Joe Girardi: A starter will be disappointed

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Decision day is on the horizon and Joe Girardi knows this: "Somebody's going to be disappointed," he said Wednesday.

With the season opener a week from Friday, the calendar necessitates the Yankees' manager, in consultation with his staff and general manager Brian Cashman, announcing the five-man rotation.

"We might do it on the way over to Miami and let the guys know," Girardi said, giving for the first time his intended timetable for an announcement, but also noting later "you can change your mind" at any point after the season starts.

After playing the Astros in Kissimmee Saturday, the Yankees head to Miami for a two-game series in the Marlins' new ballpark Sunday and Monday.

On Tuesday Girardi said Hiroki Kuroda, who started Wednesday against the Braves -- he allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings to lower his spring training ERA to 2.91 -- would start the season's second game. That lines up the 37-year-old to start the home opener against the Angels.

From there the choice for the final three spots is among Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, Michael Pineda and Phil Hughes, the most consistent of the quartet this spring and almost assured of a spot.

Nova was 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA last season but hasn't had a great camp, entering his start against minor leaguers Thursday 1-2 with a 6.86 ERA.

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"I think the biggest thing I haven't seen from him is the consistency in the location of his fastball," Girardi said of Nova. "But I think it's gotten better as spring training's gone on."

Girardi said Pineda, despite the 6-7 righthander's reduced velocity being a constant topic, has impressed him by continuing to get outs.

"I've been really impressed how much his changeup improved in the six weeks we've been here," Girardi said. "And he has the ability to pitch."

Girardi said he believes Pineda's velocity, which mostly has been in the 91-93 range, will again reach the consistent 95-97 mph it was the first half of last year, though he added, "the bottom line is outs."

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Girardi knows what he has in Garcia, who went 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA last season and, though rarely a good spring performer, is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA this year entering his start against minor- leaguers Friday.

Girardi said among the considerations is projecting what a young pitcher like Nova and Pineda will be versus what a veteran like Garcia already has declared himself to be.

"When you look at a guy who doesn't have a lot of time you're trying to consider the upside of what you could possibly get," Girardi said. "I think you have a pretty good understanding of what Freddy's going to give you."

The bullpen is a probability for the "loser" of the competition, though for players like Pineda and Nova, who have options, a ticket to the minors can't be ruled out.

"The biggest thing is us trying to pick those five starters and that they're the right guys," Girardi said. "Somebody's going to be disappointed. That's the worst part of this, that someone's going to be disappointed and they have to get over their disappointment and help this team however we ask them to help us."