TAMPA — This time last year, Alex Rodriguez was the headliner entering Yankees camp. He was returning from a year’s suspension, was turning 40 in the middle of the season and was attempting to play with two surgically repaired hips.
Thanks to a productive season on the field and avoiding controversy off it, Rodriguez’s arrival at Yankees camp Wednesday was far less dramatic than last year.
Rodriguez walked into George M. Steinbrenner Field at 8:30 a.m. and because of rain, hit in the indoor batting cages. He was photographed in the hallways and will hold a press conference Thursday.
“I think he is a little more relaxed in a sense knowing he doesn’t have to go through a gauntlet of questions on the first day,’’ manager Joe Girardi said of his designated hitter, who hit 33 homers, drove in 86 runs and posted a .842 OPS despite a late-season swoon. “But he is doing what he loves to do and he is back. There are not all the questions he had to answer last year. He looked really relaxed and looked good, too.’’
Rodriguez, who will turn 41 in late July, will open the season 27 homers shy of tying Babe Ruth’s 714 total, which is third on the all-time list. As part of a $30 million marketing agreement, Rodriguez would be due a $6 million payment for tying Ruth. The Yankees and Rodriguez split a $6 million check with charities last year when he tied Willie Mays for fourth on the all-time list at 660.
Asked how he will feel if Rodriguez, loathed by many for his involvement with performance-enhancing drugs, takes down one of the most historic numbers in baseball, Girardi deferred to the general public.
“That’s for people to decide, not for me to decide,’’ the manager said. “I have my own opinions in life that I keep to myself and that is the way I choose to live so it doesn’t become controversy.”
When Chase Headley experienced throwing problems a year ago, several scouts believed the Yankees’ third baseman was suffering from the dreaded yips.
Known for sure hands and an accurate throwing arm, Headley committed a career-high 23 errors and often was the victim of an inaccurate arm.
Headley said he believes last year was an aberration and vowed to work on his throwing this spring. Girardi said Headley’s footwork needs some help.
However, as the manager watched Headley throw low, high and wide to first, he never believed the yips were inside Headley’s head.
“No, I didn’t because I saw him make a lot of good throws,’’ Girardi recalled. “I think it starts with the bottom half where you identify throwing issues. We will work real hard this spring.’’
The Yankees’ staff met Wednesday to go over the roster and a popular name that came up was Rob Refsnyder.
When the Yankees acquired Starlin Castro from the Cubs to play second base, Refsnyder no longer was in the mix for a platoon at that position.
So, the Yankees might take a look at him at third, since they don’t have a legitimate backup for Headley. And since Refsnyder played right field in college, the Yankees might talk about that, too.
“We will talk about him a lot. Some guys don’t get talked about but we will talk about him,’’ Girardi said of the right-handed hitting Refsnyder, who started at second base against the Astros in the ill-fated AL wild-card game last October.
Sixty-eight of the 69 players invited to spring training had reported as of Wednesday. The only player missing was infielder Ronald Torreyes, a native of Venezuela, who according to Girardi is having visa issues. Torreyes appeared in eight games for the Dodgers last year.