In the early days of camp, when comfortable running shoes were the most valuable equipment for a Yankees starting pitcher, an unknown prankster decided to rib journeyman Billy Traber for pulling ahead of the pack in drills.

A photo of the distance runner Steve Prefontaine appeared atop the left-hander's locker, held in place by Scotch tape and bearing the scrawled message, "'Pre' ain't nothing. We've got Traber."

"I think some of the younger guys weren't too happy with me that day," Traber says now, smiling. "But I don't mind. I'm keeping it up. It's a badge of honor."

The 28-year-old has done more to move ahead of the competition as the Grapefruit League schedule has played out. Added to the Yankees' 40-man roster last week, Traber now appears to be the front-runner to win a job as the lone lefty in New York's bullpen.

"He's in the mix," Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland said. "Does he have the team made yet? I think that's kind of premature, but he's right in the thick of it.

"We knew going into this that there'd be a lot of competition. He's earned the right to be on [the 40-man roster], but we've got a couple of weeks left."

Traber split last season between Triple-A and the big leagues in the Nationals organization, recording a 4.76 ERA in 28 appearances for Washington, including two starts. Once a first-round Draft selection of the Mets, Traber has been forced to grind through his pro career since a failed physical cost him what would have been a $1.7 million signing bonus.

Traber eventually agreed to a $400,000 deal and later bounced to the Indians organization for four years, where he'd throw a one-hit shutout over the Yankees in 2003, but spend all of 2004 on the disabled list after suffering a torn ligament in his pitching shoulder.

With so many highs and lows in the rear-view mirror, Traber said he would not take any special satisfaction from finally making it with a New York team, eight years after hopes registered so high for him on the other side of town.

"I'm at the point where I'm just happy that any city would take me," Traber said. "It'd be nice, but it'd be nice if I made any big league club. I envision it as going to work -- I guess that's a drab way of describing it -- but it's an everyday job. I just want to show up and be dependable."
The Official Site of The New York Yankees: News: Traber seizing opportunity with Yanks