I have learned the Yanks also made a series of attempts last July to obtain Minnesota’s Denard Span only to be rebuffed each time by the Twins, who recently showed how much they like the speedy outfielder by signing him to a five-year, $16.5 million contract.Span, a lifetime .305/.390/.422 hitter, would have been a nice player to bring in. As you can see, he can hit for average and gets on base. He also has good speed and stole 23 bases last year and he also has very good speed. Based on UZR his defense in center has been below average and while his defense in the corners has been above average. Overall, he was exactly the type of player the Yankees could have used at the time.
Before that contract was signed, I thought it might be an interesting trade this spring for the Yanks to obtain Span for Phil Hughes. The Twins will probably need a closer with the likelihood that Joe Nathan is going to be lost for the season, and Hughes showed his value out of the pen last year. In 2011, if Nathan were healthy, Hughes could move back to the rotation. Remember that the Twins like Hughes, who was the key piece they were asking for a few years back in any deal for Johan Santana.
Span, at 26, would be the kind of young, athletic, cost-effective, multi-talented player that the Yankees have been craving to add over the past few years.
But, of course, this deal is not happening with Span signed long-term and the Yanks continuing to believe in a special future for Hughes.
But if Sherman's right, and the Twins were looking to get Hughes back in the deal, I'm glad the Yankees stayed away. With the help of Hughes they went on to win the World Series, and now they have Curtis Granderson. Seems like everything worked out OK.
