The New York Yankees are scheduled to hold their first full-squad workout Saturday in Tampa, Fla. Yankees manager Joe Girardi will be overseeing a team that would appear to have few questions about its Opening Day roster, and really is not that much different from the team that won the American League East title in 2011.
Jorge Posada retired and has been replaced by veteran free-agent signee Raul Ibanez as the left-handed swinging designated hitter. Prized prospect Jesus Montero was dealt to Seattle for hard-throwing young starting pitcher Michael Pineda. Hiroki Kuroda was signed to replace Bartolo Colon in the rotation. A.J. Burnett was banished to Pittsburgh.
The Yankees hope that the additions of Pineda and Kuroda, and the subtraction of Burnett, improves their starting pitching. Other than that the 2012 Yankees will look remarkably similar to the 2011 team.
The most intriguing competition of the spring -- and maybe the only real one in camp -- will be between Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia for the fifth and final spot in the starting rotation.
An injury or two could lead to some surprises in terms of the bullpen makeup. Same with the bench.
Mostly, though, this looks like it should be an uneventful spring training for the Yankees.