Managing the Yankees

The Yankees are still at it. After signing Randy Winn to help fill their hole in left field and to complete their 2010 roster, the Yankees are considering of adding another slugger to provide insurance just in case a positional player flops or gets injured.
Jonny Gomes is one of the free agent who is on the Yankees radar.... that is if Gomes is willing to accept a minor league deal.

Since the outfield is already set with Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner and the newly acquired Winn. There is no spot left in the 25 man roster. Therefore the only available position left is in the minor leagues.
If Gomes agrees on a minor league deal, he might compete for an outfield spot along with Rule 5 draft Jamie Hoffmann. Both Gomes and Hoffmann will see some time in Spring training.

This is a good move for the organization as it provides insurance and also bolster their minor league teams. If Gardner plays poorly or if Randy Winn gets injured, the Yankees will surely bring up their minor league players.... one possibility is Jonny Gomes. Other options are:

-Jamie Hoffmann (he has to see playing time or he will be sent back to the Dodgers)

-Juan Miranda (naturally a 1st base man but can play in left if needed; he can hit)

-Greg Olson (newly acquired but is still raw; needs more time in the minors)

-Nick Johnson (can play left if the Yankees bring up Jesus Montero and make him their DH)

Jamie Hoffmann is most likely to be a Yankee outfielder this season. The rest are just speculations.

It wouldn't hurt though if they add Gomes to their club. Jonny Gomes has great pure strength, which allows him to muscle the ball out of any Major League stadium. He is capable of hitting 20+ home runs if given enough playing time.
Gomes bats right and excels against left-handed pitching (a complimentary to Gardner). He is just 29 years old and is still on his prime. The Yankees can make Gomes as a platoon player in the outfield.

Let's just wait and see what will happen in the coming days. The Yankees will surely be glad having another home run threat to their organization.... even if he is listed in their minor league division.

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.

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!

Jesus Montero is the Yankees top prospect in their farm today. He's got power and is arguably the best pure hitter in the minor leagues. Montero has a power rate of 8 from a scale of 2-8 with 8 as the highest. His bat is ready for the big leagues however his defense is not....

The Yankees envisioned Montero to be their next everyday catcher but his size and defensive liability makes the organization worried if the youngster can play that position. Montero, at the age of 20, is outgrowing his position. He is 6' 4" high and is closing in to 245 lbs, that's pretty huge for a catcher. The normal and average size of a catcher is from 5' 10"-6" high and around 180 lbs.

Instead of forcing Montero to a position that most likely he will suffer why not place him in a spot where the Yankees can maximize his talents. Why not make Montero the team full time DH.
The Boston Red Sox use this approach by cementing their 40+ home run monster David Ortiz to the DH role. Ortiz comes to play for the Red Sox with one thing in mind... to hit. The Red Sox benefited from that as they remain competitive over the years.
The Red Sox don't care about their aging position players. Whenever guys like Manny Ramirez, Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell needs a rest they will let them have their "complete" day-off. But their DH is there almost every game to whack homers.

That is something the Yankees should consider. They too got old position players. Jorge Posada catching days are almost over, Jeter is getting up in age, and A-Rod is no spring chicken. This players needs rest through the course of the regular season to limit their injuries and to keep them fresh for the post-season. Why not give them a complete day off instead of a half day-off. Let the reserves like Ramiro Pena, Francisco Cervelli, Juan Miranda types to contribute and make their share. The beauty of it is the Yankees can use in full their DH, making that guy available every game.

Nick Johnson, the Yankees present DH, is not going to be there all the time. He is going to be a free agent after the 2010 season and most likely the Yankees won't sign him again.
Johnson always had a case of injuries throughout his career, you won't be surprise if he gets injured this season.
That is why it will be a good move to bring up Jesus Montero in the middle of the season and make him the full time DH thus making Johnson slide down to a reserve role (Johnson can play 1B and LF). Or Johnson can start in left field if one of the outfield guys (Gardner, Granderson, Swisher) have a slump. This makes Johnny Damon, who is a hot topic nowadays, dispensable.

Just look at the American league today, each team has their own full time DH. The Rangers signed Vladimir Guerrero, the Mariners have Ken Griffey Jr., the Athletics got back Jack Cust, the Angels stole away Hideki Matsui, the White Sox got Andruw Jones, the Twins have Jason Kubel, the Tigers have Carlos Guillen, the Royals got Billy Butler, the Indians still has Travis Hafner, the Blue Jays can use Adam Lind, the Rays has Pat Burrell, the Red Sox got Big Papi, and the Yankees have the newly acquired Nick Johnson.
Only the Orioles have a weak spot from their DH (they only got Luke Scott).

The Yankees generated a lot of good numbers when they made Hideki Matsui their full time DH last year. Matsui knees were weak but his bat was strong making him a threat to opposing pitchers. This year the role is given to Nick Johnson. Somewhere in the future we could see Montero getting the DH spotlight.

It is a big advantage to a slugger to know that your primarily role is just to hit. No need to play defense but just hit. It makes the player divert all his attention to batting and nothing else. With this he can be an expert in the hitting department.
David Ortiz made a killing, it is possible for Montero to follow that trend. Montero is still young and given time he could be the next or the best designated hitter in the big leagues.

After completing their needs this off-season the Yankees now are taking their time.....

At the start of the off-season the Yankees put their attention on re-signing their reliable starting pitcher Andy Pettitte. With 3 pitchers already on board, the Yankees filled their weakness in the outfield by trading their prize prospects including Austin Jackson for Detroit's star center fielder Curtis Granderson.
With two objectives being achieved, the Bombers made their club more formidable by getting another star pitcher from a trade. The Yankees traded Melky Cabrera along with 2 minor league pitchers for Atlanta's Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan.

With Hideki Masui, the Yankees DH being out if the picture, Brian Cashman and company signed free agent and OBP slugger Nick Johnson to be their next designated hitter.
All of this transaction was done just in the month of December 2009. The Yankees fulfilled their area of concern from starting pitching to center field to their DH.
The Yankees have now a roster that can take any team in the coming 2010 season.

But one thing remains to filled.... their hole in left field. With Melky being traded there is a spot that is vacated. Brett Gardner can fill the hole in left but the Yankees said they want to get somebody (probably a right handed hitter) who can platoon for an outfield position.

The Yankees have a firm resolution that they have only $ 2 million to work with. As the day moves by another free agent outfielder gets away from the grasp of the Yankees. Guys like Marlon Bryd, Mike Cameron, Eric Hinske, and Jerry Hairston Jr was signed by other teams.
There are still a lot of good free agent outfielders out in the market. Johnny Damon is the most hottest topic and valuable free agent out there.

But there are a lot of free agents to choose from. Aside from Damon there is Rick Ankiel, Garrett Anderson, Rocco Baldelli, Jermaine Dye, Jonny Gomes, Reed Johnson, Xavier Nady, Gary Sheffield, Marcus Thames and Randy Winn.
Add more guys like Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez, Chris Duncan and Robb Quinlan. So are a few infielders, like Felipe Lopez, who can play the outfield.

There seems to be no rush for any team — the Yankees or anyone else — to sign any of these guys. After all the Yankees are prepared for battle with their existing roster, and they are very talented even if they didn't get anybody else from the free agent pool. Like what they said they are ready to pencil in Gardner in left field. Question is are the Yankees content with this outfield line-up with no back-up or insurance when an injury might possibly occur somewhere in the season..... probably not.

That is why the Yankees needs to get somebody else to protect any possible setbacks in their outfield line-up. If I were the Yankees, I would increase my $ 2 million budget a little bit more.
This is just in case if there is a free agent who wants to be a part of the Yankees but wants a little more than $ 2 million. Damon is one guy that will be asking for more and to tell you honestly Johnny is far more better than the rest of the guys in the free agency pool.

I understand the Yankees goal to limit their budget and I support their mission to go young and athletic. But come on, $ 2 million? We all know the Yankees can do better than that.

Right now the Yankees are taking their time and not rushing things which I think is a great strategy. Who knows, Damon might eat his pride and come back to Yankees for a salary of just $ 3-4 million.
Good things comes to those who waits.... will that happen to the Yankees? We just have to wait and see.

(picture courtesy of i-Yankees)

While the Yankees are still looking for another left fielder to compete with Brett Gardner in 2010 season, the Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long is getting ready to prepare for war.

Kevin Long is responsible for Robinson's Cano turn-around season in 2009. Cano improve his production (HR, AVE, OBP, SLG). Long took some time-out with Cano during the 2008 off-season. The two met in Dominican Republic and did batting practice.

This year Long will be working again with the Yankee sluggers. Here is a list on the players that needs improvement:

NICK SWISHER:

Nick Swisher was great during the regular season but he vanished when the play-offs began. Opposing pitchers saw a flaw on Swisher's batting mechanics.... off-speed pitches.

Swisher's performance dip to a low of .083 in the World Series. That is not acceptable for the Yankees. And that captured the attention of Kevin Long.

Long’s first stop was to meet with Swisher in December of 2009 at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, where the switch-hitting outfielder continued adjustments that were sparked during the World Series against the Phillies, quieting his movements and allowing him to better respond on offspeed pitches.

“To Swish’s credit, he wanted to get it right and he wanted to start early,” Long said. “He’s a man on a mission. I think the playoffs opened up his eyes to how pitchers can throw offspeed pitches over and over again to expose you. He was ready to take another step forward.”

Swisher’s postseason was one of frustration, best identified by his bases-loaded popup against the Angels’ Brian Fuentes in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. “Swish is a fastball hitter, and in the playoffs, he got a steady diet of offspeed stuff,” Long said. “They were able to throw them for strikes, and Swish’s swing has a lot of movement to it. The new mechanics are going to control some of those movements and put him in a better position.

“We’ve got his hands closer to his body, and we’ve got to get him consistent with his lower half. If we do all of those things, you might see a guy who’s able to react better to an off-speed pitch.”

Needs to improve on: Off-speed pitches

CURTIS GRANDERSON:

Granderson is a great addition for the Yankees. His power numbers will be felt and might see a career high in home runs with the Yankee Stadium short right field porch.
The problem is Granderson's weakness against lefties.

He's obviously more productive against right-handed pitching, but he's had productive years against left-handed pitching -- and a lot of non-productive years," Long said. "My job is to try to get him to feel as comfortable as possible, without forcing it. I don't know what he's done in the past, but I'd really like to get a sense of his mentality against left-handed pitching."

Needs to improve on: Batting against left handed pitchers

BRETT GARDNER:

Gardner is visioned to be the Yankees starting left fielder and batting in the 9th hole. To maximize the speedster's talent Long has to improve on Gardner's batting consistency and on-base percentage to get on base. When he is on base he can create havoc with his speed.

Bunting is a skill that Gardner needs to use a lot to be more effective. He doesn't need to hit home runs, his goal is just to reach 1st base and let his quickness do the rest.

Needs to improve on: Getting on base to maximize his speed

ROBINSON CANO:

I already mentioned that Cano has improved in almost every category. What he needs to develop is Runners in scoring position (RISP). Cano is poor in RISP forcing to end an inning with men on base. That is why Cano is batting in the 7th hole because of this flaw.

If Cano improve on this he can be position in the 5th hole giving protection to A-Rod.

Needs to improve on: Runners in scoring position


That's 5 regular players that Long needs to give attention to be more competitive in the 2010 season. Long also needs to spend some time with their reserves. Guys like Francisco Cervelli, Ramiro Pena, Juan Miranda (possibly), and Jamie Hoffmann.

Kevin Long is also waiting for the coming of the Yankees new outfielder. As of now the only available free agents that the Yankees are interested in are Johnny Damon, Reed Johnson, Jonny Gomes and Rocco Baldelli.

That is why it is important to get one if this guys on board so that Long will have enough time to condition them and develop their weakness.

It's going to be a busy off-season for Kevin Long. For most people Spring is the best time to have vacation. For Kevin Long it's work, work and work.

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.