From Jon Heyman (SI):
The Yankees intend to try to bring back Johnny Damon, probably for about $6-8 million a year (that’ll be the first offer, anyway), and might be willing to give him a second year. Damon’s been saying in the papers all year that he wants to be back, which is quite a departure from the usual free-agent script and could mean he’s that rare player amenable to a below-market contract. Yankees management loves Damon personally, too, and that doesn’t hurt.
With Hideki Matsui also a free agent (not to mention Xavier Nady), the Yankees could use Damon, who’s having a fine offensive season, especially for power (.286, 22 HRs, 68 RBIs and 87 runs). Yankees people also love Matsui (four home runs this weekend at Fenway) but his knees are in bad shape and the current thinking is that they’ll need more DH at-bats in coming years for Jorge Posada and other aging stars. Damon, though, remains passable in the outfield.
Damon’s making $13 million now, but the Yankees appear to view this case in much the same way they looked at Andy Pettitte, who took a pay cut to $5 million guaranteed to return last winter. Damon shopped himself last time when he felt he wasn’t getting the respect he deserved from the Red Sox. But this appears to be a different case.
No surprise here. It always looked like the Yankees would try to bring Damon back to play LF and DH a bit. If you can have Damon at $6 million, though, I wonder how much it will take to bring Hideki Matsui back. Sure, his knees are terrible but if he’s willing to accept a similar deal for $6 million, as well, then wouldn’t you resign the guy (yes, I’m a big Matsui fan)?
(props to Lenny at the Bronx Block)
UPDATE – According to Ken Rosenthal (FOX Sports), one Yankees official said that it was “very likely” that the team would bring back Johnny Damon as long as he’s willing to accept a paycut. KR also noted that the Yankees intend to lower their payroll in 2010 (yet in the same breathe, KR says that the Yankees could be in the mix for Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, and perhaps both).
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Bringing back Johnny is a disaster waiting to happen. He can’t play the outfield anymore, so he will be the DH and play a few games in LF.
What do they do with Posada? Where do the DH days come into play for Jeter/A-Rod/Tex?
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Chris H. Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I really don’t think the rotating DH idea will work unless you have someone who can actually be the regular DH. If the Yankees bring back Damon in 2010, then they could plan on playing him in LF a bit while having him be the regular DH (but then you have Melky as the regular LF, assuming the Yanks don’t bring in another player). I don’t see why they don’t just bring Matsui back and let Jorge, A-Rod and Jeter rotate in and out at that position to give Matsui’s knees a break. It could be better to bring Matsui and Damon back rather than signing a Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, although Bay could be had at lower price since his defense is terrible and his offense this year was very streaky.
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Old Ranger Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
“although Bay could be had at lower price since his defense is terrible and his offense this year was very streaky.”
That is one of the problems we have with Melky…streaky. If Melky could stay consistent…we would have a good OF.
One idea for a DH is Posada, let Molina and Cervelli do most of the catching…this gives us much better defense and Posada wouldn’t wear down. He would have a big time hissy fit being a DH and the production from catcher would suffer but, game calling/defense would greatly improve.
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Chris H. Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
That is true. Most teams don’t have good offensive catchers, so it works. I just think it’s a sunk cost if they put Jorge at DH. Why pay him as much money as they are, then? His contract makes no sense if he’s just a DH. People think he has been awful this year, but I think he has done a reasonable job with Burnett and a good job with Joba. We often forget that he, too, is dealing with 2-3 new pitchers in the rotation that he has never caught before (CC, AJ, Mitre). There are going to be cross-ups and mishaps but with a year under his belt, I think the team will be fine.
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Old Ranger Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
True, new pitchers makes one think a lot more then the same old guys do and he does have a big contract. He hasn’t been bad on defense, I just like tight defense.
I really had many reasons for that move; 1) keeping Molina. 2) Cervelli is ready for the big time. 3) Having Posada and Molina around to help Cervelli is a good thing. 4) Free up room in AAA for Montero and etc., down the line. 5) Defense and more balance for offense.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I don’t see the value in having Molina and Cervelli… Cervelli will have a better bat than Molina by next year and his defense is just as good or better and having Fransisco and Posada as catchers really is no different than having Molina and Posada behind the plate.
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DaveinMD Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Damon will be the regular DH. Austin Jackson will be the regular LF.
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Chris H. Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
A-Jax isn’t ready yet. He needs one more year.
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DaveinMD Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I’d rather bring him up than shell big money for players that aren’t worth the cost.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I’m not trying to ruin a good players confidence by bringing him up early thanks! Let Austin stay in Scranton for at least another half year!
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I think you can have Damon and Jorge split DH duty, with an occasional off day for others.
As for payroll, when all is said and done the Yanks were looking at another drop of $20m or so, likely more now that Wang is unlikely to return for the same salary. Bringing back Damon for $5m still leaves a large cushion for signing an OF FA, though its just as likely that the Yanks will get into the mix if only to make sure the Red Sox pay a premium price to keep Bay.
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Steve S. Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
“I think you can have Damon and Jorge split DH duty, with an occasional off day for others.”
Yeah, I’ve come around to this point of view. While Alex, Jeter Damon and Posada will all need to spend some time at DH, the Jeter/Alex part is infrequent. You could have Johnny DH 3 days and Jorge 3 days, and then give a game here or there to the other guys. It can work.
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Yea they have the best record in the league, but do they need to be discussing contracts right now?
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
It doesn’t hurt! Damon isn’t a punk and neither is Hideki they will play no matter what.
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The Yankees should be happy if Bay stays in Boston. His defensive cost sinks his offensive value.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Not in Fenway! His defense is actually null and void in Boston with the monster and he has really learned to play that wall, I think he is the one piece that is keeping the Red Sox in it!
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I do not want Hideki back and if you bring Damon back (it better be on a one year deal) then Matsui must go and not come back! If you bring Damon back and sign a Jason Bay or Holliday then you can use both the signed player and Damon in LF and have a DH rotation with Johnny as the main DH and when he either goes to the field or sits you can rotate in Arod or Jorge or Jeter or the new guy which actually isn’t a terrible idea, just as long as Damon isn’t the everyday LFer. Now my signing would be Chone Figgins to play LF he can lead off, hit above .300, and steal over 50 bases while teaching Gardner how to be a even deadlier base stealer. Can you imagine Gardner hitting 9 and chone leading off, the double steal possibility is outrageous. no team would be able to run all over us again, plus it’s a nice addition by subtraction because you take away one of the Angels biggest weapons and fire starter. With Figgins and all he brings you could bring Damon back for his power to play DH and split LF but if he slumps and he doesn’t hit the 30 HRs he will this year you still have a lot of speed and someone who can play a good LF even if (Chone) hasn’t played it in a while.
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Now obviously the trump card to everyone is Carl Crawford and if he hits the open market you would be crazy not to talk to him and at least listen to the kind of deal he wants. He is a base stealer but younger than Chone, his bat isn’t quite as good on average at times but he has a nice uppercut HR swing (which will improve in Yankee stadium) reminiscent of Johnny Damon but with less pop and he can play a good LF as far as range is concerned anyway, and with him and Gardner no balls drop into the left side and when Melky or Austin play RF the range in the outfield is probably the best in the AL.
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That right there is why Johnny Damon should not be playing LF for us next year! His arm and inability to field the ball is what allowed Chris Davis to score off what should have been a single and one RBI for Andrus turns into two runs and a runner on second.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I meant to say should not be playing LF everyday for us next year.
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