Joba to be a reliever in 2011, too?

It seems to depend on whom you ask.

Yankees pitching coach, Dave Eiland, and Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on the future of Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain.

Or, at least, the certainty surrounding his future role with the club.

The Yankees decided to go with Phil Hughes for the fifth starter spot in the rotation, which obviously meant a return to relief for Chamberlain.

"We get more out of his ability as a reliever," Eiland said, per Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger. "We feel like he can be a good starter. We feel like he can be a great reliever. ... He's in the bullpen, and he's there to stay, period."

Meanwhile, Cashman said, "We all can have various views. From my perspective, he's going to be a starter that's pitching out of the pen."

In either case, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter talks about the benefit of being emotional and a reliever -- not a starter.

"He's done a good job in that role; Joba is a guy that pitches on emotion, so being in the bullpen benefits his demeanor," Jeter said, per Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News. "He gets by on emotion, and it's easier - or at least more fitting - to get by on emotion when you're in the bullpen. There are guys that can do it as a starter, but for him, I think being in the bullpen is a good thing."

With Joba and Mariano Rivera in the set-up and closer role, the Yankees have arguably the league's best one-two punch.

Cashman: Cano "could have a Hall of Fame-type career"

Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano has had a decent start to his promising, young career.

In addition, the 27-year-old had career highs in hits (204), doubles (48) and home runs (25) while hitting .320 and driving in 85 runs last season.

Meanwhile, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says that Cano could be a "Hall of Fame-type player," per Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News.

"He's already one of the premier guys in the game, but that's the only thing separating him from taking it to a whole other level," Cashman said [of Cano's plate discipline]. "If he can be more selective at the plate, he could have a Hall of Fame-type career."

However, isn't it a little premature for this kind of statement?

As Steve Lombardi of WasWatching.com points out, a fairly reasonable comparison can also be made between Cano's first five years and those of Jorge Orta, who made two All-Star appearances.

In fantasy baseball, Cano should be one of the top five second basemen drafted and has an average draft position of 48, per MockDraftCentral.com.

Two days off for A-Rod

Citing "fatigue," Yankee skipper Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman decided to give third baseman Alex Rodriguez two days of rest, per Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News.

A-Rod sat Friday and will sit Saturday as well.

"We just feel that he's fatigued and that he could use a little blow," Girardi said. "We talked about giving him one day off and we were thinking about doing it tomorrow, but after we slept on it, talked about it and discussed it, we're going to give him two days off."

Not surprisingly, A-Rod called it "a great disappointment." Rodriguez, who grew up in Miami, has never played a regular-season game in Miami.

Rodriguez, who was going to leave around 100 tickets, told his mother to stay home and "save on gas money."

He has gone hitless in his last 15 at bats and has only two hits in his last 21 at bats.