Less than a week away from the beginning of games at the minor league camp, the Yankees sent their first group of youngsters across the street to the Himes Complex. Among the first cuts are four-fifths of the projected Scranton rotation, including:

- Adam Warren
- D.J. Mitchell
- David Phelps
- Hector Noesi
- Andy Sisco
- Buddy Carlyle
- Brian Anderson

I expect all of those pitchers, if they stick with the organization, to spend the year in Scranton. Andrew Brackman, who is scheduled to pitch today, appears to be the only Triple-A starter left in big league camp.

The two kids who will start the season in Trenton - Dellin Betances (pitching today) and Manny Banuelos (pitching tomorrow) - are still with the Yankees, but will most likely be among the next round of cuts. Banuelos, by the way, turns 20 today. He's the youngest player in camp.

An omission: When I did my latest round of Thunder roster predictions the other I day, I complete forgot about outfielder Damon Sublett, who's pretty much a lock to get a second crack at a full season in Double-A.

With Sublett's addition, I imagine either Phil Bartleski or Noel Castillo will be bumped down to the Tampa roster. My instinct is Castillo, who continually dominates High-A but gets thrashed in Double-A, will be the one leaving Florida on April 3.

Calling all fans: After yours truly and the rest of the media are done interviewing the team, the public will have the opportunity to meet and greet the players at Waterfront Park. Below is the day's schedule of events, courtesy of the team.

Waterfront Park Gates Open For Fans: 3:00 p.m.
Stadium Tours: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Team Practice Ends: 5:15 p.m.
Player Autograph Session: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Players visit 90% Club In Yankee Club (private): 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Ballpark Closes: 7:30 p.m.

Self promotion: It's just two weeks until I leave for spring training, and there are already big plans for The Trentonian's coverage this time around. Here are some things I have on the slate to help get out the word on the Thunder and other Yankees prospects.

- UStream video of game action and (some) player interviews. You can find my Ustream channel here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/jnorris427

- Web chats via CoverItLive. I don't know how many there will be. Nightly seems like overkill, but every other day seems about right.

- Many, many Twitter updates. For those of you who (somehow) don't know, I'm on Twitter under the name jnorris427. I tweet darn near constantly, and that won't change while cooking my woefully bare scalp in Tampa. There will be updates, plus pics and short videos coming through via the Twitter, so be on the lookout.

- And the usual blog posts, print stories, pictures and videos on this blog and at The Trentonian's Website, which will eventually have a separate page for my journey. Said page is under construction right now.

Contests: A quick reminder, there are several in-season mini contests for you to participate in before the season starts on April 7. The link to those contests is here. I won't announce all the prizes just yet, but the grand prize is a pair of Andy Pettitte bobbleheads. You know you want them.