New York Yankees Friday notes

Brian McCann was scheduled to go to Panama and he said he was looking forward to it.  The

Yankees then decided to change it at the last minute and keep him in Florida.  He has never been

there and any other spring a trip like that he said would be good to break up the monotony that is

spring training.  He said though when the Yankees approached him about changing plans he was on

board. 

He said he is catching a lot because he needs to get to know the pitchers.  He is going to start doing back-to-back and by the end of spring probably do three games in a row.  He said you don't usually do that in spring training but he wants to catch everyone and really have a feel for them.  He stayed in Tampa specifically to catch Masahiro Tanaka on Sunday and Hiroki Kuroda on Monday.  He said he will probably get two more starts with each of them and then be ready to go for the season.  He expects to have caught each of the Yankees starters at least twice and some of them three times before camp breaks.  He would have caught CC Sabathia in Panama but the Yankees decided to prioritize him catching the two Japanese starters. 

Manny Banuelos made his second appearance on Friday and got knocked around again.  The results really don't matter at all right now.  The important thing for him is that he is getting in games and feeling good.  He will start the year in AAA Scranton and if he has a good year be knocking on the door to the big leagues.  The Yankees in Panama were scheduled to see the Panama canal on Friday and then have a big dinner Friday night for a charity that Mo is involved in. 

Mark Teixeira played on Friday and spoke about his lack of power.  He basically said he isn't worried about it.  He said it won't bother him if he leaves Florida without a homerun.  He said the important thing is that he feels good and is taking good swings and making good contact.  He said he knows the power will come because it is naturally there.  Eduardo Nunez making the final out of the fifth inning was spiked in the thigh.  Nunez said the slide was unnecessarily  rough and Rob Thomson the acting manager said he thought the runner forgot how many outs there were.  Nunez didn't think he did it on purpose though and wasn't that upset.  Nunez was pulled from the game as a precaution but he is fine. 

Brendan Ryan was able to hit and take ground balls on Friday.  He did them inside and is expected to do the same outside on Saturday.  David Phelps was ok but not great, his pitch count was 75 and he only lasted four innings.  I felt all along that Michael Pineda was the favorite for the fifth spot and so far going by the stats which you don't always do in spring he is winning.  I still say that he is going to be the fifth starter with Phelps as the new age Ramiro Mendoza and Adam Warren as the true long man. 

Dellin Betances threw another 1 2/3 scoreless innings on Friday.  He has been great all spring throwing eight shutout innings.  Fred Lewis is another guy who has pitched well for them this spring.  Betances when he got moved to the pen last year really showed maturity and took to it well.  He maybe has finally grown up and is ready to show the Yankees and their fans what he is capable of.