Posada, Burnett will be working together this season

TAMPA, Fla. - The often-discussed and analyzed issues that developed between Jorge Posada and A.J. Burnett last season will be given every opportunity to be worked out in spring training.

Joe Girardi said Saturday that given that Posada is the team's everyday catcher - the plan is for him to catch 100 to 120 games this season - Burnett needs to get used to him.

In other words, Francisco Cervelli will not be used as Burnett's personal catcher in the way that Jose Molina took on that role in the latter part of 2009, including the postseason.

Burnett and Posada clearly had problems in a 14-1 loss Aug. 22 in Boston, and the two were not paired again.

"Jorgie's going to catch him in spring training; we're going to do that,'' Girardi said. "There are times, and I know for me personally, it took me longer to learn some pitchers than others. Some pitchers you can feel extremely comfortable the first time you catch them and then there are other pitchers where it's longer. So we're going to put them together and we'll approach it as Jorgie's going to catch almost every day during the season, and when we need to give him days off, we're going to do it.''

Girardi said he has not talked to either player about the problems they had in 2009 since the season ended, but he will be keeping an eye on it in spring training.

"That's something you evaluate and you watch, and sometimes for a guy that's not catching every day, it's easier to catch one guy all the time,'' Girardi said. "But then you fall in the trap that if your number one guy goes down, he's only been catching one guy and he's not familiar.''

Rotation tweaked

Girardi had said Thursday that CC Sabathia will start the spring training opener March 3 against the Pirates, but he said Saturday that the lefty instead will start the second game against the Phillies. That would line him up to start the season opener April 4 in Boston.

Girardi said he has not decided who will start the exhibition opener but that it could be one of the candidates for the role of fifth starter, including Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes.

Extra bases

Girardi said Burnett will throw his first bullpen session tomorrow, skipping yesterday, because the Yankees have an off day in Boston between the first and second games of the season . . . Girardi said everyone is fairly healthy with the exception of "some stiff necks'' experienced by some of the catchers - none named Posada or Cervelli . . . A memorandum from MLB updating the league's joint drug prevention and treatment program was taped to a clubhouse wall. A total of 42 banned PEDs and stimulants were listed.