Ichiro embracing new roles with Yankees

SEATTLE -- They are two roles in which Ichiro is unfamiliar but roles the veteran says he's happily embracing.

"I came over here wanting to be a help and help this team win," Ichiro said here late Monday after his first game with the Yankees. "Whatever order that is, wherever that position might be, I'm here to just help."

Before Monday night, Ichiro had never started a game in any batting order position below third. And once Nick Swisher returns from his left hip flexor strain injury, Ichiro will play primarily in leftfield, where he's never started a regular-season game (he started in left in Game 5, coincidentally, of the 2001 ALCS at Yankee Stadium).

But Ichiro signed off on the conditions laid out for him by the Yankees before any trade was made.

"It's something that he understood in coming over here," Joe Girardi said. "And I don't think this was his only choice , so by coming over here, I think he accepted it and just wants to play."

And for Ichiro, long used to the spotlight and attention, the opportunity to play for a winner seemed to trump everything else. It was the reason several weeks ago he went to Seattle management requesting a trade, setting in motion the deal eventually completed Monday with the Yankees.

"He wants an opportunity to win," Girardi said.

Or, as Ichiro said Monday through his translator: "I'm going from a team that has the most losses to a team that has the most wins. It's been hard to contain my excitement."

Of the transition to leftfield, Ichiro isn't overly concerned, though Girardi said at first there could be a rough spot or two.

"A little bit [of concern] initially but you would think with his athleticism and experience, it will make up for that," Girardi said. "It might be a little bit of an adjustment period but I don't expect it to be too long."

In the clubhouse Monday, Ichiro was greeted warmly, exchanging hugs with, among others, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia and former M's teammates Raul Ibañez and Freddy Garcia.

Players appear to universally think a change of scenery will do wonders for Ichiro, who came to the team hitting a career-worst .261. Ichiro, who has a career average of .322 with a .366 OBP and strung together 10 straight seasons of at least 200 hits, hit .272 last season.

"Ichiro can flat out play baseball," Alex Rodriguez said. "Anytime you have a guy with such great fundamentals, we welcome him to this winning culture. When it comes to the fundamentals, he's a master. Great move for us.

"No disrespect to where he's coming from but he's coming to an environment and a culture where you're in first place, we expect to win. His responsibility changes dramatically here. We just want him to have fun . . . There's no need for him to come out and do anything more."

Scouts seem split on what exactly the Yankees are getting.

One West Coast scout from an opposing team said "watch him take off," calling the move to the Yankees the "perfect situation." Another scout said, "he's looked done for two years."

As for the Yankees doing anything else before the deadline, general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday he had no guarantees one way or the other.

"A week ago this wasn't on my radar," he said. "I can't predict what's going to happen going forward."