Acquiring Eric Hinske from the Pirates made sense for the Yankees for one particular reason—he’s versatile, meaning he can play 3B, 1B, RF and LF. Playing 3B is especially important, though, as the Yankees intend to give A-Rod a few off-days, here and there, so that he can remain healthy throughout the season. When asked why the Yankees didn’t promote Shelley Duncan when Xavier Nady went down, rather than bring in Hinske, Brian Cashman noted that Hinske could play 3B while Duncan could not—so, for those wondering why Shelley didn’t get the nod, now you know. It’s all about 3B and A-Rod. Ultimately, Hinske looks to be A-Rod’s regular backup with Cody Ransom, who is hitting .200 and is not a good defender, slowly fading out of the 3B picture (he’ll likely fill-in at SS and 2B).
Already, though, there is some question as to how good Hinske can be at 3B.
For instance, from Peter Abraham, we have the following:
Both Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman were quick to say yesterday that Eric Hinske can play first base, third base, right field and left field.They are correct in the sense that he has played those positions in the past. But as far as third base goes, he should not.
Hinske has played 68 innings at third base since the start of the 2007 season, making two starts for the Pirates this season and four for the Rays last season. Based on the metrics, it is by far his weakest position. Most of his time at third base came early in his career.
Said one exec to Joel Sherman for his blog:: “If the Yanks think he can play third base one time a week for A-Rod, they are crazy. He stinks there.”
That’s pretty blunt. Probably pretty accurate, too.
To be honest, according to UZR Dead & Breakfast video , yes, Hinske isn’t the best at the hot corner, but he did have a particularly bad defensive year in 2003 (-11.9 UZR) at the position which seems to skew his overall numbers (he was better in 2004). I mean, he’s definitely below average there and that was even the case this year with the Pirates, however, with limited time he probably won’t be a terrible third baseman. Also, Cody Ransom, who would have been manning third whenever A-Rod was out, doesn’t figure to be any better there, either (and Ramiro Pena was only slightly above average there, defensively).
In the end, Hinske will be a below average defender at 3B, yet his bat—which is significantly better than Ransom’s (and Pena’s)—will hopefully make up for his defensive shortcomings (Cashman obviously didn’t acquire him for his defense). For that reason alone, he was a worthwhile addition and a smart pickup.
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6 Responses to Hinske to see time at 3B
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TIQ IQ
I’m not always convinced that Ultimate Zone Rating is the best indicator of a players defense. To me it was obvious from watching games that Pena could make some pretty spectacular plays. Plays that in my mind might shorten innings and prevent runs.
I have a feeling that Hinske on the other hand could very well be a liability over at third. He might drive in some runs but what does that mean when he bruises our pitching staff? I really would have preferred to keep Pena.
Perhaps on the positive side this could lead to bigger and better things for the youngster. Regualr at bats could improve his game. September isn’t that far away either.
I do not love UZR either. Put it this way- if you ordered players by OPS, wOBA, and Runs Created, you are likely to get fairly similar lists. If you use UZR, FRAA, ZR, +/-, etc… to evaluate players, each metric is likely to give you a radically different list. To me, that suggests that these metrics are not much more than hints in the right direction.
If Girardi is smart he’ll figure out the best method for rotating Hinske and A-Rod (when CC pitches, not when Wang pitches).
I guess if you want to stay positive about this trade I it would make sense not to mainly focus on the 3rd base aspect. If he gives Matsui/Swish a break during a cold streak that could add value. He also is insurance against injury.
Definitely, Jeff. But I also think its a pretty big positive that the Yankees got him to play a bit at 3B. I’m thinking what it would look like with Ransom there and he doesn’t really offer anything at all, so when compared to the other replacement option, I really like the move.
When you look through the baseball encyclopedia, you see a lot of guys playing 3B who weren’t much with the glove. Killebrew leaps to mind, but guys Jim Ray Hart, Jim Thome, and Hank Thompson spent a lot of time there. Mel Ott used to play about a third of his games there, and recently Bobby Bonilla and Gary Sheffield played whole seasons there.
Hinske has enough stick to more than offset the amount of runs his defense costs compared to what Ransom would have allowed.
If Boston did this, a lot of the writers saying he can’t play 3B would be saying that it was another brilliant Theo move.