by Marc Carig
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees' opening day roster came into clearer focus on Tuesday morning when the team awarded right-handed reliever Jonathan Albaladejo the final spot on the pitching staff.
While Albaladejo gained a major league job, the Yankees cut long relief candidates Alfredo Aceves, Brett Tomko and Dan Giese. The club also cut catcher Kevin Cash. All four have been tabbed for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
"I came here ready," said Albaladejo, who broke camp with the team last season, though an elbow injury wrecked his year. "I worked hard in the offseason to make this team. In my mind, I was always thinking 'I'm going to go there to make the team, I'm going to make it,'" he said. "Thank God I did."
Though he flew under the radar, Albaladejo posted a 0.93 ERA in 9 2/3 innings, enough to garner enough attention for the club's decision-makers.
By taking Albaladejo, the Yankees chose to break camp without a designated long reliever for the second-straight season, even though manager Joe Girardi said throughout the spring that he preferred to keep a long man on the roster.
"This is the best pitching staff we can take right now, simple as that," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
Of those left off the roster, perhaps Tomko pitched the best, posting a 1.17 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. The veteran major leaguer said he eschewed other opportunities where we could have remained a starter for an opportunity to earn a bullpen spot with the Yankees. He stopped short of saying he regretted his decision, though the pitcher was disappointed.
"I felt that I pitched my way on this team," said Tomko, who appears destined for the minors because he doesn't have an out in his contract until June.
Cashman said the decisions were tough because several players pitched well enough to stay with the club.
"Normally, you have a lot of things happen and the decision get made for you, or you're scrambling to find guys," Cashman said. "It's hard to all of sudden make a decision. Who knows, we may not have made the right decision today. But it was time to make one."
After the moves, the last remaining position battle is for the Yankees' utility man spot between the veteran Angel Berroa and prospect Ramiro Pena. But Cashman said a decision might not come for a few more days.
Though he said Berroa and Pena have played well enough to earn the job, and the team isn't actively seeking an outside option, Cashman said the Yankees will hold out to see which other players may become available as other major league teams begin making their final cuts.
While Albaladejo gained a major league job, the Yankees cut long relief candidates Alfredo Aceves, Brett Tomko and Dan Giese. The club also cut catcher Kevin Cash. All four have been tabbed for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
"I came here ready," said Albaladejo, who broke camp with the team last season, though an elbow injury wrecked his year. "I worked hard in the offseason to make this team. In my mind, I was always thinking 'I'm going to go there to make the team, I'm going to make it,'" he said. "Thank God I did."
Though he flew under the radar, Albaladejo posted a 0.93 ERA in 9 2/3 innings, enough to garner enough attention for the club's decision-makers.
By taking Albaladejo, the Yankees chose to break camp without a designated long reliever for the second-straight season, even though manager Joe Girardi said throughout the spring that he preferred to keep a long man on the roster.
"This is the best pitching staff we can take right now, simple as that," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
Of those left off the roster, perhaps Tomko pitched the best, posting a 1.17 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. The veteran major leaguer said he eschewed other opportunities where we could have remained a starter for an opportunity to earn a bullpen spot with the Yankees. He stopped short of saying he regretted his decision, though the pitcher was disappointed.
"I felt that I pitched my way on this team," said Tomko, who appears destined for the minors because he doesn't have an out in his contract until June.
Cashman said the decisions were tough because several players pitched well enough to stay with the club.
"Normally, you have a lot of things happen and the decision get made for you, or you're scrambling to find guys," Cashman said. "It's hard to all of sudden make a decision. Who knows, we may not have made the right decision today. But it was time to make one."
After the moves, the last remaining position battle is for the Yankees' utility man spot between the veteran Angel Berroa and prospect Ramiro Pena. But Cashman said a decision might not come for a few more days.
Though he said Berroa and Pena have played well enough to earn the job, and the team isn't actively seeking an outside option, Cashman said the Yankees will hold out to see which other players may become available as other major league teams begin making their final cuts.
Source: nj.com
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