Yankees Spring Training Happenings for Week of 01/15/2017

As Yankees fans count down the days until pitchers and catchers report, we’re here to set you up with the Spring Training news and notes you need most.

Feb. 13, that’s the day we’ll get our first look at the 2017 New York Yankees. With so many question marks regarding the club’s pitching staff, it will be a bit of a relief to finally stop projecting who should round out the starting five — instead, let the candidates play speak for itself.

While Grapefruit League action certainly won’t end the discussion of who pitches after Masahiro Tanaka, at least it gives the organization, media, and fans the opportunity to form new opinions based on more than just a stat sheet from 2016.

Spring Training Schedule Released

The Yankees will open up their spring competition against the Phillies on Feb. 24 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa at 1:05 pm.

Following opening day of the Grapefruit League, the Yankees will play 35 games in 35 days — including a split squad affair on Feb. 28 at home against the Tigers, and in Ft. Myers against the Red Sox — a warm-up for the World Baseball Classic against Team Canada on Mar. 8 in Tampa — before closing out the pre-season schedule against the Braves on Mar. 31 at brand new SunTrust Park in Atlanta.

Brian Cashman Is Not Sleeping On Kyle Higashioka

On Sirius XM’s Reality Meets Fantasy with Jim Bowden and Craig Mish, general manager Brian Cashman spoke glowingly about the 26-year-old long-time Minor League backstop.

More from Yankees News

• Carlos Correa-Giants-Mets bombshell makes Aaron Judge’s return to Yankees even better
• Did Yankees troll Jon Heyman with Aaron Judge contract tweet?
• Matt Carpenter leaving Yankees for massive raise is hard to argue with
• Yankees top prospects butt heads after Giants’ gritty win over Commanders
• CC Sabathia defends Yankees’ massive Aaron Judge contract

“He’s always had a great (pitch) framing reputation and now the bat’s come on as we hoped it would.”

Higashioka finally found his stroke in 2016, hitting to the tune of .276 with 21 home runs and 81 RBI. Those 21 long balls tied Low-A Charleston first baseman Chris Gittens for the most by a Yankees farmhand who spent all last season in the Minors.

While I truly believe the Yankees will give Higashioka every opportunity to win the backup catching role in Spring Training, the other man vying for the job, Austin Romine, is out of Minor league options. What this means for Higashioka is that he’ll have to catch lightning in a bottle, forcing the club to either carry three catchers, DFA Romine, or risk being sent down to Triple-A to wait for his big league turn.

Regardless of how the Yankees break camp, Higashioka is officially on Cashman’s radar going forward.

“He (Higashioka) had one of the best offensive seasons in all of Minor League Baseball last year.”

Catch Up On the Week With ‘Yanks Go Yard’

Site co-editor Mike Calendrillo tells you why the Yankees are wise not to offer Masahiro Tanaka a long-term contract extension just yet.

Site co-editor Steve Contursi makes his claim for Graig Nettles to be the enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Next: Austin Wants First Base All to Himself

Kevin Van Amburgh expects the Yankees’ bullpen to once again be its savior in 2017.