New York
Yankees

News: Branyan has agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Yankees and will try to win a bench job as a corner infielder during spring training. The Yankees announced the deal Wednesday.
Impact: Branyan hit .197 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 127 at-bats last season for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels, playing first base, third base and designated hitter. He has not played the outfield in the major leagues since 2007. The 36-year-old has a .232 career average with 194 home runs in 14 major league seasons with 10 teams.

News: Branyan signed a minor league deal with the Yankees Wednesday, Jon Heyman of CBS sports reports.
Impact: At the age of 35 you have to wonder how much "Russell the Muscle" has left. He is a career .232 hitter with a .329 OBP. He has always made his money through his big power numbers and that is what Branyan will have to do in spring training to have a chance of making the Opening Day roster.

News: The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with Hall and invited him to big league spring training. Hall announced the deal on his Twitter account Tuesday, and New York confirmed the agreement.
Impact: If Hall is added to the Yankees' 40-man roster, he would get a $600,000, one-year contract and have the chance to earn an additional $600,000 in performance bonuses. The 32-year-old played with Houston and San Francisco last season before he was designated for assignment on July 28, batting a combined .211 with 14 RBIs and two homers. He finished the season at Triple-A Fresno.

News: Hall has signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Impact: He'll contend for a utility infield job, which would likely be a second-fiddle opportunity behind Eduardo Nunez with the occasional opportunity to make spot starts in the outfield. Don't expect anything more than his surprising 2010 campaign with Boston (.247/.316/.456) and even that is probably generous given his struggles between Triple-A and the big leagues last season.

News: Chamberlain threw off a half-mound at the Yankees' complex on Friday, the New York Post reports.
Impact: Chamberlain, who's recovering from Tommy John surgery last June 16th, said the session went well. If his recovery continues down its current course, he should join the Yankee bullpen around midseason.

News: Chamberlain has started throwing off a half-mound as part of a rehabilitation program after elbow ligament replacement surgery. Chamberlain threw at the Yankees' minor league complex in Florida on Friday. The right-hander said the session on the 5-inch mound, which New York pitching coach Larry Rothschild and team vice president Billy Connors watched, went well.
Impact: Chamberlain went 2-0 with a 2.83 ERA in 27 relief appearances last season before surgery on June 16. He is expected to rejoin the Yankees at some point this 2012 season.

News: Teixeira said that he may try laying down bunts to combat the drastic infield shifts teams put on against him, the Yankees' official site reports.
Impact: "If they're playing a big shift, I might lay some bunts down this year," Teixeira said. "I've been so against it my entire career, [but] I might lay down a few bunts. If I can beat the shift that way, that's important." Teixeira also noted that he needs to focus on going to the opposite field from the left side as well. Teixeira hit just .223 against right-handers in 2011, and while he affirmed that he'll still pull the ball much of the time, it's good to see him taking a look at changes he can make to get on base more often.

News: The Yankees are one of a few teams talking to Hall about a utility role, the New York Daily News reports.
Impact: Hall hit just .211 last season, but has hit for decent power in the recent past, and could take over Eric Chavez's role as a backup infielder for the Yankees.