Given all of the injuries they dealt with in 2010, the Red Sox were happy to have Bill Hall around. The former Brewer hit .247/.316/.456 with 18 homers in 382 plate appearances with Boston, his best effort since the breakout 2006 campaign that landed him a four-year, $24MM contract. Now another AL East club is looking to bring him aboard, as FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees have interest in Hall according to major league sources.
“We have a good utility guy in [Ramiro] Pena,” said GM Brian Cashman. “We think Eduardo Nunez will be an everyday shortstop in the big leagues, but he very well could be a utility guy for us. [Brandon] Laird plays first base, third base and outfield."
“Obviously, are there better veteran guys available in free agency or the trade market? Very probably, there are. But is that the best way to go? We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Hall, 31 next month, works with Yankees' hitting coach Kevin Long during the offseason, so there's already a relationship in place. Of course the team's first priority is re-signing Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, not to mention making a run at Cliff Lee, so any pursuit of Hall will likely wait until after those other items are addressed.
Well if he can hit like he did for the redsox last year he’ll be a good pickup for the Yanks. I can’t seem him hitting THAT well myself
why not? He’d be hitting in the launching pad that is Yankees Stadium.
Well pardon me, but pretty much every single one of his hits it seemed like was off or over the green monster…That’s a hitters ballpark expierence for Bill Hall alright.
Just because he’s had alot of bad years, one really good year, and one ok year. That just dosen’t scream succsess to me.
yes it does, in a utility role. if he has 1 really good year and one just good year as a starter, and another solid season as a reserve-type last year, i think he would be one of the best utility men in the game.
…As opposed to a handball court?
I have to say, my gym class has been playing Handball in gym lately…Worst sport in the history of every single sport.
Disorganized European handball on the other hand, is actually quite fun when played correctly. Most intense game I’ve played in a half-sized middle school gym.
Isn’t it called Bocce?
Not to my knowledge, it’s slightly different then regular handball, but can’t quite remember what makes it different, some rule change or something, but I have played both, and it’s a noticible difference to me. Bocce ball is usually played more in a straight line, like an outdoor bowling lane type thing I think.And by disorganized I mean that the teams change from day to day, and all that matters is game rules and score. No teams, no schedules, nothing, just play when and with whoever you want.The key to it being fun is the disorganized part though, any type of organized handball is incredibly terrible.Its distant cousin boxball is insanely fun though.
Ah. Strange.
Very, but that might have been because it was a middle school gym class, and at least at my middle school, the gym teachers had no idea what they were talking about half the time. So they might actually be the same thing.
High School, but yeah, very unstructured. I have gym thrusday I hope we play wiffle ball or something like that.
Yeah Im in high school now, but in middle school this is what we did. We just do stuff like volleyball now.
No way he replicates his 2010 numbers for the Yankees.
Slight offensive upgrade over Ramiro but really? Shouldn’t be Ca$h be focused almost entirely on pitching at this point?
“Very probably”… really?
That was actually a stutter by Brian Cashman. he was drinking milk while talking to Kenny.
HAHA it’s like “Black Bush” from Chapelle Show…”very possibly”
Hits better than Pena, but not impressed by his glove work. Pass
And Sox Nation lets out a collective: “NOOOOOOOO!!!!”
Please no! I wish Hall the best wherever he goes (yes even to the NYY), but he isn’t going to start for NYY. And if he isn’t going to start somewhere, then I would love to have him back in Boston. Especially if the Sox can’t / don’t re-sign Beltre.
I think Hall would be a good pickup if the price is low. Maybe 2 years/$4MM. I don’t know what Hall is aiming for, but it seems reasonable for the Yankees as a super-utility/back-up DH.
Not only will he be expensive as anything for what he is because of his 18 HR’s, why is Pena now not good enough? Weak with the bat, slick with the glove, and not bad on the bases. That is a utility infielder friends.
That is a utility infielder on a team like the Pirates. We’re talking about the Yankees. Unfortunately, most Yankee fans even require the utility infielder to be of near starter quality. Although I am not of this belief, (a super-utility guy SHOULD be like Pena) it is what it is. Ramiro Pena is very skilled defensively, but his offense is equivalent to a career minor-leaguer. Apparently, a good glove is not enough to satisfy Yankee fans on their utility infielder standards, and thus many have called for him to be replaced.
Personally, I think a lot of fans find Pena’s defense enough of a reason to keep him around. I do not know where you are from or what team you support but I think you are buying into some stereotypes there thinking we always want more. We understand he is not gonna hit the long ball. Cashman is just a nut.
I’m not saying ALL Yankee fans, but MOST. Judging by your comment, I see that you are one of the minority of reasonable Yankee fans. I am a Yanks fan too and also agree that Ramiro is a great super-utility guy. However, the majority of casual Yankee fans just think there are no limits and that Pena is not up to their lofty desires. Nevertheless, you seem to be a very reasonable Yankee fan and I agree that his defense is enough.
I’m not saying ALL Yankee fans, but MOST. Judging by your comment, I see that you are one of the minority of reasonable Yankee fans. I am a Yanks fan too and also agree that Ramiro is a great super-utility guy. However, the majority of casual Yankee fans just think there are no limits and that Pena is not up to their lofty desires. Nevertheless, you seem to be a very reasonable Yankee fan and I agree that his defense is enough.
No one said Pena wasn’t good enough, they just want a utility player who can hit.
As I said, there are not a whole lot of hitting utility players because that would be a player who is a good fielder and, as you say, a good hitter and that adds up to a starter friendo.
The Yanks get a lot of offense from their infielders. They have to consider what would happen if one of them gets hurt. That would make them want a player who can provide some offense. The problem is there’s no playing time if the regulars are healthy, making it hard to sign someone of that quality.
Quite frankly I love Ramiro Pena as a fill-in, but if Jeter or A-Rod goes down for 50 to 75 games he’s not getting it done for that period of time.
As for Nunez, if he doesn’t get traded for some pitching, I’m going to be very surprised. I can’t see stashing him somewhere for the next two years while Jeter plays out the string at SS.
This just in: The Yankees want to buy every single Free Agent, and trade for every single player so they just win the world series.
LOL. Actually they only go all out when they miss the playoffs the year before. See offseason after 2008. When they reach the ALCS they only get 4 out of the top 5 FA, not 10 out of the top 10.
And if they win the WS, then they get 8 out of 10 right? lol
A team wants to improve and has the financial means to do it! OH MY GOD. EVERYONE POINT OUT HOW RIDICULOUS THIS IS.
I was waiting for a comment like your? What took you so long? Wrapped up in the Bad Girls Club Reunion?
I’d rather they look in house and use Pena as the back up and Nunez as the super utility. As for the OF I would look to keep Kearns or bring back Justin Christian who was a career minor lgr for the Yanks who had a good minor lge season (.289/.366 w/9 hrs and 22/27 SB @ AA/AAA and has been having a great AZL @ .378/.453 w/10 dbls and 5 hrs and 13/13 SB so far in 111 AB.
Money isn’t an issue but Bill Hall will probably command $4 mil + a year and probably 2 years. Hall doesn’t really give you much more than versatility and HRS. The hrs aren’t a big need for us. I would rather have better defense and a lighter bat when Arod or Jeter need a rest. If Nunez is indeed the future at SS then why not let him be the primary replacement at 3B, SS and 2B when someone needs a rest so he can play as much as possible and get some experience?
Might as well stay with Marcus Thames, Hall had a lucky year and Fenway helped alot in that department
Thames’ year was luckier than Hall’s.
Can Hall pitch? If so then this is great news. If not…
He can and he did last season.
This is just being a pain because you knew what he meant.
Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.
Bill Hall could fit a lot of teams. I like him for the Indians, since they have a black hole at third base, a just okay young second baseman, a shortstop that sort of moved sideways, no left fielder to really say, yeah, okay, you’re it, and a severe shortage of players that swing from the right side.
I think the Indians need him more than the Yankees do and he’d probably have more playing time there.
Bill Hall could fit a lot of teams. I like him for the Indians, since they have a black hole at third base, a just okay young second baseman, a shortstop that sort of moved sideways, no left fielder to really say, yeah, okay, you’re it, and a severe shortage of players that swing from the right side.
I think the Indians need him more than the Yankees do and he’d probably have more playing time there.
All things being equal, Hall doesn’t do enough to him replacing Pena. For me, Pena is a late-inning defensive replacement/2nd option pinch runner. He can spot start but you know he’s batting 9th and isn’t doing much.
So what would Hall be? You’re trading defense for offense. I’d rather have a solid glove infielder and have the pinch hitter elsewhere.
All things being equal, Hall doesn’t do enough to him replacing Pena. For me, Pena is a late-inning defensive replacement/2nd option pinch runner. He can spot start but you know he’s batting 9th and isn’t doing much.
So what would Hall be? You’re trading defense for offense. I’d rather have a solid glove infielder and have the pinch hitter elsewhere.
Well someone has to replace thames..
Bill Hall works with Kevin Long during the offseason? Maybe Kevin could help Big Papi, Pedroia or Youkilis hit better, too.
Maybe I’m being old-school, but if I’m paying a hitting instructor, I’m paying him to keep his assistance reserved to my players only.
Then again, maybe Long was just joking around with Hall in advising him to take that ridiculously stretched out one foot in the dugout stance.
this is just the yankees way of saying to jeter: “you can be replace VERY inexpensively with a Hall/Pena/Nunez platoon”.
I’m guessing one of the lower ranked teams will take a chance on Hall as a starter and Hall will take it. There’s no shortage of teams that need another power bat in their lineup.