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Jon Lane: The Yankees continue to play well and wrap up a memorable month this weekend in Cleveland coming off taking two of three from the first-place Rangers in Texas, always a tough place to play as you can attest. Let's start with your thoughts on how the Yankees responded going on the road and keeping up the positive momentum.

David Cone: I was worried about Texas to tell you the truth. For the Yankees to go down there, and pitch as well as they did, and to get two out of three was a huge lift for the team. A.J. Burnett got back in the win column, which is big for him. And even though Joba Chamberlain struggled, he didn't blow up and get the team out of the game; they still had a chance to come back and score some runs even though they lost that game. I've seen Joba do that before, where he struggles in the first inning, but he doesn't break. He doesn't have those blow-out games. I know he was probably disappointed in that game but it could have been a lot worse. I think he showed some guts hanging in, especially when you don't have your best stuff. But it was a big, big series for the Yankees to take two of three from Texas.

JL: Jorge Posada is back and I don't think we need to remind anyone how valuable he is to the team. That said, is it best for the Yankees to carry three catchers - especially once Jose Molina returns - at least right away?

David Cone: That's a difficult choice. I think a lot of it depends on the bullpen and whether you need an extra pitcher or if you think Francisco Cervelli needs to stay around. The problem with Cervelli is he's been so impressive you hate to see him sit on the bench. You want him continue to play and play well because stock has really risen since he's been in the big leagues. That's a tough call. As long as they're going to carry Chien-Ming Wang in the bullpen it's going to be very difficult to carry three catchers.

Editor's Note: Kevin Cash was optioned to Triple-A Scranton to make room for Posada.

JL: A.J. Burnett was winless since April 14 before beating the Rangers Wednesday night. The past month he was falling behind early, and as he and Dave Eiland pointed out, he was missing on small handful of pitches that opponents weren't missing. What were you seeing out of Burnett?

DC: I think he pitched better than going winless for that long of a stretch. He didn't have a lot of breaks in terms of run support; not all of those games were bad games, in fact several were decent games. But as a starting pitcher you need something tangible to show for your effort, you need a win. Even though the Yankees still have a lot of confidence in A.J. Burnett, it's nice to see him get a big win, especially on the road against Texas.

JL: He wasn't economical, 118 pitches in six innings, but Burnett got it done. Can this be the start of something positive? Joe Girardi said before Wednesday's game that CC Sabathia was very close to a breakthrough three-four starts ago and look at what he's doing.

DC: I think it can. We saw last year with Burnett that when he gets going on a hot streak, a lot like CC Sabathia, he can stay hot for an extended period of time. That's what makes them front-line pitchers. Yeah they're going to struggle, and at times they'll get off to slow starts, but when they do get it going and do get hot, they stay hot for a long time. Those two guys going together and pitching well each time through the rotation really takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the team and the staff.

JL: There's been some recent discussion and confusion over the handling of Chien-Ming Wang. The Yankees were forced to activate him due to a depleted bullpen, but he's thrown five innings in the last 10 days and wasn't used in a key spot Tuesday night in Texas. He's in limbo at the moment with no spot in the rotation and in long relief, yet he worked two sharp innings on Wednesday. What's your take on this situation?

DC: I understand Wang's frustration, but he can still be a valuable asset to the Yankees even pitching in relief for the time being. He gives them a lot of depth down there and at some point he's going to get a chance to start again, and the Yankees will figure out in terms of the rotation what happens at that point. I like the fact that he's with the team now, gets a chance to pitch here and there, and a chance to get stronger. Eventually you will see him back in the rotation.

JL: Why Alfredo Aceves in the ninth inning of an 11-1 game Monday afternoon and right back to him the next night?

DC: I think they're maybe trying to position Aceves to pitch more often in maybe less innings, and maybe move him up into the seventh and eighth inning. Joe Girardi has kind of worked a meritocracy in terms of the bullpen: who pitches well can really move up in a hurry. We may be seeing Aceves' role being moved up.

JL: The state of the bullpen, combined with Joba Chamberlain's four-inning start on Tuesday, is re-igniting the Joba to the bullpen debate. Where do you stand on how to best use Chamberlain? If you put him back in the bullpen by, say, the All-Star break, is that a guarantee that he'll be the lights-out flamethrower he was in 2007?

DC: It's really difficult. Joba is such a commodity it's a nice problem to have; this guy can start or relieve. He's kind of been jerked around a little bit in terms of his role and it'd be hard to do that again. I still think he can be a great starter. He has four pitches and I understand the debate, and the Yankees may opt to put him back in the bullpen, but I still like the fact that you still get a chance to see what he can do as a starter. That's the only way you're going to find out what you really have, by giving him a chance to start and getting a good long look. On the other hand, you can always put him back in the bullpen at any point. I think he'll be a better pitcher in the bullpen for having started because he's gotten more reps. That's the way you learn how to pitch and I think it's a much easier transition to go from the rotation to the bullpen, as opposed to vice versa.

JL: Joba is 23 years old and Phil Hughes is only 22. Yet a lot of people are expecting great things every time out without any growing pains.

DC: It's very true and I like them both a lot. I think it's a real feather in the Yankees' cap to have two No. 1 draft choices in your rotation. All the debate surrounds Joba, but Hughes has that flexibility too. I'm not saying you give up on him in the rotation because he's pitched two strong starts and if he continues to pitch well, he's going to solidify his position. At the same time, Hughes also can pitch in relief in the seventh or eighth innings, and be very effective.

JL: You once mentioned on the air that Hughes working out of the bullpen would be a good idea.

DC: Phil Hughes can control his own destiny by how he pitches in the rotation. That's what Girardi has said, that he wants Hughes to grab that role and keep it. But I believe Hughes belongs in the big leagues and if the option were to put Wang back in the rotation and keep Joba a starter, I would hate to see Hughes go back to the Minor Leagues. I think he can help this team right now. I'm not saying you give up on him as a starter, but if that scenario does play out, Hughes can help this team in the bullpen as well.

JL: Nick Swisher is batting .127 with eight RBIs this month. He can use a day off, but it's nearly impossible to rest him without Xavier Nady, a limited Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera out for at least a week. Swisher has maintained his positive, high-energy attitude but he's really struggling offensively. What are you seeing?

DC: It's frustrating because he was so hot early in the year, and when he was hot nobody else was. He still does a lot of good things at the plate. He gets deep in counts and gets his walks even though he's obviously struggled getting hits. I think once you get Nady back it will take some pressure off of Swisher. And in the DH role, Nady can be a right-handed bat who can give Girardi a little more flexibility. But I still like Swisher. I think he's going to come around and be a big contributor to the Yankees.

JL: Nady will help a lot, even if initially serving as a DH upon his return.

DC: The Yankees can really use Nady's bat. He's a clutch hitter with power from the right side. It would be great if he can play the outfield, as well as Matsui at some point because it would really increase their flexibility. And he's really well-liked in the clubhouse.

JL: And it's going to help the bench. You have Angel Berroa who never plays, and Shelley Duncan and John Rodriguez are performing in Scranton. Would calling up either or help with outfield depth at least until Nady returns?

DC: That's an interesting option they may have. I think the last two pieces for the Yankees to put together are their bench and their set-up guys. Looking forward, you're going to see some changes and they're going to try and firm up those areas a little bit.

JL: We're about to enter an exciting time of the season. Next week the Yankees have the Rangers and Rays at home. Then they go to Boston and come back to host the Mets.

DC: It really is exciting. The last homestand was so terrific in terms of drama and walk-off wins, the Yankees have set the table for their new Stadium. It's going to be exciting to see what happens, especially when the Mets come in. It's always exciting when the Red Sox come, but the Mets are going to be a good measuring stick for all New York baseball fans.

JL: For all the bad press the new Stadium has received, there's been a simple solution, winning.

DC: Winning and also winning late. All those walk-off wins really, to me, did a lot for the Yankees, the players and how they feel about playing at home, and for the fans and the excitement in the Stadium. The Yankees teams that won in the past have always played well at home, the pitchers pitch well at home and everybody likes to be there. It looks like the Yankees are getting that feeling about this park and that's what you have to have if you expect to go deep into the playoffs.

JL: When the Yankees go through their valleys - and every team endures peaks and valleys - it's easy to forget how well they've played. The Yankees won nine in a row this month and 12 out of their last 15 while climbing within reach of first place. That's pretty darn good isn't it?

DC: It is really good. They've shown the ability to get on and sustain rolls. The feeling that you're going to win every game, or have a chance to win every game, is huge. And a lot of the young players have really shown that their stock is rising and better than some people thought.