TAMPA -- Right-hander James Kaprielian says that he's been "hearing rumors" ... rumors about where the Yankees will assign him for the start of the 2017 season.
He's hearing that he'll be right where he is this spring ... right where he was for all last season, before and after he suffered a mid-April flexor tendon strain in his pitching elbow:
Tampa.
There's a lot to love about living in Tampa ... unless you're Kaprielian, who might have double-jumped to Triple-A or perhaps even all the way to the big leagues last season had his arm issue not materialized.