Cashman: So far, so good

Brian Cashman declared himself pleased - at least for now - with the Yankees' offseason.

"We had a budget and we operated within that budget and executed our plan,'' Cashman said this past week. "We're very satisfied with the team we're taking to spring training.''

The bulk of Cashman's offseason plan for the pursuit of World Series title No. 28 was accomplished early. He re-signed Andy Pettitte to secure the No. 3 spot in the rotation, got younger and more athletic in the outfield by trading for Curtis Granderson and added depth to the rotation in trading for Javier Vazquez.

Vazquez has been a consistent innings-eater, pitching more than 200 innings in nine of the last 10 seasons. In the only season in which he fell short, he threw 198 innings for the 2004 Yankees, going 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA before being included in the trade that obtained Randy Johnson from the Diamondbacks.

Vazquez was named to the All-Star team and brought a 12-6 record into August in 2004, but he is best remembered as the reliever who allowed Johnny Damon's grand slam in the second inning and two-run homer in the fourth inning of American League Championship Series Game 7 as the Red Sox completed their stunning comeback.

Damon went on to play four years for the Yankees, and they did want to retain him - one thing Cashman and agent Scott Boras agreed upon was that the outfielder was the "perfect'' fit for the No. 2 spot in the batting order - but the sides could not agree on a deal.

Damon, who earned $13 million in the final year of his contract last season, turned down the Yankees' two-year, $14-million offer and the team went in another direction, signing Nick Johnson.

Damon, after watching the market for his services never really develop, now appears poised to sign with the Tigers - for two years and about $14 million.

There are plenty of questions manager Joe Girardi will try to have answered during spring training - where Granderson plays and bats, to name two - but the issue receiving the most attention will be who grabs the fifth spot in the rotation.

It is shaping up as a battle between Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, but Cashman and pitching coach Dave Eiland have been quick to include Chad Gaudin, Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre in the mix.

The more the better, Chamberlain said.

"I know there's going to be guys fighting for it also, which makes it even better for me because I love it,'' he said recently. "I love the competition. I love the fact that we get to push each other and make each other better and in turn make our team better.''

Eiland agrees.

"It's going to be fun,'' he told The Associated Press after watching a workout Tuesday at the team's minor-league complex in Tampa. "It will be a good competition. Competition brings out the best in guys. It's going to be interesting to see who pulls ahead of the pack. Time will tell.''