"A lot of it depends on Moose and Kevin Brown and all those guys," Torre said of Contreras.
"If they pitch well, I think it's a lot easier, as opposed to piling everything on him and saying, `We need this game.' Not that he's not capable, but I'd like to get him in a consistent mode."
The Yankees fortified their right-handed setup relievers in the off-season, signing Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill, who have pitched well. The left-handers Felix Heredia and Gabe White have looked shaky at times, but Torre said: "I anticipate our bullpen will improve from the left side, because the ability is there."
Cashman acknowledged that the Yankees have some problems that will not go away. The lumbering Jason Giambi is manning first base, and even if Lofton plays himself up to the top of the order -- Torre said he wants Lofton there eventually -- the Yankees are still slow.
"We're not going to be the fastest team in the league, and we're not going to be the best defensive team in the league," Cashman said.
"That's just a byproduct of who we are, the collection of talent we have. That's an area of weakness. But I think our positives far outweigh the negatives."
Rodriguez, Giambi and Gary Sheffield -- the Yankees' 3-4-5 hitters as the season opens -- have slumped lately, but Torre was not concerned. All three have joined the Yankees since their last championship, in 2000, and Torre and Cashman have both called this lineup the best of their Yankee tenures. In many ways, it is George Steinbrenner's dream team.
"There's no question there is a quiet confidence that's within this team," Rodriguez said.
"I think when you collect talent like we have here, our biggest challenge is, how do we channel that and hone it and come up with wins? The biggest thing is not to try to do too much."
Then again, too much is never enough for Steinbrenner, the principal owner who was to watch the opener from his home in Tampa. The Rodriguez trade in mid-February brightened Steinbrenner's mood and energized the Yankee empire. But with games that count upon them, the Yankees know the good vibe could turn at any time.
"Will it help us win games on the field?" Cashman said. "Only if we perform at our best."
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