Yankees add Chan Ho Park to bullpen

TAMPA, Fla. - The Yankees came to spring training feeling they had strength in numbers in their bullpen.

Monday, they decided to get even stronger.

Adding another option for Joe Girardi, the Yankees signed righthander Chan Ho Park to a one-year, $1.2-million contract with incentives that could add $300,000.

The Yankees did not confirm the signing but Park, who will turn 37 in early June, did when he held a morning news conference in Seoul, South Korea, before heading to the United States to take his physical. He's expected in camp by Thursday.

"Until [Sunday] night, I was leaning toward the Cubs,'' Park said. "But I wanted to play for a champion-caliber team this year again. I am not certain how much longer I will play baseball, but it will be huge experience and memory to play with the Yankees.''

The Yankees will have to make room on their 40-man roster, currently at its limit, once the deal becomes official, meaning a player will have to be released, designated for assignment or traded to create a spot for Park.

Park's arrival also creates an interesting camp battle for the final bullpen spots. Park, the loser of the Joba Chamberlain-Phil Hughes battle for the fifth starter's spot, Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte and Dave Robertson are all but assured roles in Girardi's seven-man bullpen (he said he plans on a 12-man staff out of camp). Girardi has said he would like a second lefty to go with Marte, increasing Boone Logan's odds should he perform well.

Alfredo Aceves seems a lock but he has minor league options and the Yankees could choose to send him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the spring to keep him stretched out should the need arise, as it nearly always does, for another starter. Logan and Mark Melancon, whom the Yankees like, still have options, as do Hughes and Chamberlain, though it's unlikely either of the latter two would wind up in Scranton.

"The one thing that we'll do here is make sure we take what we feel are the best 12 arms and put them in their spots," Girardi said. "As you saw [last season], we don't leave spring training and say this is the way it's going to be the whole year. Having quality arms in camp and more quality arms in spots is a luxury. It's just our job to try and make the right decisions."