Managing the Yankees

(Image from Lenny's Yankees)

At first the Johnny Damon/Scott Boras ridiculous contract demands was kinda humorous. But now, nobody is laughing anymore....

4 years ago.... when Damon was 4 years younger, the tactics that Boras and Damon used was effective. At that time Damon was still at his prime at the age of 32. Damon was a lot faster and better. He was one of the best lead-off hitter in the league.
Because of that almost every team wants to sign the speedy Damon. Even the Boston Red Sox (Damon's former team) made an offer to Damon. But in the end it's the Yankee empire that won the bidding, signing Damon for 4 years at $ 13 million annually.

But that was 4 years ago or should I say... centuries ago. Today Damon is older, slower, and is more likely to have more injuries.
Both Boras and Damon should be "aware" that they are aiming for the stars ($ 13 million annually), and it seems to be a distant possibility. Even the Yankees (considered as the wealthiest organization in baseball) can't afford the salary that Damon/Boras is asking.

And as the day progresses and spring coming soon, Damon was still playing "hard to get". Each and every team that were interested in signing Damon went to their plan B's and signed a player that were more affordable.
It was only the Yankees who have a deep interest in bringing back Damon. In fact the Yankees waited too long that they lost the chance of signing other free agents like Hideki Matsui, Jerry Hairston Jr., etc.

I thought that Damon's story is going to be like Bobby Abreu of 2008 where Abreu took a massive pay-cut with the Angels just before the Spring training. But still Damon remained "high and mighty" and still refuse to take a pay-cut, hoping that someday a team will give him the $ 13 million that he wanted.

Something is definitely wrong with Johnny Damon. It's obvious that Damon screwed up a good thing here by allowing Scott Boras to antagonize the Yankee front office with his contract demands even after GM Brian Cashman's warnings that he wasn't playing games with the agent.
They thought that Yankees would give in to their demands knowing that Steinbrenners have "very deep pockets". I guess the owners are strictly serious with their $ 200 million budget.

With only $ 2 million left on the Yankees budget, Cashman went the distance and offered Damon $ 5 million (higher than their budget). Again Damon played them a fool. So the Yankees closed the chapter on Damon and move on by signing free agent outfielder Randy Winn for just $ 2 million only. That move place the nail in the coffin and put the Damon scenario to rest.... finally.

Damon either let his own ego get in the way of a perfect situation with the Yankees or he paid a price for trusting Boras too much, but in any case he'll miss his old team more than it will miss him. Not only will Damon miss the chance to play with a team that can win again a World Series but Damon will also miss the Yankees Stadium. It is in that stadium that Damon was able to set a career high of 24 home runs in a single season (2006 & 2009).

It's a tough lost for the Yankees but even a "greater" lost for both Damon and Boras. There was once an instance that several baseball people said that they believe Cashman became furious with Boras' negotiating tactics. One person close to the situation said that he once heard the Yankee GM screaming at Boras via his cell phone.

Before I thought the Red Sox community was just "bitter" with the situation that Damon went to the rival Yankees for more money. They kept on calling Damon "Idiot", which by definition means a very stupid person.
Now I truly believed what the Red Sox community are implying against Damon. Damon has one of the 7 deadly sins..... greed.
And now it is killing him, until now Damon is still unemployed as we speak.

I hate to point the obvious, but Johnny Damon is truly an "Idiot"!. Unless of course he wise up and swallow his pride and have some dignity left in his character, the name idiot will stick with him forever.....

Last January 8 2010, I indicated in my article that the Yankees should set a deadline for Johnny Damon and his agent Scott Boras. I specifically noted there that the offer from the Yankees should no where later than January 31, 2010. Looks like the Yankees can't wait that long......

SI.com reported Saturday that the two sides spoke again within the past few days and Damon has now been given the weekend to decide whether he wants to return to the Bronx on what would be a bargain deal.
The Web site said Damon would probably have to accept a contract of no more than $5 million guaranteed. This on-again, off-again drama could officially come to a close by early next week.

The Yankees said that they are willing to go over their $ 2 million budget for a quality player like Damon. And now it all depends entirely to Johnny Damon if he still wants to be Yankee....
I say he should take it. Because of his age, defensive liability, and his silly contract demands Damon's market value has drastically went down.... way way down.
That means Damon won't be seeing any offer greater than $ 5 million. The Braves are stack up with outfielders and the Tigers have a problem of their own with their aging outfielders. It is only the Yankees that are the right team for Damon.

We all know Damon likes the Yankee Stadium. He is like Superman there, having a career high of 24 homers in two seasons (2006 & 2009). Damon can't do it in any other field.
Plus Damon will get the chance of competing again for a World Series title which could be his 3rd.
This is Damon's last chance to be a Yankee. It' a "take it or leave it" kind of a deal. The Yankees have set a deadline and the club will move on by signing cheaper outfielder ($ 2 million below) if Damon resist.

The Yankees can look to a free-agent pool that includes Xavier Nady, Randy Winn, Reed Johnson, Jermaine Dye and Jim Edmonds. Although the emphasis would be on Reed Johnson and Xavier Nady.

So the Damon saga is coming to an end. Will the Yankees roll the red carpet for the return of Johnny Damon or will we see Damon pack his bags to go to another team? Drumroll please....
Hang on to your hats folks. This is going to be exiting!

Will we ever see Johnny Damon wearing a Yankee jersey.... in fact will we ever see him wearing a jersey of any kind at all?

"Please somebody sign my guy!". This has been a shut out of Sports agent Scott Boras, whom a couple months ago declared to the world that Damon deserves a salary like Yankee Icon Derek Jeter ($ 20 million annually). Now both Boras and Damon are worried if they will even get 25 % of Jeter's salary ($ 5 million).

Definitely Boras and Damon are in a losing situation. They had their chance before when the Yankees choose Damon over Matsui. But the two parties couldn't agree with their price. Initially Damon is asking a $ 14 million salary. So the Yankees move to Plan-B and signed free agent Nick Johnson at a economical price of $ 5.75 million. Damon went back to the Yankees and said that he is willing to lower his asking price to $ 10 million. Apparently Damon came to late.

There was another chance for Damon when the Yankees traded their outfielder Melky Cabrera for a starting pitcher. With left field being vacated, the Yankees once again are interested with Damon but with a lower offer ($ 6-7 million) since they are obliged to pay an annual salary of $ 11.5 million to their new starting pitcher (Javier Vazquez). But still Damon won't budge.

Now the Yankees have announce that they have only $ 2 million left to spend for a left fielder. That price put a nail in the coffin for Damon. There's no way he will sign at that price.

In conclusion, both Damon and Boras place themselves in a hole. The Yankees made their offer... twice. They had their chance and they blew it. Now they are like vultures looking for good meat to eat (if there is any left).

Aside from the Yankees, there are other teams that shown interest...... some of them move on and sign somebody else.

The Braves are interested. But it will be impossible for them to sign Damon unless Damon lowers his price to $ 1-2 million. Right now the Braves are looking at an outfield of McClouth in CF, a Diaz/Melky split in left and Heyward in right, with Hinske on the bench. Bringing in Damon would then give them five outfielders as well as tie up their excess money that could be used during the season, and it seems pretty evident that they are looking to cut their costs.

The Tigers are in the mix but I doubt if they are really serious. They got outfielders that are old. Magglio Ordonez will be turning 36 on January 28 while Carlos Guillen is 34. Adding Damon will not only make their roster much older but they will be weak defensively.

That leaves the Yankees. I really can see no other teams getting involved, and I think it comes down to deciding between a one year commitment in Atlanta and one in New York. The reason Damon hasn’t heard from the Yankees is because both parties know, whoever contacts the other first looks like they are in a greater need. To me, this is why Brian Cashman is great; he sets a value and refuses to go over what that value is. This skill is especially important when dealing with Boras; A-Rod was the only player I can think of that the Yankees overpaid what they felt he was worth, and that was a Steinbrenner move.

If Boras and Damon keeps on playing this game, they might not be in any team come spring training. Damon's case is much even worse than Bobby Abreu's story in the 2008 off-season. They should make a move now or else Boras and Damon will come begging for a job at the start of the season.

It's crunch time and Damon is heavily relying on his agent Boras to bring him to promise land. But the way this thing progress, I won't be surprise if Damon ends up in a different league. A league outside of baseball.... The WWE pays good, perhaps Boras should talk to chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. Maybe they could get a $ 20 million offer that they eagerly project.

Everybody is getting tired of the "Johnny Damon rumors". The Yankees have move elsewhere (when Damon still insisted with his high contract demand) by signing free agent Nick Johnson since Matsui couldn't wait much longer.
The Damon rumors was dead until the Yankees traded Melky Cabrera. Now the left field spot is open again and the Damon rumors started swirling in. Still nothing is happening.

I'm sure Damon still has value, his bat is still a hot property and is a shoo-in at the top of the order. But Damon has to be realistic with his weaknesses. He's getting old, has a weak arm, and his injuries will go up as the years goes by. Therefore Damon should be considerate and must lower his asking price especially if no one is biting to his 2 year $ 20 million demand.
Why can't he see that he will benefit a lot of he signs with the Yankees. His production especially his home runs stats will still be there (thanks to the Yankee Stadium). And he will get a chance of winning another World Series title.

Look what Damon did to the Yankees so far..... the Yankees lost the chance to sign Hideki Matsui, who most people say is a much better hitter and DH than new acquisition Nick Johnson. Because of the waiting game Matsui was forced to look for another team just to secure his job for the next season since at that time the Yankees 1st priority is signing Damon. It's a good thing Nick Johnson was still available or else things could have been worse.

Everyday the Yankees are losing options for a new left fielder..... Marlon Byrd signed with the Cubs, Mike Cameron went to Boston, and big names like Jason Bay and Matt Holliday signed with the Mets and the Cardinals respectively.

Sure the Yankees are waiting for Damon's value to plummet down to their likings but they make a risk of losing more free agent outfielders. Free agent Reed Johnson and Jonny Gomes, both the Yankees are interested in, are a practical choice but they won't be available soon. The Yankees must make a move to complete their roster and be ready for spring training.

The Yankees must make an ultimatum to Johnny Damon. Make an offer for one year with a basic salary of $6-7 million plus incentives.

And the Yankees should set a deadline for that offer.... let's say until the end of January. At the end of that month and Damon is still playing "hard to get" then the Yankees must move on and sign another outfielder.... a cheaper one.

Setting a deadline for Damon is critical for the Yankees in so many ways. For one Damon would be pressured and will be forced to sign with the Yankees knowing there's nobody out there that is willing to give him a better offer. And if Damon resist, there are still a lot of free agents available this month which the Yankees can grab to.
And lastly, Kevin Long (Yankees hitting coach) needs to prepare new acquisitions for batting practice to condition them for the upcoming season.

The Yankees are strict with their $ 200 million budget. They should also be strict with Johnny Damon. This should be the message of the Yankees for Damon:

"Sign before January 31 or else.........."

Forgive? I won't able to forgive both the Yankees and Johnny Damon if they were not able to come to terms. Everybody knows and even baseball critics agree that both parties need each other. The Yankees have said that they have only $ 4 million to spend for an outfielder and they said that they are even willing to let reserve outfielder Brett Gardner to start in left. Although this might a be a reasonable plan it is not a reinforced one.

The Yankees need more depth and batting power and they should not hesitate to look further. Johnny Damon is proven and the Yankees is his comfort zone. So here is my message to the Yankees administration and to Johnny Damon:

TO THE YANKEES:

My advice for Yankees specifically to GM Brian Cashman is to talk to the owners and management and add a little more for the budget. The budget for a left fielder is $ 4 million. Sure they can get a free agent like Reed Johnson or Jerry Hairston Jr. (good supporting guys) but are they capable of hitting consistently and playing in pressure games.

Johnny Damon is the guy for the Yankees. He loves hitting in the Yankee Stadium (20+ homers) and is a perfect compliment to Derek Jeter at the top of the order. With Damon on board and probably hitting in the 2nd hole, this will slide newly acquired Curtis Granderson to the 5th spot and Nick Johnson to the 8th or 9th hole. This means that the Yankees will have an imposing line-up maybe even better than the 2009 World Series Yankee line-up.

If you really think about it why should the Yankees be seriously strict with their $ 200 million salary budget for 2010 when they will still be penalized for exceeding the salary cap next season. Even if they spend an extra $ 10 million for a left fielder they would still make profit. I just don't really get it. They are the New York Yankees, and the defending champions of baseball. They don't win by being sticklers when it comes to the payroll. Hell, they aren't the New York Mets. They offered bad contracts to worse players in the past, but Damon is not one of them. Be a little more fair.

Give Johnny Damon an offer of $ 7-9 million for one year with an option of one year extension. Maybe two years if Damon still persist. But get it done.

TO JOHNNY DAMON:

Seriously, Damon should get the hell away from the Boras-ish demands and come to the Yankees, like Alex Rodriguez did back in 2007, and work this out with them, if he really intend to be a Yankee again.

Damon is 36 years old, has a weak arm, and is becoming to be a defensive liability in the outfield. He has leg problems and showed signs of wear and tear especially during Game 6 of the World Series where he strained his right calf in the 3rd inning. The DH position is where Damon will be placed sometime in the future. That limits his option to sign with a NL club since there is no DH.

NL clubs is concerned about his diminishing defensive skills while AL teams can't afford him. Teams like the Braves, Giants and Cubs that were interested in signing Damon has gone to other free agents and only the Yankees is the really serious team left. Damon has to realize that the Yankee stadium is his sanctuary. That short right field porch gives Damon a career high of 24 home runs in 2006 and in 2009. If he signs with other clubs his stats will go down.

Deep down, if Damon comes to the Yankees and say that he wants to do whatever it takes to be a Yankee, they will work something out for him. Damon did help them win a championship in November, and he is still one of the more popular players on the team.

So to Johnny Damon, swallow that pride, bypass Boras and sign with the Yankees. It's better to sign with a championship caliber team than with a losing ball club.

Here is a sad fact. Damon and his greedy agent Boras wants no less than $ 13 million annually for 3 years. The Yankees made it clear that they will stick with the $ 8-10 million, 2 year contract proposal for Damon. And the way things are going it looks like that Damon will be shopping for a new team.

Personally, I think Damon and Boras are crazy. They will simply go nowhere with their contract demands. Damon's age, weak arm, and diminishing athletic skills is just proof that he can't play productively for 3 years. National League teams don't want Damon because of his liability in the outfield. DH is not in effect in the National league and they have no where to put Damon.
In the American League, teams are backing off because of Damon's pricey demands.

Which is why I am in awe as to why Damon doesn't want to take the 2 year deal with the Yankees. It's pretty clear the Damon and Yankees works hand in hand. Damon has homered more while playing with the Yankees, taking advantage of the Yankees stadium short right field porch. The Yankees on the other hand is comfortable with Damon in the top of the rotation. Both he and Derek Jeter is one the most feared 1-2 punch in the league.

It's really ridiculous to even think about Damon and Boras demands. The price ($13 million) is absurd and the number of year (3 years) is even funny. If I were the Yankees I would offer Damon/Boras a 3 year contract. The 1st year is $ 13 million and the following 2 years is for medicare and health insurance (no more salary). That would be a fair deal.
Normally baseball players slow down when they reach the age of 36 onwards. Injuries will increase, their speed and athletic capability will start to wear down, batting average and home run numbers will decrease. The list goes on and on.

The Yankees is doing the right thing of planning to get younger and be more athletic. Trading for the young center fielder Curtis Granderson was a good move plus they signed the old but reliable Andy Pettitte for "just one year". Hideki Matsui's knees will be a problem that's why they let him go. The proposal to Damon is a fair deal and Damon should take it or else....

As of today the Yankees are in serious discussions and is in near completion with free agent Nick Johnson. Pending a physical, Johnson will agree to a one-year deal with the Yankees worth about $5.5MM. And if this push through this might eliminate the chances of Damon returning. Nick Johnson is no Johnny Damon but he can still produce. Johnson is known for his patience and discipline at the plate, which have led to a high career on-base percentage of .402 through the 2009 season. This is not as flashy as the other Yankee off-season moves but it's a welcome one.

Is this farewell to Johnny Damon? If that is the case, the nickname "Idiot" (leaving the Red Sox and now the Yankees) will be attached forever in Damon's name.

The New York Yankees now have a premium center fielder in Curtis Granderson. Defensively the Yankees' outfield is above average with the strong arms of Melky Cabrera and Nick Swisher and the speed and versatility of Granderson and bench player Brett Gardner.
Offensively the Yankees envisioned Granderson on the 2 hole against righties or will slide to the 5th, 6th, 7th hole against lefties. Granderson has home run power and speed. He once lead the majors in triples (23) in 2007. Granderson will spice things up in the coming 2010 season. But still the Yankees GM Brian Cashman is still not contented. Something is still missing. The Yankees need more power in their line-up.

Is Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui is the answer to that? Well if your looking for a power bat, this two sluggers are capable of doing so. In 2009 Damon hit 24 homers while World Series MVP Matsui had 28 home runs. They are premium type of players and are known to deliver in clutch situations which includes the post-season. They know their role in the Yankees organization. Damon fits perfectly in the 2 hole giving the Yankees a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of the line-up with Jeter playing lead-off.
Matsui played DH all season long and is normally placed in the 5 hole to give protection to A-Rod who bats clean-up. The Yankees made no secret that they still want this two amazing players however will it be practical to sign both of them.

The Yankees, even with the biggest payroll, is cost-cutting. Their budget says they can afford only one player. Will it be Damon or Matsui? Let's analyze.

JOHNNY DAMON:

According to the Yankees, Damon is their 1st choice because of his ability to still play the outfield (particularly in left). Damon still have some thread left in his old tires of his. He still runs well along the base paths and is still capable of stealing bases (Remember his amazing play in the World Series where he stole two bases in just one play).
Even with Curtis Granderson on board the Yankees still externalize Damon batting 2nd behind Derek Jeter. Their 1-2 punch is still considered one of the best in baseball plus Granderson's home run power and weakness against lefties is much suited on 5th, 6th and 7th hole. Damon will play DH most of the time next season but his versatility to play the outfield can give other positonal players like Posada, Jeter, Tex and A-Rod a half a day off.
Damon really loved the short right field porch at the Yankee Stadium. Damon homered a career high of 24 in 2006 and 2009 (both of them was done with the Yankees).
It seems like the Yankee Stadium was designed to Damon's desires and skills. Damon perfectly fits well in the Yankee Stadium. Both Damon and Yankees have express their desires to stay together.

However Scott Boras (Damon's agent) think otherwise. Boras is demanding an absurd $13 M, 4 year contract from the Yankees. Everybody knows that is exaggerated. No team will give Damon that kind of contract even with his great talent. Damon is 36 years old and is showing signs of diminishing speed and defensive skills. Damon's ridiculous demand on his contract will be a stumbling block for the Yankees to sign him.

HIDEKI MATSUI:

The World Series MVP has everything going right for him. Winning his first World Series title outside of Japan and was rewarded the World Series MVP for his incredible performance. Matsui's face is almost everywhere. From TV guesting, newspaper and magazine, internet and radio interviews. Godzilla became an icon in New York.
The future however doesn't look good for Matsui. He is a free agent and might be gone if Damon signs with the Yankees. Matsui's shaky and unpredictable knees is the major factor why the Yankees choose Damon over him. Matsui can't play the outfield anymore and is more of a DH type of guy.

Matsui is still a force to reckon with offensive wise. When he is healthy, Matsui is capable of hitting .292, 25 homers, and 100+ RBI. Matsui is an RBI machine which could help the Yankees to be competitive all season long. He bats pretty well against right handed pitchers and has also showed some good signs against opposing left handed pitchers. Matsui is a patient hitter and use the field well. He is definitely a tough out.

The good thing about Matsui is he is willing to take a pay cut and take a 1 year deal with the Yankees. This is one factor the Yankees is strongly considering. The Yankees outfield is complete with the arrival of Granderson and Matsui fits well in their DH spot.


So who do you think the Yankees will pick? Will they go with the outfielder Johnny Damon or will they stick with their DH Hideki Matsui. If you're Brain Cashman who will you sign?

For those who knows the song "Johnny B. Goode" sang by Chuck Berry. The chorus of the song says Go Johnny Go Go! Well that is most of the Yankees supporters are cheering. Cheering Johnny Damon to go and perform. That seems not to be the case here.

Once known as an establish center fielder and among the premier lead-off hitters during his stay with Boston. Damon was batting .304, with 20 HR and 94 RBI's. Age is finally catching up with him. Although Damon has a good year so far (.282 AVE, 24 HR, 82 RBI), his performance in the ALDS against Minnesota was horrible. Damon's performance went down to .083 batting AVE (just hitting 1 of his 12 at bats). No home runs, no RBI and not even a single base stolen. The only thing Damon has is his 4 strike outs against the Twins. That's bad coming from a player in the 2 hole. Where did Johnny go? We need him especially now that we are facing the Angels in the ALCS.

What is on the mind of the Yankees coaching staff? What are they up to? Is it wise to insert Brett Gardner instead and let Damon pinch run in the late innings if Damon's production is zip? Or do we have to trust our instincts and believe that the veteran left fielder will come out of his slump and will shine in the following games in the post-season? Should we insert another batter in the 2 hole like Cano or Melky? So many questions and predictions. Assumptions and observations. Only time will tell.

What we know so far is we are not getting production from our 2 hole. Something that needs to be improve on. The only production the Yankees are getting production are from their lead-off hitter (Derek Jeter) and the heart of the line-up (Tex, A-Rod, Matsui and Posada).

If Damon continue to decline, there is a big chance that the Yankees might not sign him in the off-season. Damon is Scott Boras' client. Meaning they will demand the Yankees to sign Damon a bigger contract. And with age factor, Boras will also demand a longer contract (3-4 years) before Johnny retires. That is something the Yankees won't do. The Yankees are looking for 1-2 years contract and half the pay which Damon is receiving now (13 million).

Johnny Damon better shape up. Be more aggressive at the plate, steal some bases, and put some element of surprise like bunting. Damon still has some speed behind his old wheels.

Go Johnny Go!