TAMPA — Considering the potential remaining in Starlin Castro and the void he filled at second base for the Yankees, lost in the deal that brought him from the Cubs to The Bronx was losing versatile and valuable right-hander Adam Warren.
It’s a job the Yankees will spend spring training attempting to fill from within or outside if necessary.
“I think there are a number of guys who can do it. Some of the young starters can do it,’’ manager Joe Girardi said of replacing Warren, who went 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA and a save in 43 games last season. Seventeen of those appearances were as a starter. “The thing about Adam is Adam had to learn that role. Adam was one of those guys who had the normal progression in spring training where he got more comfortable each year and blossomed to being the guy we knew he was capable of being.’’
Shifting between the rotation and bullpen, where an inning might be needed or multiple frames, takes time to understand.
“The thing about that role is learning how to do that role,’’ Girardi said. “Adam was so successful at what he did he could do a lot of different roles. That’s what you kind of hope that one of these guys grows into. The ability is there, but it took Adam time to grow.’’
Bryan Mitchell, 25 in April, is the most obvious candidate. His stuff has impressed the Yankees since he was taken in the 16th round of the 2009 draft. In 20 big league appearances last season, Mitchell made two starts.
“I think he is capable of doing it,’’ Girardi said of Mitchell, who was a starter in the minor leagues. “He has the stuff to do it.Because he is starter he has the ability to get left-handers and right-handers out.’’
Girardi doesn’t sound like a guy ready to use a six-man rotation in the first month of the season when the Yankees have four dark dates in April.
“Right now in my mind I am saying, ‘I don’t think so,’ ” Girardi said. “If I am not mistaken we have a lot of off days in April, it’s almost like a six-man rotation anyway. So that, you start to get to a seven-man rotation and that’s hard for pitchers to adjust to.’’
If all six starters in camp make it out healthy, Ivan Nova is likely headed to long relief or traded.
Girardi isn’t eliminating Carlos Corporan from the back-up catching derby. Though it’s easy to assume the race consists of Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine because they are on the 40-man roster, Corporan has four years of service time in the big leagues. He is in camp on a minor league contract.
Corporan, 32, batted .133 in 17 games for the Rangers last season.
Right-hander Domingo German, who missed all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, is headed for another test on his right elbow. German had an MRI exam on Friday after the soreness halted his bullpen session.
“The preliminary results are there is no tear. He has a strain in the flexor muscle and a [bone bruise] in the elbow,’’ Girardi said of German, who is in camp on a minor league invite. “He will have a contrast dye on Monday. That is the tell-all-tell.’’
Yankees Training Day
Air show
If power shows are your thing, catcher Brian McCann drove several balls over the right-field wall.
Still waiting…
Wednesday’s first exhibition game against Detroit at George M. Steinbrenner Field can’t arrive soon enough. Lately, every day is Groundhog Day.
Caught my eye
Not mine, necessarily. But manager Joe Girardi continues to talk up right-hander James Kaprielian, the Yankees’ first-round pick last year.
Today’s schedule
Ah, the dog days of February. Day will include a lengthy meeting with Players Association head Tony Clark.