Eric Hinske: The Pointless Trade

On June 30, the New York Yankees acquired Eric Hinske from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Casey Erickson and Eric Fryer. On the forefront, it seems like a harmless trade. Hinske is a pretty good player, and the Yankees gave up very little for him. But if you really look into the deal from the Yankees standpoint, it is not only a pointless trade, but could easily end up hurting the Yankees.  The trade was unnecessary on the part of the Yankees. Hinske, essentially, will be taking the place of Ramiro Pena, who was the utility man, who generally covered the left side of the infield along with some second base. Hinske plays first and third base, along with all three outfield positions.  This creates the first problem. Pena played second, third, and shortstop, and Hinske only plays one of those positions, third base. Though Hinske plays all three outfield positions, the Yankees have Nick Swisher as a fourth outfielder, and the Yankees tend to alternate Melky Cabrera ... (link)