Intro:

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi and pitcher Masahiro Tanaka spoke to the press at the team's spring training facility in Tampa, Florida.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English): New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi on his expectations for the season

"I think you come into Spring Training every year and the goal is to win and to be the best that you can be as a club. There are a lot of things that we do need to iron out. Probably more than I can remember. Some of it because of injuries, some of it because of new faces and how guys fit in and what their role is. But I think this team has a chance to be really good. We need to do a better job of staying healthy than we've done the last two years, but I think we have a chance to be really good."

SOUNDBITE: (English) New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi on Alex Rodriguez apology letter

"I think he apologised to the game. Steroids have hurt this game. It has changed the way we look at a lot of things in this game. A guy puts up big numbers and the first thing that happens is that your antennas go up and you wonder is he possibly on PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs), where 25 years ago we wouldn't do that, we would just talk about a guy having a great season. And for that, it's hurt the game and it saddens me. But that was Alex's choice and it was the way he was comfortable doing it and we'll deal with it."

SOUNDBITE: (English) New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi on Alex Rodriguez's viability as a player this season

"Well he's on our roster, but I think you have to prove yourself in the sense for playing time and how you fit in because we really haven't seen him play in two years and we don't know where he's at. So that's something that he has to prove and earn."

SOUNDBITE: (English) New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi on Alex Rodriguez playing at advanced age without PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs)

"I mean I don't know what it's like to be on them so I wouldn't know what it's like to be off them. So it's hard for me to judge. And it's hard for me to try and play God and see what it's like to be Alex Rodriguez. I can't do that. "