--RHP Chien-Ming Wang is reportedly ready to go for spring training after rehabbing his surgically repaired foot through the offseason. Wang, who missed 2 1/2 months last year, threw off a mound at the Yankees' spring training facility at the beginning of February and was said to be progressing well. Amid all the hype of the Yankees' major offseason signings, Wang can be considered another "addition" if healthy for the whole year. Before last season, he had won 38 games in the previous two years combined.

--CF Andruw Jones reportedly turned down a non-roster invite to training camp to compete for the Yankees' vacant starting spot in center field. Jones might have been a longshot to win the job after his recent struggles -- he batted .158 in 75 games with the Dodgers last season -- but he and agent Scott Boras decided to hold out for other options. As it stands, the Yankees will have rookie Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera battle for the position, though the possibility of taking another shot at Jones or trying to deal for a veteran can't be eliminated.

--RHP Mariano Rivera was critiqued by former teammate Mike Mussina in "The Yankee Years" -- the Joe Torre/Tom Verducci book that's made plenty of headlines. Mussina immediately tried to clarify his thoughts in a radio interview. In the book, Mussina is quoted as saying that during his own time in the Bronx (2001-08) Rivera "accomplished nothing in comparison" to the Yankees' dynasty years preceding that period. "He blew the World Series in '01. He lost the Boston series," Mussina told Verducci in the book. "He didn't lose it himself, but we had a chance to win in the ninth and sweep them and he doesn't do it there. I know you look at everything he's done and it's been awesome ... but it hadn't been the same in those couple of years." Mussina told New York's WFAN radio host Mike Francesa, "I was just making a factual comment and it came out sounding like I was trying to cut him down. I'm certainly not trying to cut him down because he certainly is legendary."

--OF/C Eric Fryer, a prospect from Milwaukee, was acquired for LHP Chase Wright recently. Fryer, 23, hit .335 with 10 homers and 63 RBI for Class A West Virginia last season. Wright, who's best known for yielding four consecutive homers to Boston during the 2007 season, posted a 10-3 record with a 2.85 ERA in three levels of minor league ball last year.

BY THE NUMBERS: 61 -- Number of wins posted in 2008 by members of the Yankees' projected starting rotation.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I don't think I violated anything. At least that was my intention." -- Former Yankees manager Joe Torre on criticism that he violated clubhouse privacy in his book "The Yankee Years."