Bench Updates

There are no real surprises here. The Yankees don't want to rush Montero or Romine (or kick start their service clocks unnecessarily), and I can't quite blame them - particularly with Cervelli likely to return by early May. Nunez outperformed Pena in Spring Training, though neither impressed, and he's more of a threat at the plate and on the bases. And, as good as Vazquez performed, I think Chavez was the proper choice. His swing is tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, he can play 3B, and he has an actual track record, albeit one seriously hindered by injuries. Vazquez is a nice story, but his minor league numbers don't really portend much success in the Majors.

Jones is locked-in as the fourth outfielder in the Yankees ideal roster construct, though he could start the first few games while Granderson recovers from his oblique strain. It seems likely that the newly acquired Chris Dickerson will serve as the fourth outfielder during that time frame, and I could see him performing quite well should either Granderson or Gardner end up missing time - that being said, I hope such a scenario does not arise.

Yankees Sign Eric Chavez to Minor League Deal

This is probably my favorite low-risk, high-reward move that the Yankees have made this season. While the past four years of Chavez's career have been spent in traction, it's difficult to forget his fantastic defense at the corner, line-drive stroke, and power to right-field. It may not be terribly likely that he recaptures his All-Star form - it's fairly improbable, at that - but it's worth the minor risk of a minor league deal. And, for what it's worth, he's kicking off his Yankees career by saying the right thing...