Michael Pineda excited to be a Yankee

TAMPA, Fla. -- Michael Pineda didn't quite know how to interpret what he was hearing.

Literally.

When Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik called the 23-year-old righthander last month to tell him he had been traded to the Yankees, Pineda needed an interpreter employed by the Mariners to translate, just so he grasped everything.

"When the GM called speaking to me in English, I don't understand [everything]," the good-natured Pineda said with a laugh Tuesday morning at the Yankees' minor-league complex. "I'm a Dominican guy and my English isn't very good."

Pineda said there was some initial shock to hearing he would be headed to New York, but that quickly was replaced by "excitement," a word he used liberally in a 10-minute interview with several reporters.

"I was excited," Pineda said. "The Yankees are a good team. They have a lot of good baseball players. I feel good. I feel excited."

Pineda already has one friend on the team, a friend he made last season.

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When the Yankees visited Seattle last May, Pineda was surprised to be visited by Robinson Cano, a fellow native of the Dominican.

"I love this guy," Pineda said of Cano. "Last year when the Yankees came to Seattle, he said hi to me. He said, 'Hey, you're pitching great.' [Spent time] talking to me because I'm a young guy. And at the All-Star Game, he was talking to me a lot. He said, 'I'm very excited for you, your first year in the major leagues and playing in the All-Star Game, it's beautiful.' Nice guy."

Pineda, whom the Yankees would like to see pitch well enough so they can slot him in the No. 2 rotation spot behind CC Sabathia, had an up-and-down 2011, going 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA in the season's first half before falling off to 1-4, 5.12 in the second half. He said perhaps wearing down a bit and a decline in the effectiveness of his secondary pitches contributed to the drop-off. Pineda said this offseason he worked primarily on his changeup and two-seam fastball.

"I'm ready to go," he said.

As for being a young player in New York, Cano offered advice, and assistance.

"Focus on your game, on your work. New York is the best team," Pineda said. "And he said, don't worry, I'll take care of you."

Good day for Joba

Joba Chamberlain, recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw his third half-mound session and he will throw another one Friday. "Another good day," he said.

Chamberlain will speak to his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, on Friday about intensifying his workload. He could throw off a full mound sometime next week.

Mattingly's son has fun

Preston Mattingly, 24, son of the Yankees icon and who signed a minor-league contract with the team in January, said one of his favorite pastimes is poking fun at his famous father.

"It's one thing I give my dad a hard time about, he's a small, little [guy]," the easygoing 6-2, 210-pound outfielder said before adding seriously, "He could hit, though."

Make no mistake; Preston idolizes his dad, who gave him simple advice about the Yankees.

"He said this organization, they make you do things right," said Preston, who worked out for the Yankees before the 2006 draft but was selected 31st overall by the Dodgers. "So make sure you're hustling on the field, hustling off the field and doing everything everybody tells you."

With AP