Cash trying to keep expectations low for Pineda

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The day pitchers and catchers reported Feb. 19, Brian Cashman made sure to temper expectations for Michael Pineda.

The general manager did it again Saturday before the 23-year-old righthander made his second exhibition start, just to make sure the "he's-a-work-in-progress'' message is getting through.

"We did not feel we acquired an instant No. 2 that's ready to go,'' Cashman said. "We felt we acquired a big arm that's got a lot of talent, that has a big upside that we're excited about who's a long-term asset. Just like if we didn't acquire [Pineda], [Jesus] Montero was a long-term asset that we felt over time would gravitate to some really special things.''

Saturday against the Braves, there was some good -- Pineda's velocity, which peaked at 92 mph five days earlier against the Phillies, reached 94 here, and he made more progress with his changeup -- but also plenty to work on, such as command.

Pineda allowed four hits and three walks in 22/3 innings, though he gave up only one run in the Yankees' 8-3 victory in front of 10,755 at Champion Stadium.

"He was OK,'' Joe Girardi said. "We saw his velocity rise up today, we saw some changeups, which I wanted to see. I think his slider was pretty good today. I thought it was a step in the right direction.''

Cashman, who traded Montero to land Pineda, again stressed that the pitcher isn't a finished product and was not -- repeat, not -- acquired to slot in behind CC Sabathia.

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Girardi has said that only Sabathia and veteran Hiroki Kuroda are guaranteed rotation spots, leaving Pineda to battle Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova for the remaining three spots.

"We're looking at him as being part of the rotation,'' Girardi said of Pineda. "But all these guys have to earn it. We're not asking him to step to be a No. 2. This is a 23-year-old kid.''

Or, as Mark Teixeira put it Saturday: "We don't need him to be a 30-win All-Star. We need him just to be Michael Pineda. It's not like he's coming in to be the savior of the rotation.''

Pineda said "I don't care about my number in the rotation,'' but make no mistake, the organization does see him as having top-of-the-rotation stuff. The way most agree he'll get there is by developing his changeup, a pitch Cashman said three weeks ago was a "below-average'' pitch.

Pineda went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA last season, going 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA in the first half followed by a 1-4, 5.12 second half. His fastball, which averages in the mid-90s, wasn't the problem, nor was his slider. In most evaluators' eyes, Pineda's lack of a third pitch, the changeup, led to the slide.

"We don't expect it to be as far along as his slider, but it's a nice weapon to have in your pocket,'' Girardi said. "It helps to have that extra pitch.''

Pineda threw four changeups against the Phillies and increased the total to eight against the Braves, two fewer than the 10 Girardi had said he hoped to see. Girardi also said he wanted to see Pineda throw back-to-back changeups, which catcher Francisco Cervelli said occurred in the first to Freddie Freeman.

"It's getting more and more powerful,'' Cervelli said of Pineda's changeup.

Pineda raised some eyebrows by reporting to camp heavy -- 280 pounds -- but said he's lost nearly eight of the 10 pounds he hopes to drop to reach his ideal weight of 270. He said his energy is "good'' and that he "conserves'' at this time of year.

"I'm not focused right now on my [velocity],'' Pineda said. "I'm focused right now on making good pitches. I'll be ready when the season starts.''