If you had asked me before the season started what I felt about the possibility of resigning Damon I would have said that I could understand it if they signed him to a short-term deal. He's been good offensively, and last year he played a good left field. However, things have changed. While he's still solid offensively, he has turned into a disaster in left field. His arm is somehow worse than it was in the past, and his range seems to be a lot worse than it was last year."I know where I want to be next year," Damon told 1050 ESPN New York. "I want to be here in New York. I also know New York has a lot of young outfielders coming back. Austin Jackson is in the wings. At least, in this situation, I know my chances of coming back could be slim because of the young talent the Yankees do have."
Damon entered Friday night's game with the Angels, hitting .295 with four homers and 10 RBIs. He has picked up those numbers batting second in the Yankees' order.
When the Yankees signed Damon in 2005, they envisioned him as a center fielder and leadoff hitter. Damon -- who at one point as a Yankee considered retirement -- said this situation is different than what he faced in his final year with the Red Sox.
"I just go out and play," Damon said. "What happened before, I think, everybody in the world thought I was going to re-sign with Boston. Everyone thought I was going back. Here, people don't really know. Everyone is pretty much thinking this could be my last year here so I think that is a difference. I went out as a free agent in Boston and had a great year and I priced myself out of there market, at the time. Hopefully, I can go out and have a good year and they can see how important I am with the other players with doing the recruiting and doing whatever this team needs me to do. I've enjoyed playing here."
He is savoring this season and hoping he can change the Yankees' mind, though, he doesn't sound totally optimistic.
"If I go out and play the game well and play the game right, there obviously will be some interest," Damon said. "But I understand the business of this. I've been a free agent twice already."
At this point I think the Yankees should consider themselves lucky they got four pretty good years out of the guy and send him on his way. I'd rather they went into next season with a combination of Brett Gardner, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher and Austin Jackson. Adios Johnny.
9 Comments:
Sorry Johnny but you suck. Good luck in 10
Well, Matsui is basically gone next year. I think there's no chance in him coming back. This opens up the DH spot. Damon could play primarily DH, and maybe make a few starts in the outfield.
Nick Swisher and AJax sound good, but Melky and Gardner are too inconsistent with the bat. What happens when Melky hits a slump, and doesn't come out of it? He reverts to his old home run swing every pitch approach, and we're right back where we don't want to be.
Holliday is another possibility, but I want to see the guy's numbers in Oakland first. His home and away splits while playing for the Rockies were pretty one sided.
-Nyyfn
He is atrocious in LF. He's now having trouble with routine fly balls.
No thanks!
I would go with Jackson in CF Swisher RF/Nady and make a trade for a LF.
Pass on Holliday. Enough with the big contracts.
Damon is a still a very good hitter. I would consider bringing him back to be the DH next year.
The problem is that if they bring him back and Swisher is still on the team they will DH Swisher and start Damon in the outfield a bunch of times.
Play Swisher in LEFT he will be better defensively than Damon. Make the Damon the DH.
Center/Right will hopefully be Jackson/Gardner/Melky
Hard to bring back Damon as a DH when you have Jeter, Arod and Posada who need time at DH.
I have been saying since last fall that Damon is 50-50 to come back in 2010.
Fact is, when he hits, the team tends to win.
"Fact is, when he hits, the team tends to win"That is true.
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