TAMPA, Fla. — Whenever the Yankees made a pitching change from 2009 through 2012, the superstars lined up behind the mound in a grand array of infield royalty, a foursome of the best, the best known or the best paid at each position.

There were Alex Rodriguez at third base, Derek Jeter at shortstop, Robinson Cano at second and Mark Teixeira at first, a granite foundation that carried the Yankees to consistent success. As the new pitcher warmed up they would chat, laugh and strategize. When they stood together, the Yankees invariably reached the postseason.

“We knew it from Day 1,” Teixeira said. “That was a special infield. I have been blessed to play with some great players, and I would put that group up with anybody.”

But in 2013, injuries — to Teixeira, Jeter and Rodriguez — ravaged the group to the point that it never assembled completely for even one game. A collection of replacements tried to fill in. Now in 2014, the infield has been reconfigured and reimagined in a way that seems almost foreign after all those years of marquee value.