Baseball Lack of Offense Could Leave Ramiro Pena as Odd Man Out. Chavez and Nunez Take Lead. With Eric Chavez and Eduardo Nunez having good springs, the Yankees find themselves with a decision to make. Does this mean Ramiro Pena will be the odd man out? by Staff Post March 8, 2011 Ramiro Pena has never been known for his work with a bat in his hands. His glove is what got him to the major leagues as a backup infielder for the New York Yankees. Now however, as the Yankees work to improve their bench, the glove may not be enough. Pena hit .287 in 115 at-bats for New York in 2009. His production dropped last season, hitting just .227 with two extra base hits in 154 at-bats. Pena provides zero in the power department. If the Yankees can find role players that can contribute pop off the bench while still being solid defensively, they would have to consider that an upgrade. They may have found their answer in two players. Veteran spring training invitee Eric Chavez and up and coming infielder Eduardo Nunez appear to now have the inside track to a Major League roster spot. Chavez leads all Yankees that have more than 10 at-bats, with a .471 average. Known throughout his career for his glove at third base, Chavez is also working on playing first base for the Yankees. He can can show the ability to do that, the veteran could be a backup corner infielder. Chavez has won six Gold Glove Awards in his career. Of course, a major issue that remains is health. Once one of the games best all around third baseman, neck and back injuries slowed his career. The 33 games in which he appeared last season for the Oakland A’s was the most in three seasons. Eduardo Nunez, like Pena, can play three infield positions. Nunez is a natural shortstop but can also play second and third. He has also worked on playing some outfield to increase his chances of catching on with the Yankees as a backup. Last season, Nunez appeared in 30 games, getting 50 at-bats for the Yankees. In that limited time, the youngster showed some potential. Nunez batted .280 with one home run for the Yankees last season. So far this spring, Nunez is batting .286 with a double and a home run in a team high 21 at-bats. Considering he leads the team in at-bats shows they are giving him a long look. He has driven in five runs. While his play in the field may not be considered as good as that of Pena, his glove is certainly above average. Nunez would also bring some speed off the bench. He has stolen 20 or more bases three times in the minor leagues. While stuck behind star players like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Robinson Cano, Nunez could be a valuable piece of the bench for the Yankees in 2011. Unless Chavez or Nunez go down with an injury or fall into a slump, I think it’s safe to say Ramiro Pena will be the odd man out this season. Post Views: 1,258 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Staff Post Latest posts by Staff Post (see all) In The Zone Announces Initial Podcast Lineup - November 13, 2020 The Essential Resources You Need to Start Your Own Gym in 2020 - February 6, 2020 Wilder vs Fury II – How the second fight will be different to the first? - February 5, 2020 Early turnovers, defensive struggles plague the Scarlet Knights - January 26, 2020 Related TopicsEduardo NunezEric ChavezNew York YankeesRamiro Pena 2 Comments You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 19, 2021 Michael Jordan Could Change the Future of Nascar for the Better by Inesh Chari | posted on March 30, 2021 WNBA Rolling Out Red Carpet For Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season by Jason Cordner | posted on March 16, 2021 More in Baseball You Know I’m Right, Episode 112: New York Jets’ Insider Brian Costello (Audio/Video) On the 112th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) On the 109th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 108: WFAN’s Sweeny Murti (Audio/Video) On the 108th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 107: New York Post’s Columnist Mike Vaccaro (Audio/Video) On the 107th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Same Old Oliver Perez and Position Change for Carlos Beltran Derek Jeter: To Leadoff or Not To Leadoff? That is the Question