Fan Confidence Poll: April 2nd, 2012

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Record Last Week: 3-2-1 (45 RS, 39 RA)
Spring Training Record: 16-11-1 (147 RS, 130 RA)
Spring Training Schedule This Week: @ Marlins (Mon. on MLBN), @ Mets (Tues. on YES/SNY/MLBN), vs. Mets (Weds. on YES/MLBN), Thurs. OFF
Regular Season Schedule This Week: @ Rays (three games, Fri. to Sun.)

Top stories from last week:

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Given the team's current roster construction, farm system, management, etc., how confident are you in the Yankees' overall future?
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Sunday Night Open Thread

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Ugly walls are ugly. (REUTERS/Joe Skipper)

The Yankees beat the Marlins 10-8 today in the first game between two big league clubs at the new ballpark in Miami. Of course it was still an exhibition game, so who cares. The place seems to play pretty small based on this one look; a lot of balls that looked routine off the bat just kept on carrying. Also, the lime green walls are just awful. Makes the grass look dead and just doesn’t work. Anyway, here’s the box score. There’s no other news to report from Florida other than Joe Girardi saying the Opening Day roster will be announced sometime before the off-day on Thursday. The minor league season starts that day, so … duh.

Here’s the open thread for the night. The Rangers are the only local team in action, and a win tonight will clinch the best record in the conference. Apparently Wrestlemania is on as well, and I know 12-year-old me would have been thrilled. Talk about whatever, go nuts.

Last Reminder: Remember to vote for the 2012 Prospect Watch if you haven’t already. I’m going to close the poll a little later this evening. Mason Williams has opened a sizable lead over second place Manny Banuelos, so all you Manny fans better get on it.

Yankees sign Jason Bulger

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The Yankees have signed right-hander Jason Bulger to a minor league deal, the team announced. The 33-year-old was released by the Twins not too long ago after giving up ten runs in four Spring Training innings. The former Angel is low-90s fastball type with both a slider and a changeup. Bulger’s career strikeout (9.34 K/9 and 24.2 K%) numbers are great, but not his walk (5.08 K/9 and 13.1 BB%) and ground ball (40.5%) rates aren’t anything special. Just some more Triple-A fodder.

ST Game Thread: Miami

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For the first time in 2012, the Yankees will be playing in a Major League stadium today. It’s not just any stadium either, it’s the new Marlins park in Miami. The Yankees are playing two exhibition games there to help break the place in before the regular season, kinda like how the Cubs played in those two Yankee Stadium exhibition games back in 2009. Here’s the lineup, which looks an awful lot like the one we’ll see on Opening Day this Friday…

SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
2B Robinson Cano
3B Alex Rodriguez
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Nick Swisher
DH Raul Ibanez
C Russell Martin
LF Brett Gardner

LHP CC Sabathia

Available pitchers: RHP Mariano Rivera, RHP Rafael Soriano, RHP Cory Wade, RHP George Kontos, LHP Clay Rapada, RHP Brandon Pinder, RHP Mark Montgomery, LHP Juan Cedeno, and SwP Pat Venditte.

Available position players: C Frankie Cervelli, 1B Eric Chavez, 2B Doug Bernier, SS Eduardo Nunez, 3B Bill Hall, LF Chris Dickerson, CF Dewayne Wise, and RF Justin Maxwell will replace the starters.

Today’s game starts at 1:05pm ET and can be seen on YES locally and MLB Network nationally. Enjoy.

Yankees release Russ Branyan … then re-sign him

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Saturday: Via Bryan Hoch, the Yankees saved about two months worth of salary with the move. “They feel like I’ve got another three or four weeks of rehab, so they’ve decided to rehab me,” said the slugger. “At the end of that rehab, we’ll see where we are.”

Friday: Via Mark Feinsand, the Yankees have released Russell Branyan from his minor league contract. They then re-signed him to a new minor league deal. They may have changed the terms following the back injury that has kept him on the shelf all Spring Training, or they could have circumvented the $100k retention bonus. He’ll probably continue rehabbing just in case he ever gets healthy and Raul Ibanez stinks. Either way, welcome back Russ, even though you never really left.

Open Thread: 3/31 Camp Notes

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Raul I-bomb-nez. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The Yankees and Astros played Homerun Derby this afternoon, with the good guys coming out on top 5-4. They also won the rain-shortened game 11-9. Robinson Cano hit his second jack of the spring, Raul Ibanez hit his third (woulda been fourth if it wasn’t for Jason Heyward), Jose Gil got hit first, and — get this — Dante Bichette Jr. hit not one, but two dingers. He only saw two pitches too [Marc Carig]. Now that’s pretty cool.

Adam Warren‘s final bid for a bullpen spot didn’t go well; he gave up six runs on ten hits in 5.2 IP. Now that he has a virtual lock on the second lefty job, Clay Rapada went ahead and gave up a homer to the left-handed hitting Brian Bogusevic. How about that timing? Here’s the box score and here’s the rest from Tampa…

Here is tonight’s open thread. The Devils, Knicks, and Nets are all playing tonight, plus MLB Network will be airing a game later on tonight. Talk about whatever you want here, go nuts.