YANKEE NOTES
SAN FRANCISCO – The Yankees have looked into a way to return Jim Leyritz to the roles he was signed for: part-time DH and backup first baseman.
When Tom Pagnozzi wasn’t the answer to the question of who was going to back up Jorge Posada, the Yankees stayed with journeyman Chris Turner, but he isn’t expected to make the team. Having used Leyritz to catch in the last two weeks of camp, the Yankees liked what they saw and said they felt comfortable enough to carry Posada and Leyritz.
However, that would limit Leyritz’ at-bats since managers rarely play their two catchers in the same game. So, the Yankees have talked to the Astros about Paul Bako, a left-handed hitting catcher who is out of options and not expected to make the team. That means the Astros, who are likely going with Tony Eusebio and Mitch Meluskey, aren’t asking much in return for Bako.
Yankee GM Brian Cashman refused to comment on trade talks. However, according to an NL source, the Yanks and Astros discussed Bako during the winter and again after the exhibition games started.
Bako, 27, batted .256 with two homers and 17 RBIs in 73 games with the Astros last year.
If the Yankees can secure a catcher, Leyritz would be free to share the DH load with Shane Spencer and give Tino Martinez a break at first.
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Cashman talked to agent Alan Hendricks yesterday about released lefty reliever Norm Charlton. While there is no room on the big-league club for the veteran Charlton, there is some interest in signing him to a Triple-A contract if he doesn’t land big league work. Charlton was released by the Devil Rays Friday.
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Lance Johnson played in his second exhibition game for Columbus (Triple-A) yesterday in front of super scout Gene Michael and VP of baseball operations Mark Newman at the Yankees’ minor-league complex in Tampa. Yankees are expected to make a decision on the veteran outfielder today as to whether promote him to the big leagues or release him from the minor-league deal he inked Thursday.
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Ignore the numbers.
That’s the message David Cone delivered in regards to his final spring training outing Firday night at Enron Field in Houston.
“That was the best stuff I had all spring,” Cone said of a 4-inning outing in which the Astros scored four runs and collected nine hits. “I would have liked to have been sharper with location, but I felt good.”
The Yankees felt good about overcoming a three-run deficit after three innings and took a 5-4 lead into the home eighth. However, Lance Berkman’s one-out bases-empty home run off Mike Stanton in the ninth carried the Astros to a 6-5 victory.
