With another deal inevitably on the way, rumours about which corner infielder will be traded by Toronto have begun to circulate.
In the New York Times, Murray Chass wrote, "Overbay, Glaus and Hillenbrand will be in the lineup, Ricciardi said. Hinske will most likely move to the outfield. Koskie will probably be traded."
If Corey Koskie does get traded, his likely destination will be Minnesota, the team on which he played prior to signing with Toronto. Since they were unable to sign the likes of Bill Mueller and Joe Randa, Koskie is the best available option. Unfortunately, it's highly likely that the Blue Jays will have to pay part of his salary in order for the deal to happen.
I'm somewhat apprehensive about moving Eric Hinske to the outfield. For one, he's never played there, so I'm not confident that the transition will be very smooth. On the other hand, he would be a substantial offensive upgrade over right fielder Alexis Rios. Last season, Hinske hit .283/.358/.452 against right-handed pitchers; Rios hit .271/.316/.406. If the Blue Jays are convinced that Rios' production has more or less plateaued and that Hinske won't be a defensive liability, a platoon between the two could prove to be very effective.