The Bronx Stop: A Yankees Blog

These little blurbs from skipper Joe Girardi are courtesy of Yankees.com beat writer Bryan Hoch's Bombers Beat Blog. If you have not checked it out yet, please do!

• The Yankees want C.C. Sabathia, no surprise there, but Girardi acknowledged that the needs are beyond more than one guy. The Yankees ranked the list of potential pitching free agents with scouts in the room during the organizational meetings in Tampa. They were ranked in order, and different views were incorporated into that order.
  

"We would like to add as many as we can," Girardi said.

• Girardi said that he is excited to have LHP Damaso Marte back, and reiterated that he believed the early workload wore him down and led to the 5.40 ERA. Girardi said he has not called players with recruiting pitches for the Yankees yet but believes it will be beneficial to bring players in to tour the new stadium.
  

"When players get a chance to look at our new stadium, they're going to be quite impressed," he said.

• The Yankees want to get better defensively and more athletic defensively, he said. Girardi called first base "a void to address" and said it was among their most major concerns. Girardi sees Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera battling for center field. Johnny Damon is the leadoff hitter and left fielder.
  

• New first base coach Mick Kelleher brings the perspective of an organizational man who has existing relationships with players like Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter, having been around in Spring Training. Tony Pena, the new bench coach, boasts big league managerial experience, though that should not be taken as a slight against Rob Thomson.