and open myself up to criticism for the lack of AB4AR t-shirts in the world.  New number assignments after the jump.

C-Grand In Camp, Wants To Return Next Year

Curtis Granderson arrived at camp yesterday, and participated in some outfield running and throwing drills with Derek Jeter before speaking to reporters.  The biggest point of discussion was Curtis' impending free agency after this season and his desire to remain with the Yankees.

I don't need to go back through the reasons why I think the Yankees should let C-Grand walk after this season, and it certainly comes as no surprise that he wants to stay.  The stadium dimensions are tailor-made for his power swing, being a star in New York gives him a ton more opportunities to participate in off-field and local activities that he loves to do, and the Yankees would probably offer him the most money.  Curtis has fully ingrained himself into the Yankee family and been a valuable member of the team in his time here, but I still wouldn't anticipate anything more than a qualifying offer.

One interesting bit of baseball-related info to come out of Curtis' chat with reporters yesterday was the revelation that he tweaked his offseason program and started hitting earlier than usual at the suggestion of Ichiro (via Erik Boland).  If that change in routine helps cut down on the strikeouts and improves his overall production this season, maybe that will inspire the Yankees to consider offering C-Grand a new deal, especially if they are unable to re-sign Robbie Cano.

Pitchers & Catchers Report Date Prepper: The Starters

(The big 3.  Courtesy of Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post)

Today's the big day.  As I sit here writing this and as others of you will sit here and read it, players are making their way to the Yankees' Spring Training complex to begin their preseason work.  There's a lot that needs to be done to prepare for the 2013 season, and a lot that still needs to be worked out, but one thing will hold more true than it ever has for the Yankees this year and that's the need for their starting rotation to stay healthy and pitch effectively.  Last year's group did for stretches, especially for a period in June when Andy had joined the rotation and gotten up to full game speed, but injuries and uneven performance were the bigger storylines.  The Yankees head into camp this season with the same 6 familiar faces that finished last year vying for the 5 spots in this year's rotation, with some youth and depth behind them.