"Once I heard the Yankees and Mr. Cashman were interested, I pretty much shut down everything else," Mientkiewicz said. "I was watching the playoffs last year in my living room, and I remember thinking, 'That's a perfect fit for me.'

"I felt like what I do best can be a huge help to these guys. Once they made it [clear] that they were interested, I put blinders on and said, 'Let's just make it work.'" ...

"I think every kid dreams of playing for the Yankees growing up, and when the situation came about and they called first, you try not to get too excited," Mientkiewicz said. "But my heart was leaning there and I felt like this was a good fit for me to help these guys out."