Baseball is back as the Yankees kick off their 2019 Spring Training schedule with a road matchup against the reigning World Series champion Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. at JetBlue Park.

Yankees notes

Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar and Greg Bird are among the notable Yankees that are making the trip to Fort Myers for the first Spring Training game this season. 

Manny Machado is officially a Padre, but Bryce Harper remains a free agent heading into the start of Spring Training games this weekend.

What's stopping a Harper-Phillies union? Can the Nationals be counted out? Would he like to be out West? The Baseball Night in New York crew discusses where Harper will end up signing.

Following the Twins' Friday signing of Marwin Gonzalez to a two-year, $21 million contract, which team had the best utility signing ahead of the 2019 season? The Twins, the Yankees, who signed DJ LeMahieu to a two-year, $24 million deal, ot the Mets, who signed Jed Lowrie to a two-year, $20 million deal?

The Baseball Night in New York crew discusses which player is the best bet.

If Yankees fans are frustrated with the odyssey of Greg Bird from potential cornerstone to a guy who can't hit or stay healthy, just imagine how the man himself feels.

Bird was as downcast as anyone about his 2018 season, the one which started two months late because of yet another surgery -- this one on his right ankle -- and ended with him losing his job to Luke Voit and hitting .199 in 272 at-bats.

So Bird sought his own Fortress of Solitude, buying a boat in November and renting a house in the Florida Keys for two weeks, according to The Athletic. It was there where Bird hoped to find it within himself to leave his 2018 season -- and the shoulder and foot surgeries from previous years -- behind him.

TAMPA -- As the game of baseball has changed, so too have the majority of hitters.

With the Mets in 2015, Daniel Murphy became the poster child for a growing group who decided to try to lift the ball in an effort to hit more home runs, changing the approach that had gotten them to the big leagues in the first place. Murphy, baseball's king of contact, transformed right as front offices began to value power more than ever.

Now, as teams begin to realize their roster construction might skew a little too far towards all-or-nothing hitters, the man Murphy has replaced in Colorado might be happy he's stayed the same...

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

TAMPA, Fla. -- So why didn't the Yankees sign Manny Machado?

On Friday, GM Brian Cashman answered that question in detail for the first time, speaking for some 30 minutes to reporters on the field here during a workout at about the same time Machado was being introduced in San Diego.

Through all the verbiage, he made perhaps three most significant points:

The stagnant pace of free agency has sparked talks of a looming labor strike in MLB and some of the Yankees are taking notice. 

CC Sabathia, who said on his podcast last month that it was "f---ing nuts" so many free agents were still unsigned, certainly believes it is a strong possibility when the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2021. 

"Just with the way everything has been going, I think," Sabathia said on Friday, per NJ.com. "A lot of players not being signed, good players not being signed. Yeah, I mean, I think that's where players are at right now."

After a long, exhausting free agency, Manny Machado was officially introduced as a member of the San Diego Padres on Friday. 

The All-Star infielder was linked to the White Sox, Phillies and Yankees throughout the winter but ultimately settled on the San Diego Padres -- which joined the sweepstakes late -- with a record 10-year, $300 million deal. 

Aside from the money, though, Machado also liked the vision that was painted for him by GM A.J. Preller. 

MLB pitchers are on the clock. Literally, now. 

The league announced Friday the deployment of a 20-second pitch clock during all Spring Training games this year. 

MLB has yet to declare whether the rule will apply to the regular season, so it's safe to say the use of the clock this spring will serve as a quasi trial period. 

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Some of the best movies ever -- including some of the best sports movies ever -- have been filmed in and/or take place in New York. Here is our ranking of the 10 best...

10. Above The Rim (1994)

Greg Bird is hopeful he can start the regular season healthy as he looks to win the starting first baseman job he lost to Luke Voit last year.

Based on his first two at-bats in a simulated game, he feels ready.

Bird homered off Masahiro Tanaka and singled off James Paxton on Thursday as he competes for a starting role on New York's 25-man roster.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

TAMPA, Fla. -- Clint Frazier admits it's awkward. He wants to let the world know the concussion stuff is behind him, that he's ready to make good on the top-prospect hype of a couple of years ago.

He just doesn't want to sound like some cocky kid saying he's here to take job from the old man in left field, which is how some of Frazier's early comments this spring could be interpreted without context.

Adam Ottavino was one of the hottest bullpen pieces on the free-agent market this offseason, and it was mainly due to one single pitch. 

Ottavino's signature pitch is his slider that has a ridiculous spin rate, and breaks across the plate like he's throwing a frisbee at his opponent. And his new Yankees teammates got to experience it during a simulated game down in Tampa at the team's Spring Training facility. 

The result? Lots of swings and misses...

Brett Gardner, the longest-tenured Yankees player, debuted in 2008 and won a World Series in 2009. 

Though he and the Yankees haven't won a World Series since, he's optimistic in their chances in 2019.

"I think we're better this year than we were (in 2018)," Gardner told reporters on Thursday morning. "Obviously the season hasn't started. But at this point, I think we've got a better group of guys in place than we've had -- maybe than I've ever seen."

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees had a wrench thrown into its roster plans for 2019 when Didi Gregorius underwent Tommy John surgery in October. The decisions made to fill the gap remain puzzling (at least for me), including the signing of infielder DJ LeMahieu.

It is not that LeMahieu is a bad player by any means. The 30-year-old is a former batting champion (he hit .348 in 2016 for the Rockies) and one of the best defenders in the game at second base (three Gold Glove awards, including two straight honors). The perplexing aspect of his signing is that he's filling a utility role -- at a hefty price of two years, $24 million -- which won't maximize his potential production as a second baseman.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

TAMPA -- Betting that Troy Tulowitzki will stay healthy and play at something resembling his old All-Star level probably wouldn't be a wise investment based on his recent history. But, for the moment at least, it's as if the ghost of Derek Jeter is back at shortstop for the Yankees.

He famously idolized Jeter, wearing No. 2 for the Rockies and Blue Jays. And to hear others talk about Tulowitzki, he brings some of that same star presence.

San Diego might have been a surprise landing spot for Manny Machado, but the Yankees' decision to pass on the 26-year-old should not have been a shock. Yet, there are fans who will have a hard time letting go of the Yankees' choice.

The Yankees apparently believe they have their third baseman of the future in soon to be 24-year-old Miguel Andujar, who is coming off a second-place finish in the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year balloting. While the point will be made that Andujar will never be the fielder that Machado is at third base, the Yankees youngster doesn't have to be for fans to forget about the newest Padre.

One of the reasons Troy Tulowitzki signed with the Yankees, aside from his admiration for Derek Jeter, is that the Yanks were willing to give him a no-trade clause.

When he was traded from Colorado to Toronto during the summer of 2015, Tulowitzki was shocked by the deal. Now with a chance to pick his destination after the Blue Jays released him with two years and $38 million remaining on his contract, Tulowitzki wanted to ensure he'd be with the same team in 2019 from start to finish.

Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who recently became the first unanimous Hall of Fame selection, is accused in his native Panama of failing to support two children outside of his marriage.

Rivera, who is married with three children, is being asked to appear before Panamanian judicial authorities to answer the accusations but the 49-year-old spent Tuesday in his native country defending himself through local media outlets, calling the allegations "unfounded."

"I have always acted ... as a good family father," he said, according to The Associated Press. 

If winning is a priority for Manny Machado, one former player does not believe he will experience much of it after inking a 10-year, $300 million contract. 

Carlos Beltran, who currently serves as a special adviser for the Yankees, said on Tuesday he understood why Machado chose the Padres and signed the most lucrative free-agent deal in American sports. 

Yet the former outfielder said if Machado were older and had done this before, things would have went differently. 

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

TAMPA - The Manny Machado news broke on Tuesday just as the Yankees were taking the field for their first full-squad workout of spring training, and it turns out they weren't lying in the weeds on the Johnny Hustle guy any more than they are going to make a last-minute bid to sign Bryce Harper. 

It also wasn't so much a surprise at this point as a statement of belief in the team they've built, as well as further proof of how times have changed for this storied franchise. 

Indeed, the Yankees may have won 100 games last season but they were no match for the Red Sox in the post-season, leaving them to watch helplessly as their famed rivals won still another World Series - their fourth since breaking the Curse of the Bambino in 2004.  

Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier is ready to put 2018 behind him. 

The 24-year-old sustained two concussions last season, the latter forcing him to shut down for the second half of the season as he struggled to find at-bats at the major league level.

Yet Frazier said on Tuesday that he is fully healthy now after a long offseason of rehab that included attending concerts and sitting as close as possible to the stage. 

Manny Machado is finally off the free-agent market, and with Bryce Harper not on the Yankees' radar, it appears their roster is set for the season barring any out-of-the-blue signings.

And Aaron Judge is perfectly fine with that. 

The Yankees made a few moves this offseason to add to their 100-win team of last year, but there was no big splash like the Giancarlo Stanton trade in 2018. GM Brian Cashman, instead, adding players like James Paxton, Adam Ottavino, and Troy Tulowitzki while re-signing Zack Britton and J.A. Happ as well...

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

Once SNY's Andy Martino described the Yankees' feelings about Manny Machado as being "lukewarm," everything about the pursuit, or lack thereof, rang true to those beliefs. The Yankees did not believe Machado was a difference maker at his terms and price, shifted gears and never sniffed near his desires.

It's actually easy to debate both sides of the question as to whether the Yankees were right or wrong to pass on Machado. I'll say this, the Yankees might have become better in the short term with Machado aboard, but they will not suffer because he is not. Moreover, failing to sign him will not come back to haunt the club.

It's difficult to take the stance that the Yankees would not have become a better team with Machado manning shortstop or third base. However, it's also cringeworthy to suggest that the Yankees are going to pay the consequences for passing on a 10-year, $300 million deal, knowing all too well how these deals can crumble long before they wind down.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | PORT ST. LUCIE - In recent days, talk of Manny Machado and the Yankees would not quite die, but that had nothing to do with the team.

Right up until the end, when Machado joined the San Diego Padres on the megadeal he had always sought, some in the player's camp were urging him to consider a shorter-term deal with the Yankees. But word all throughout Machado's free agency was that he would chase the highest offer, and that's what ended up happening.

Here is the full history of the Yanks' very half-hearted pursuit of Machado: As reported last fall, the team came out of its annual pro scouting meetings lukewarm on the idea of signing him, and all but ruling out pursuing Bryce Harper...

After being told Manny Machado had agreed to a huge deal with the Padres, Jacob Carpenter -- a young Yankees fan at Spring Training in Tampa -- started screaming his head off about being glad Machado didn't come to the Bronx.

This little kid's rant was incredibly impressive. But once he calms down, someone should give him a gentle reminder about the many other AL East stars the Yankees have poached...

The Yankees had been in pursuit of free agent 3B/SS Manny Machado, who was reportedly looking for a deal that will pay him roughly $300 million over 10 years. Now, the saga appears over...

Feb. 19, 12:27 PM:

Machado has agreed to a deal with the Padres, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! reports. The deal is worth $300 million over 10 years, reports MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The deal has an opt-out after the fifth season, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo!

The Yankees' Luis Severino took a bit of a jab at Mets ace Jacob deGrom on Sunday over deGrom's potential self-imposed innings restriction if he doesn't get an extension by Opening Day. On Monday, Severino claimed he "wasn't saying anything" about deGrom's situation after he clearly did just that. 

On Tuesday, deGrom responded.

"Everybody is entitled to their own opinions," deGrom told Matt Ehalt of NJ.com. "...the business side of the game is why you have agents. ... they're looking out for my best interest and advising me."

After being ranked No. 2 last year behind Gleyber Torres, outfielder Estevan Florial enters 2019 as the Yankees' No. 1 prospect, according to the latest top-30 list released by MLB Pipeline.

Rounding out the top five are RHP Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP Albert Abreu, RHP Deivi Garcia and RHP Clarke Schmidt.

While MLB.com's Jim Callis notes there are "swing-and-miss concerns" with Florial, his multiple above-average tools put him atop the Yanks' farm system. The site gives Florial a 65 grade for running and arm, a 60 for defense and a 55 for power.

There's a simple reason why Jorge Posada's return to a full-time job in baseball at 47 years old is coming with the Marlins and not the Yankees team for which he played his entire career: The Yankees didn't offer their former catcher a job.

"There was nothing official. They just wanted me to be a guest coach," Posada told the New York Post. 

The five-time All-Star and owner of four World Series rings said he was "not really" disappointed. "It is what it is. I'm OK," Posada said.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone sat down with SNY.tv's Andy Martino on "Baseball Night in New York" to talk about New York's revamped bullpen, what he expects in his second year as manager and how he hopes his club can win its first World Series since 2009.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

TAMPA - On his first day in Yankee camp, Giancarlo Stanton wasn't making any bold predictions or declaring that New York has yet to see him at his best, but he said just enough to make it seem he believes Year Two in pinstripes will be something closer to his NL MVP season of 2017. 

Which raises an obvious question:

Is there legitimate reason to believe he's more than a streaky mistake-hitter who will always be vulnerable to elite pitching, as it appeared last season?

Luis Severino claims he wasn't specifically discussing Jacob deGrom's situation (despite saying "$17 million" and, you know, his name).

During an interview with SNY on Monday, the Yankees ace was informed that his comments about the National League Cy Young winner were getting a lot of attention. 

"Nobody has said anything to me about it," he told SNY contributor John Harper.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

On Oct. 8, 2018, during the terrible span of 10 minutes or so between a playoff loss and a grilling from reporters, Brian Cashman offered Aaron Boone an out.

"You can tell them about Britton," said the GM, whose typical approach is to preemptively reveal stories that are likely to leak anyway.

Giancarlo Stanton owns the largest contract in Major League Baseball, a title many thought would belong to either Bryce Harper or Manny Machado at the start of Spring Training. 

The two star free-agents still remain unsigned as of Feb. 18, although Harper is reportedly close, and it is possible the two players still garner contracts that would keep Stanton as the highest-paid player in the league. 

The Yankees' slugger has seen what has transpired this offseason in free agency and like many he is left confused as to what is going on. 

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees had plenty of preparation time to find a temporary replacement for shortstop Didi Gregorius, who underwent Tommy John surgery on October 17, 2018. Yet, the club's answer - or prayer - is Troy Tulowitzki.

As if the Yankees were lost in 2013, the team apparently loved what they saw from Tulowitzki in a workout conducted for MLB squads in mid-December. Recall, Tulowitzki was released outright by the Toronto Blue Jays, who will pay the shortstop all but the MLB minimum ($555K) toward his $19 million due in 2019.

Taking a flyer on a player like Tulowitzki at the league minimum salary is understandable, but to outright name him the starting shortstop for a team with legitimate hopes to win a World Series title before seeing him step foot on the field in a competitive atmosphere is not.

Didi Gregorius and the Yankees infielders work on their defense at Spring Training.

Luis Severino fired off an unexpected fastball toward Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom on Sunday. 

The Yankees' ace, who recently inked a four-year, $40 million extension to buyout his arbitration years, was critical of the reigning National League Cy Young award winner for considering an innings-limit this season if he does not sign an extension with the Mets. 

"For me, I would never do something like that," Severino told Randy Miller of NJ.com. "I want to pitch. I love to pitch. I love this game. I'd never do that."

Giancarlo Stanton's stats in 2018 were all down from his MVP season in 2017.

But Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames is confident the four-time All-Star will rebound in his second season in pinstripes in 2019.

"I know he's been working on some things," Thames said, according to the New York Post's Dan Martin.

Leading off for the Yankees, Aaron Judge?

Yes, you read that correctly. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Aaron Hicks will likely lead off most games for the Bombers, but when asked how he could flip the lineup, he noted Judge potentially filling that slot.

"First I think DJ [LeMahieu], especially with the way he hits left-handed pitching," Boone told the media on Sunday. "He can certainly be an option up there. We could even flirt with the big boy up there, Judge in certain situations. But I do like Aaron (Hicks) at the top of the order. [Brett Gardner] could play into that mix, especially against right-handed pitching. So it kinda depends on who's in the lineup that day, who the pitcher is, who the opponent is. I would say Aaron Hicks is probably the frontrunner to be that guy to lead off."

While the Yankees' pursuit of Manny Machado hasn't been aggressive, the Bombers haven't been on Bryce Harper's radar all offseason. 

Yes, the Yankees don't necessarily need Harper with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in their outfield already. But, at age 26 and a left-handed power bat, Harper would be a perfect fit in the Bronx. 

So what's held the Yankees back from looking Harper's way? CBS Sports' Jim Bowden says it's Harper's defense and price tag that is turning the Yankees off.

Luis Severino, fresh off signing a four-year contract extension, and J.A. Happ were among the Yankees to take the field during spring training on Sunday.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Ah, spring training. In some ways it's the best time for baseball writers, a time when players, managers, and executives are more relaxed and willing to talk before the pressure of the long season takes hold. 

I first went to spring training in 1982, and suffice it say we writers were a lot more relaxed as well in those days, before Internet deadlines and social media changed everything about the job. 

The quotes aren't nearly as colorful these days, when players seemingly live in fear of the Twitter reaction to even the smallest misstep, but as I head to Florida to write about both the Mets and Yankees for SNY, there's still nothing better than baseball and sunshine in February.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

TAMPA, Fla. -- It was a day of transition for the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, with glimpses of both the past and future -- and questions about whether the Yankees can hold their new core together.

The marquee event was an afternoon news conference in which CC Sabathia announced his plans to retire at the end of the season. Sabathia was a key member of the Yankees' most recent championship team, and a link between the Derek Jeter/Andy Pettitte/Jorge Posada era and the Aaron Judge/Gary Sanchez/Luis Severino group...

Jacoby Ellsbury is already missing the beginning of Spring Training and it is likely that will mean he will start the 2019 season on the injured list. 

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said on Saturday that the oft-injured outfielder, who is battling plantar fasciitis, is not running on flat ground and that he will not arrive to Spring Training until mid-to-late March. 

"At the earliest he could be here is mid-to-late March, so we're probably looking at a start on the DL," Cashman told reporters. "That doesn't mean we are (looking at the IL to start) yet, but just in terms of timing it could be."

It has been known for months now, but the Yankees had an official press conference where veteran LHP CC Sabathia announced that 2019 will be his final season in the MLB. 

This season will be Sabathia's 19th year in the MLB, and to have the great career he's been able to put together over that time, there are a lot of people to give thanks to. During his opening comments, he started with his mother.

"I just wanted to make this announcement that 2019 will be my final season," Sabathia began. "I want to obviously thank a lot of people. I wouldn't be here today, 18 years in the big leagues without so many different people. But I want to start with my mom. She couldn't be here today, but her sacrificing so much for me as a kid to be able to get to this point to live out my dream."

When the deadline passed for players to avoid arbitration, the Yankees had just one player who didn't settle on a deal for the season in RHP Luis Severino. 

So, before Severino could get to work down in Tampa at the Yankees' Spring Training facility, he had to go through his arbitration hearing to hopefully hammer out a deal fast to avoid wasting any time. Well, he got a long-term extension instead.

The Yankees and Severino agreed to a four-year extension worth $40 million that comes with a fifth-year club option worth $15 million. New York locked up Severino through his 20s in hopes that he becomes the consistent ace they believe him to be. 

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter | : Luis Severino got paid life-changing money and didn't have to endure the potential hurt feelings that the nitpicking of an arbitration hearing can sometimes make bloom. The Yankees grabbed cost certainty on an ace-level arm. 

And the rest of us scored some juicy topics to kick around when the Yanks and Severino came to an agreement Friday on a contract extension for the righty. Especially this: 

Does Severino's deal signal that the Yanks are ready to talk pre-free agency deals with the rest of their young studs? In other words, on deck, Aaron Judge? 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone sat down with SNY's Andy Martino at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to discuss the upcoming season. 

The second-year manager touched on a variety of subjects, including why he feels confident in this year's roster as well as whether or not he would consider using an 'opener' with his deep bullpen this season. 

Be sure to check out the full interview with Boone on BNNY at 6 p.m. on SNY. 

Click below for another clip from interview