Managing the Yankees

Many Yankee fans are all torn up on the Yankees decision on signing free agent Randy Winn, who is not as spectacular as Johnny Damon. Some are expecting that Damon will come to terms with the Yankees by signing a one year, $ 3-5 million contract.
Or they assume that the Yankees will go after cheap right handed batters like Reed Johnson and Jonny Gomes to platoon with Brett Gardner who bats left.

So why Randy Winn? He is getting old and will be turning 36 on June. He has no power and his OBP and SLG has diminished. His arm is not great of an asset and most critics analyze that Winn is on his downward career. So why him? Why not use the $ 2 million on somebody else?

Although I am not a great Randy Winn supporter, I truly support the Yankees decision on signing him. Here's why:

DEFENSE:

This is the one of the main reason why until now the Yankees are not eager to sign Damon. Damon's arm is such a huge defensive liability for the Bombers last season. This year they upgraded their outfield defense by adding Curtis Granderson and still maintaning Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner.
And now with Randy Winn coming in, the Yankees would surely make better defensively. Winn played right field during his stint with the Giants and he is capable of playing 3 outfield positions for the Yanks. Joe Girardi would probably place him in left which is a much easier task for him.

INJURY FREE:

A factor why the Yankees pass on to free agents who are bugged with injuries. Guys like Xavier Nady and Reed Johnson would be a nice addition to the club but will certainly spell trouble if they are out of the season because of their injuries. Why would the Yankees sign another injury risk player when they have one of their own in Nick Johnson (now position to be their everyday DH). Plus they got old guys like Posada, Jeter and A-Rod who are prone to have injuries from time to time.

Randy Winn played an average of 158 games in a season in his 3 year duty with the Mariners. And an average of 152 games played in a season on his 4 year term in San Francisco. Basically Winn is available all year round no matter what team he is playing for.
With just a one year contract with the Yankees and his role as a platoon player in left field, his age won't really be a factor anymore. Winn can play 150 games for the Bombers if they want him to.

SPEED:

One thing the Yankees will benefit from Winn is his speed. He is not as fast as Carl Crawford or Jacoby Ellsbury but he can manage to steal a base if the team needs him to. Winn is capable of bagging 20 steals in a season. He could also be a late inning pinch runner for the Yankees.

PRICE IS CHEAP:

The Yankees surely made their $ 200 million budget into a reality. With only $ 2 million left in their budget the organization filled their outfield hole and completed their 2010 roster by signing Randy Winn.
If Winn turns out to be the player that he was during the 2007-2008 season with the Giants, the Yankees will definitely get a bargain out of their $ 2 million. Winn had an average of .303 batting AVG, .435 SLG, 20 steals and 12 homers in his 2007-2008 stint with the Giants.

This is also an indication for the Yankees to reserve their money for the 2010 free agent class where they can get guys like Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth. With the signing of Winn the Yanks now have flexibility with their budget.


Randy Winn is a sound gap hitter and has versatility to hit anywhere in the line-up. He is not spectacular but is a steady everyday outfielder. That is why Winn is a "winning formula". He is not here to hit home runs and produce a lot of RBI's. He is here to support and be there when the team needs him.

To be a successful team, the roster should be balanced which consist of superstars, regulars, supporters, reserves and their farm system.
The Yankees have their stars in A-Rod, Jeter, Sabathia, Mo and Tex. Plus their regulars like Posada, Cano, Pettitte, Joba and Phil Hughes. They got their reserves with Ramiro Pena and Juan Miranda and Jesus Montero waiting in the wings from their farm.
And now they have a supporting type of player in Randy Winn who can be an everyday type of player or can be a reserve outfielder.

Randy Winn provides balance in the team's roster and that is the "winning" formula for a potential run at the World Series title.