Is Johnny Da' mon For Yanks? Best Offer?

[Yankeeah]

IMO Cashman is hellbent on not getting involved with Damon. He's scouring every other CF possibility (including going into next sesaon with Bubba in CF). The wildcard here is that if the pursuit of a CFer drags on well past the winter meetings then I believe George and Randy Levine will start agitating for Damon. I bet Boras is trying like hell to get Randy involoved in this thing. If you start hearing Levine's name ("Agent Scott Boras spoke with Yankee team President Randy Levine yesterday about superstar CFer Johnny Damon...") then Damon will be with the Yankees next year. At that point Cashman should quit.

Damon will sign with some team for like 7 years $110 and screw up the market even more so.

[yankeebot]

Damon will sign with some team for like 7 years $110 and screw up the market even more so.

Who would give him that? Is there really even a lot of interest in Damon outside NY or Boston?

[RobRiv]

IMO Cashman is hellbent on not getting involved with Damon. He's scouring every other CF possibility (including going into next sesaon with Bubba in CF). The wildcard here is that if the pursuit of a CFer drags on well past the winter meetings then I believe George and Randy Levine will start agitating for Damon. I bet Boras is trying like hell to get Randy involoved in this thing. If you start hearing Levine's name ("Agent Scott Boras spoke with Yankee team President Randy Levine yesterday about superstar CFer Johnny Damon...") then Damon will be with the Yankees next year. At that point Cashman should quit.

Right on, Noneck. Despite Cashman's apparent disinterest in Damon, the Boras tentacles will keep tickling Tampa to keep the Yankees in the picture, and Damon's demands in outer space. I hope this doesn't turn into a frontoffice battle between Cashman's clout, and Steinbrenner's starstruck impluses.

[ppa79]

I would give him 2 years max.

[noneckwilliams]

Right on, Noneck. Despite Cashman's apparent disinterest in Damon, the Boras tentacles will keep tickling Tampa to keep the Yankees in the picture, and Damon's demands in outer space. I hope this doesn't turn into a frontoffice battle between Cashman's clout, and Steinbrenner's starstruck impluses.

Bob Klapisch was on radio here in Boston yesterday dancing like a monkey for all the local yokels. You know - "wait 'til Steinbrenner explodes...back page...Mets...Red Sox land Beckett...yadda yadda yadda." The locals love to hear this stuff even if it isn't true. According to Klap the Yanks would love Damon at 4 years and maybe 5. I don't buy it.

The Tampons will want Damon - Cashman won't. People like Klap and Buster Olney are too busy doing their "George is a monster/Yankees are disfunctional" schtick to notice that there may be a legitimate change in the chain of command/decision making process of this FO

Cashman's email comments regarding Jeter's leadoff ability versus Damon's shows me he knows what he's doing. Damon will be a test for Cashman's newfound freedom.

[RobRiv]

[QUOTE=noneckwilliams]Bob Klapisch was on radio here in Boston yesterday dancing like a monkey for all the local yokels. You know - "wait 'til Steinbrenner explodes...back page...Mets...Red Sox land Beckett...yadda yadda yadda." The locals love to hear this stuff even if it isn't true. According to Klap the Yanks would love Damon at 4 years and maybe 5. I don't buy it. QUOTE]

That's why I hope the Yanks will soon make it clear that they don't want Damon. I understand why they might want to keep their options open, and play their cards close to the vest, but I'd prefer if the Yanks told Boras straight up, "not interested in Damon, next." This would drive Boras and the Boston radioheads nuts and prove that all the Yankee execs are on the same page.

[silverdsl]

Seven years for Damon is ridiculous. Insane. Even worse if Boras is pushing for a no-trade as well, though with a seven year, big money deal, whatever team signs him would probably be stuck with him even without a no-trade. Unless Damon is willing to sign only a two or three year deal for under $10 million a year, and even then I wouldn't be overly thrilled with him being signed, I think the Yankees should stay well away from him.

-Deborah

[NewEraYanks2527]

If Megaman is available then I dont see how we can not sign him. Wait a minute, as many have pointed out he is fast but that doesn't necessarily mean he can catch, as that is the argument against Juan Pierre.

[Dooley Womack]

[QUOTE=RobRiv]

Bob Klapisch was on radio here in Boston yesterday dancing like a monkey for all the local yokels. You know - "wait 'til Steinbrenner explodes...back page...Mets...Red Sox land Beckett...yadda yadda yadda." The locals love to hear this stuff even if it isn't true. According to Klap the Yanks would love Damon at 4 years and maybe 5. I don't buy it. QUOTE]

That's why I hope the Yanks will soon make it clear that they don't want Damon. I understand why they might want to keep their options open, and play their cards close to the vest, but I'd prefer if the Yanks told Boras straight up, "not interested in Damon, next." This would drive Boras and the Boston radioheads nuts and prove that all the Yankee execs are on the same page.

It's possible the Yanks are trying to drive up his price and # of years, knowing he'll end up in Boston. To that I say, "Keep pretending that you're interested."

[StaceyRosie]

I ................ing hope not

[gdn]

Move on, nothing to see here.

Johnny Who?

[StatenIslandYankee]

I would give him 2 years max.

He won't take 2. I think he's looking for 5 but asking for 7. I say 3 with a 4th year option is REALISTIC.

[ojo]

He won't take 2. I think he's looking for 5 but asking for 7. I say 3 with a 4th year option is REALISTIC.

i wouldn't want another 3 years of teams running at will on balls hit to CF.

[Chairman-of-TheBoard]

Damon is old and won't accept anything less than 6 years, which if we bite, would guarantee we would have our next Bernie Williams whom we can watch seriously decline over the last 4 years of the contract. Woo-f'in-hoo. GET YOUNGER IN CF!!!

[sugmasterflex]

0 yrs/0M. Take it or leave it.

[nyctalopia]

Cashman's interview quotes are getting funnier and funnier. He's completely free to tell people they're idiots now, which I love. As for Damon, 3 years $27 million at most, IF and ONLY IF Wilkerson, Rowand, Michaels, Bradley, and Giles become unavailable AND Crosby admits he's been using steroids since he was 5 years old.

[noneckwilliams]

0 yrs/0M. Take it or leave it.

I like that.

Damon is old and won't accept anything less than 6 years, which if we bite, would guarantee we would have our next Bernie Williams whom we can watch seriously decline over the last 4 years of the contract. Woo-f'in-hoo. GET YOUNGER IN CF!!!

Damon in Pinstripes would end up like Bernie - but without the goodwill. I think Damon would get hooted out of Yankee Stadium.

[ryanthe13th]

I'm down with the proposed MegaMan deal. If we don't get him, we could always call up Sonic the Hedgehog. He might not have the greatest arm, but he sure is fast.

[Yankee Bulldawg]

Mario and Luigi anyone?

[goin for 27]

Damon isn't really all that good. At this point in his career, he's a mediocre fielder, and he has a career .277 EqA. He's never topped .300.

I disagree. Damon has no arm. However, he still has excellent range, and catches everything he gets to.

Don't know why you focused on EqA. Jeter, for example has a career EqA of .279, though I think he is very valuable at the plate.

Damon was 4th in the AL in batting average.
4th in runs scored
5th in hits
19th in OBP
25th in total bases
22nd in number of pitches seen

The guys is an upper echelon CF'er. Right now, Bubba Crosby is penciled in at CF.

I would do 3 years $30 Million in a minute. I would not go longer than 3 years, but I would potentially go to $33 Million.

I know people don't like him because he is the face of the Sox, but I don't care. I want #27, and he is a great option in CF. For all the people who want Jeter to lead off? Fine, bat Damon second. Pitchers will have 24 pitches in the 1st inning with no one out.

Crazy to say he is not very good, even dumber to say he should be a last resort.

I cannot stomach entering the season with Bubba Crosby in CF.

[PittsburghYankeeFan]

I disagree. Damon has no arm. However, he still has excellent range, and catches everything he gets to.

Don't know why you focused on EqA. Jeter, for example has a career EqA of .279, though I think he is very valuable at the plate.

Damon was 4th in the AL in batting average.
4th in runs scored
5th in hits
19th in OBP
25th in total bases
22nd in number of pitches seen

The guys is an upper echelon CF'er. Right now, Bubba Crosby is penciled in at CF.

I would do 3 years $30 Million in a minute. I would not go longer than 3 years, but I would potentially go to $33 Million.

I know people don't like him because he is the face of the Sox, but I don't care. I want #27, and he is a great option in CF. For all the people who want Jeter to lead off? Fine, bat Damon second. Pitchers will have 24 pitches in the 1st inning with no one out.

Crazy to say he is not very good, even dumber to say he should be a last resort.

I cannot stomach entering the season with Bubba Crosby in CF.

Finally, some sense on this topic.

Damon is still a decent CF and a more than decent hitter. Plus, it would be a bigtime Sox loss to lose him at this point.

Anything more that $10-11 million per year for 3 years with a club option 4th would be foolish.

Let Boras agitate all he wants--7 years ain't happening.

Bubba is an OK choice for a stopgap year or so until someone big and young comes on the market. Not my first choice, but I could live with it.

I also could live with a performance clause/behavior clause laden 2 year contract to Milton Bradley when he gets non-tendered in 3 weeks.

[Jace]

Don't know why you focused on EqA. Jeter, for example has a career EqA of .279, though I think he is very valuable at the plate.

Derek Jeter's career EqA is .301.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/jeterde01.shtml

[RobRiv]

[QUOTE=PittsburghYankeeFan]Finally, some sense on this topic.

Damon is still a decent CF and a more than decent hitter. Plus, it would be a bigtime Sox loss to lose him at this point.

Anything more that $10-11 million per year for 3 years with a club option 4th would be foolish.

Let Boras agitate all he wants--7 years ain't happening. QUOTE

The Red Sox would be very very lucky to get Damon for the package you suggest (which is less than half of what Damon is asking for), no way would he come to the Yanks for 33 mill over 3 years. That's why I suggest the Yanks turn their backs on Damon as if he does not exist.

[whalers]

Damon was 4th in the AL in batting average.
4th in runs scored
5th in hits
19th in OBP
25th in total bases
22nd in number of pitches seen

The guys is an upper echelon CF'er. Right now, Bubba Crosby is penciled in at CF.

I would do 3 years $30 Million in a minute. I would not go longer than 3 years, but I would potentially go to $33 Million.

Out of those 5 stats you put up I am pretty sure that Jeter ranks higher in all but one, stolen bases. When you say upper echelon of CF'ers I will agree if you are looking at his offensive production but his defense really is not upper echelon by any stretch of the imagination. You might even be able to argue that Bubba is a better defender. If the Yankees could grab him for the deal you suggest I would bite but thats not happening. To sign Damon to anything longer than 3 yrs would be a TERRIBLE decison that I think Cashman won't make.

[Yankee Steve]

It is interesting that everyone feels that Damon in 4 or 5 years will be "old". The guy is 32 and won't be 33 until NEXT November. He is consistant and shows no signs of slowing down if you look at his stats. He is a pain in the neck to face from a pitcher's viewpoint. I wholeheartedly agree that he has no arm. I don't understand, however, why everyone seems to be so deadset against looking seriously at Damon as an option. It is not like we have the second coming of Dimag or Mantle waiting at the minor league level. What we need is better team speed, someone who will get on base and run down the balls in the gaps. Who does it favor to have Johnny Damon or not to have him? If the Sox have him, are they not a better team for it? If the Yanks have him, doesn't it make them a better team? I am not saying that I would sign him for the 7 years that Boras is supposedly looking for, but I would consider him for 5 years, if the dollars are not outrageous and we have no other viable options. To say you would prefer Bubba in CF for 2006 is ridiculous, in my opinion. Let's be realistic. This guy is a grinder, a hard nosed player that plays all out and is disruptive on the bases. He would clearly add to the possibility of attaining world championship status in 2006 and beyond. Forget you Red Sox predijice and be honest.