Per Bryan Hoch, the Yanks will start their back-end rotation competition with a bang as Bartolo Colon will start the Yanks’ Grapefruit League opener on Saturday. He’ll go up against Cole Hamels and the Phillies in Tampa. The Yanks are going with Colon, who threw a bunch of innings in winter ball because he is “best prepared for the assignment.”
Following him in the rotation will be Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia. Sergio Mitre, the fourth candidate for one of two rotation spots, will work in relief for now. As we’ve covered to death, Colon, Garcia, Nova and Mitre will be competing for two rotation spots, and it’s likely that Colon and Garcia will have a leg up if they can throw well and get outs this spring. For purposes of early-season depth alone, the Yanks may opt for the veterans over Nova. How long they last is anyone’s guess.
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