Managing the Yankees

Just look at this picture from above. It is very clear that Hideki Matsui is no longer part of the New York Yankees organization. But in every Yankee fan, Matsui will still be in their hearts. Matsui is an integral part of the Yankees most especially in the 2009 World Series against the LA Angels where Matsui outperformed everybody by bagging the World Series MVP.

In my opinion, I would still prefer that the Yankess should have instead picked Matsui over new acquisition Nick Johnson. Sure, Johnson is 4 years younger than Matsui but that doesn't much apply since Johnson is injury plaque. In terms of salary they are pretty much the same and both just have one year contracts.
So far this are their performance for 2010:

Hideki Matsui: (In 14 games)

.314 batting average; .397 OBP; .588 SLG; 3 HR and 8 RBI

Nick Johnson: (In 12 games)

.158 batting average; .407 OBP; .289 SLG; 1 HR and 5 RBI

It so obvious that Matsui is a much better player than Johnson. Matsui could produce more runs for the Yankees and is Mr. Clutch.
Until now I am still in awe of why didn't the Yankees got the services of Matsui. Their line-up could have been much better with Godzilla around.

But looking on to the future, I guess not signing Matsui is a good way to go. Why? Because other players in the Yankees line-up will step up. Guys like Robinson Cano and speedster Bret Gardner will be given a lot of time to show to the league that they can be stars if given the chance. So far the two of them are doing great.

This is also a good time for the Yankees to prepare their old guys like Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter to be assigned as a designated hitter.
Particularly Jorge Posada, who seems to be on his last year for playing the catcher position. The Yankees are grooming Jesus Montero and Austin Romine to be the next everyday catcher.

If all goes well, we might see the Yankees bringing up slugger Jesus Montero in the middle of the season. If Nick Johnson gets injured or doesn't live to the our expectation, look for the Yankees calling the number of Montero very soon.
We all know Montero's power and hitting prowess. He's ready to play in the big leagues. What remains to be seen is his catching and defensive skills. He still needs to improve and develop those skills to be a catcher in the MLB.

Anyway, the Yankees have deep pockets and they can get someone from the trade route if Montero is still not MLB ready. There are a lot of guys out there that the Yankees can get somewhere in the middle of the season who can immediately make an impact and contribute to the team.

Again, I love Hideki Matsui. But it's time to move on. Giving the young guys a break, being economically sustainable and being more athletic will make the Yankees a much better team in the future. Maybe not this year but in the following years to come.

Life has a cycle and the Yankees are very much aware that the beloved Matsui is not anymore part of their organization. Just like in the book, Matsui's chapter is finished. We are now continuing to another chapter. A much better one!