3rd Options

3rd Options

In today' NY Post there were a couple of yet undiscussed options for the Yank's 3rd base vacancy:

Bill Hall and Freddie Sanchez .

Hall, 29, is a year removed from a .270/.345/.553 season with 35hr. He will be 29 on opening day, is righty and has limited 3rd base experience. A number of people attribute his fall off in production in '07 (.254/.315/.425 14hr) to adjutsting to CF.

Sanchez looks essentially to be a Jeter clone at the plate. After winning a batting title in '06 (.344/.378/.473) he followed up in '07 with a slight all around drop in numbers (.304/.343/.442). Sanchez is also a righty and will be 31 on opening day.

Of the 2, Sanchez is clearly the better defender but Hall is younger and has a far greater run-producing upside.

Either team could be enticed with 2nd tier prospects as the Brewers clearly need bullpen help, and at $5mm per year Sanchez is a luxury for the perpetually rebuilding Pirates.

I'm not sure either player is the perfect answer to replacing ego-rod, but both should certainly be included in the discussion.