Cashman standing by team's roster construction

NEW YORK -- The Yankees have had to be more creative than expected in juggling some of their early-season lineups and relief pitching, but general manager Brian Cashman is standing by the team's roster construction.

With first baseman Mark Teixeira and closer David Robertson on the 15-day disabled list, manager Joe Girardi has been using Kelly Johnson as the regular first baseman while leaning mostly upon Shawn Kelley to close out games in the ninth inning.

Cashman said that after the Yankees spent hundreds of millions on free-agent imports like Masahiro Tanaka, Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, there was just not enough budgetary room to prepare for every possible scenario.

"I think we were very open about our intentions," Cashman said. "We wanted to fix as much as we could, but acknowledged that we couldn't fix everything that needed to be addressed. That's with the money we were in position to spend as well as the available talent. The better talent was really heavily in favor of the outfield rather than the infield.

"I don't have any regrets. We pulled down the players that we targeted and we were open with the infield and the bullpen would be unanswered questions that everyone would need to stay tuned with as a developing story. It's the same verbiage I used in the winter time."

Cashman said that he has been "more than pleased" with rookie Yangervis Solarte, who has been an April star for the Yankees, and added that it is important for the ballclub to get through this stretch while Robertson mends a strained left groin.

"If we can get through the period while Robbie's down with success, we'll be better off for it," Cashman said. "As Adam Warren starts to get more leverage situations and then [Cesar] Cabral comes in last night and gets some leverage situations and Matt Thornton is expected to get some leverage situations, that builds confidence."