Morning Bits: Nationals, Gardner, Torre, A-Rod, Bullpen, Red Sox

Good morning everyone. Tonight the Yankees begin a three game series in Washington versus the Nationals with Phil Hughes on the mound.

Here are your links…

— As the interleague series against Washington kicks off, the Yankees know that the Nationals are no longer one of the weaker teams in the National League.

— Yanks’ LF Brett Gardner will be out another 3-4 more weeks.

— Joe Torre has been announced as the Team USA manager for the World Baseball Classic and wouldn’t mind managing his former player Alex Rodriguez.

— The Daily News discusses how the Yankees bullpen is excelling quite well despite not having Mariano Rivera.

— The Hartford Courant looks at how the Yankees and Red Sox seem to be heading in opposite directions.