A-Rod: We'll Be Fine Without Lee

It's Christmas, so here's something positive from the third baseman via Roger Rubin:

Yankees fans weren't the only ones upset to learn that Cliff Lee had opted for the Phillies over the Bombers this month. Alex Rodriguez was looking forward to seeing the lefty ace suiting up in pinstripes.

"Everyone in the organization was disappointed to some extent," he said in a telephone interview from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. "We were all looking forward to playing alongside him. It was unexpected, but when it comes to free agency, you sometimes have to expect the unexpected."

Fans, he suggested, should feel the same way about the potential in the Yankees farm system.

"There's a lot of talent there and people are always stepping up," he said. "Look at what Phil Hughes did for us - he basically competed for the Cy Young. He's going to be someone we can count on. And (Ivan) Nova has a good arm too. I expect a lot from him.

"But the one reason I don't worry is I know the organization and I know the Steinbrenners. We already have a very good team. Last year we didn't play to our potential and we were still just a couple wins short of the World Series. If there's something they feel we need, they're going to go out and get it."