Yankees Changing the Way They Deal With Autograph Seekers Amid Coronavirus Fears

Stuck all day in close, contained areas with an overload of fan interaction, it's only natural the Yankees are at least moderately spooked as the coronavirus begins its spread into the U.S.

With a few confirmed cases in Florida, MLB teams fighting through Spring Training are taking moderate precaution when possible, though no extreme measures seem likely to be unilaterally implemented.

Among the light recommendations that seem commonplace now? No more autographs, if you feel comfortable avoiding them. This advice is taking among some Yankees, it seems, but not others.

Zack Britton? He's careful. Sorry, but no more pen-to-hand contact for now. He's sure you'll understand.

“If they get mad at me for that, they get mad at me for it,” Britton told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. “But there are things more important. I have little children. I don’t want somebody giving the virus to me and then I give it to my kids. And it’s not just fans giving it to players; what if a player has it and gives it to a little kid? Until the virus gets under control, it makes sense to be cautious about it.”

Luke Voit? He knows it's wrong, but he just can't stop. Gregarious and fan-centric. That's simply who the man is.

“It’s kind of sketchy, but at the end of the day, you want to give back to the kids,” Voit told Kuty. “So I’ll keep signing. I might do it a little less than I used to, but it’s hard to say no to a kid.”

Of course, Voit had an entirely different health scare of his own last season, and is likely feeling moderately invincible at the moment.

The solution? Perhaps players simply bring their own pens from now on, thanks. Probably a happy medium. But if an athlete turns you down, it's pretty clear there's a larger black cloud responsible for the decision.