Abreu & Damon DFA

A little over a week ago Hideki Matsui was designated for assignment by the Rays. Now, two other former Yankees have met the same fate, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu.

Damon was DFA by the Indians yesterday:

On Friday, August 3 the Cleveland Indians said farewell to veteran outfielder Johnny Damon, designating him for assignment. Like MLB.com's Jordan Bastian noted in his coverage the veteran outfielder foresaw the end coming, commenting back on July 21 "If we're not in contention I'll be the first one they drop." A week-long losing streak pretty much ended any reasonable playoff hopes the Tribe possessed.

... In 64 games he put together just a .222 batting average while garnering four home runs and 19 RBIs.

And thanks to their acquisition of Shane Victorino, Abreu lost his roster sport with the Dodgers:

Two-time All-Star Bobby Abreu has been designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers to make room on the 25-man roster for newly acquired left fielder Shane Victorino.

Abreu was signed as a free agent on May 4 after he was released by the Angels. He batted .251 with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 70 games as a part-time left field and pinch-hitter.

I enjoyed rooting for all three of these guys so it's kinda sad to see their careers end up like this, but it is what it is.

See you all on Old Timers' Day.

Hideki Matsui DFA By Tampa

From The AP:

Hideki Matsui was been cut by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 38-year-old Japanese star was designated for assignment on Wednesday to clear a roster spot for infielder Ryan Roberts. The Rays have 10 days to trade Matsui, release him or place him on waivers.

He is hitting .147 with two homers and seven RBIs in 95 at-bats.

I feel bad for Hideki. A player as good as he was never should go out like this, but sometimes you just hang around way too long.

Polishing a Turd with Raul, Johnny, and Hideki

The following post is being syndicated from The Yankee Analysts.

There has been much ado about the Yankees designated hitter situation yesterday, with Buster Olney tweeting that the team was "in position to add" one of Raul Ibanez, Johnny Damon, or Hideki Matsui within a week. Ken Rosenthal stoked the coals a bit (or, perhaps, took a book of matches from 7-Eleven), adding that the team was in "serious discussions" with Ibanez. Rosenthal further added that Ibanez was willing to take a discount to play in the Bronx, though I am unsure that he is in a position to be terribly picky regardless. Many would argue that far too much ink and effort has been expended on behalf of Messrs Ibanez, Damon, and Matsui, and that may be true ... but if a move is truly forthcoming, it makes sense to look for a silver lining and preempt at least a bit of the inevitable gruff.

Ibanez managed a slightly above-average 101 wRC+ against righties last season, batting .256/.307/.440 with 16 HR in 437 PA. While that may be below even the marginal standard set by Posada in 2011 (.269/.348/.466 with 14 HR in 316 PA), it is worth noting that Ibanez's numbers in lefty-friendly Citizens Bank Park were solid - a .278/.316/.516 slash line with 15 HR in only 273 AB is quite easy on the eyes. While Yankee Stadium's right-center isn't quite as appetizing as Citizens Bank's, it does seem like Ibanez would make fine use of the short porch without sacrificing too much elsewhere. This is all guesswork, to be sure, but Ibanez's power hasn't slipped all that much. And, if optimism is to rule the day, might I suggest that a rebound from his career-low BB% is well within the realm of possibility?

At face value, Johnny Damon appears to be the best option for the Yankees. He was able to eke out a reasonable 109 wRC+ while playing half of his games in an extreme pitcher's park, on the strength of a .261/.326/.418 line with nineteen steals (in twenty-five attempts). Damon's 99 wRC+ against righties may not instill a great deal of confidence, though, and the former Yankee has not displayed much of a platoon split in recent years. While that may normally be a positive, it doesn't really help the Yankees at this juncture. However, a bit of polishing reveals that Damon did quite well away from the Trop, batting .280/.345/.463 with 10 HR in 296 AB. An optimist should also note that Damon has raked to the tune of .270/.370/.524 and 19 HR in 311 AB in New Yankee Stadium. He also survived 84 innings in LF last year ... so, there's that.

Matsui, sadly, featured a curious reverse platoon split in 2011, with a solid 118 wRC+ against southpaws and a decidedly ugly 82 wRC+ figure against righties. He did manage a 137 wRC+ and 14 round-trippers against righties in 2010, which is more in-line with expectations, and, like Damon, he enjoys hitting in NYS (.268/.353/.485 with 17 HR in 299 AB). Additionally, on the heels of a late-July Godzilla sighting in the Bronx (including a 5-for-5 game on 24 July), Matsui managed a respectable .289/.345/.414 over the last third of the season. Could the short porch entice an awe-inspiring swan song? Even a pragmatist would say ... maybe.

While none of these players met the Posadian baseline set in 2011, it does stand to reason that all could enjoy a bit of a rebound in Yankee Stadium - particularly if platooned properly. Ibanez's righty killing (flicking? pinching?) may be a bit more appealing, particularly with Jones likely to do the heavy-lifting against lefties, but Damon and Matsui (and most any lefty) would benefit from the ubiquitously mentioned short porch. This may not be an ideal set of candidates by even the most flexible stretch of the imagination, but it would be somewhat inane to ignore the potential for a reasonable bit of success here.

Besides, with Spring Training right around the corner, shouldn't optimism be fostered?

Follow me on Twitter - @DomenicLanza

Damon for DH?

From Dan Martin:

With the Yankees in the market for a designated hitter now that Jesus Montero is heading to Seattle, they are looking at a number of options and reportedly already reached out to Johnny Damon and Carlos Pena.

Since they already added $10 million to the payroll with the signing of Hiroki Kuroda, they don’t expect to spend a lot to sign another bat and both could be relatively low cost.

Damon, 38, made $5.25 million last year with the Rays, but since Tampa Bay doesn’t want him back, he’ll likely have to settle for less in 2012. And Pena, 33, told MLB Radio the Yankees had made contact with him, according to their twitter account.

Another former Yankee, Hideki Matsui, is also still around after spending last season in Oakland. The 37-year-old slugger hit .251 with 12 homers and 72 RBIs in his lone season with the A’s.

The team could also opt to give 29-year-old Jorge Vazquez a shot.

I'm not sure how much guys like Damon, Matsui and Pena have left in the tank, but you'd have to believe their offensive numbers would get at least a little bit of a boost playing in the Bronx for 81 games.

Who would you like to see as the opening day DH?

2 Years Ago - #27

(Yahoo!)

Two years ago yesterday, the Yankees finally captured their 27th World Series Championship. Phillies center-fielder Shane Victorino grounded out to Robinson Cano, who fired to first base to secure the 7-3 win and the W.S. title.

I am really amazed how quick two years have gone by. I was of course at the game, if you can remember, and it will always be one of the greatest moments of my life. I was in Section 421, and saw everything, from Matsui's 6 RBIs, to the trophy presentation, and the party that lasted well into the morning in the Bronx.

The entire series was incredible too, from A.J.'s Game 2 masterpiece, Johnny Damon's double-steal, and countless of other great moments, ulitmately culminating in #27.

A lot has changed since that November night. But it is always great to look back on what was an incredible moment in Yankee history, one I will never, ever, forget.

Go Yankees.

Damon and Matsui - Yankees Again??

A couple days ago Michael Kay said during the Yanks-Twins game that both former Yankees Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui had cleared waivers for their respective teams. So it got me thinking - could either of them really return to the Yankees in a waiver-deadline deal?

JD and Hideki have had good seasons so far, as Matsui could be considered as the second-half MVP (he's batting .384 since the All-Star Break). The Yankees bench is already choc full of veteran bats, with Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez splitting the DH duties, struggling Jorge Posada trying to get back into the lineup, and Marcus Thames down in Scranton, after recently signing a minor-league deal.

Clearly there is no real fit for either of these guys, but it is interesting to think about them donning the pinstripes again. There names have actually flown under the radar, and I haven't heard of any teams potentially interested in their services.

Where do you think these guys could end up?

Congrats Hideki!

If you didn't know, former Yankee and all around class act, Hideki Matsui belted his 500th career home run (Japan and US combined) last night. Here's the vid:


Matsui and the A's will be in the Bronx to open a three-game series starting Friday. Give him the standing ovation he deserves.

If Major League Baseball takes down the YouTube clip, which I assume they will do shortly, you can also view the clip here.

Matsui Finalizes Deal with the A's

From The AP via SI.com:

The Oakland Athletics have landed their new designated hitter.

The A's and free agent slugger Hideki Matsui finalized a one-year contract Tuesday after he passed a physical. The sides had agreed to terms during the weekend.

Oakland planned an afternoon news conference to formally introduce Matsui, who provides a reliable bat in the middle of the order that general manager Billy Beane was seeking this offseason.

Yanks Pull A Fast One On Swish and Matsui

From Bryan Hoch and Tim Britton:

But as [Swisher] looked down into the wooden box that manager Joe Girardi handed him during the ceremony before Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Angels at Yankee Stadium, even Swisher could tell that something was a bit off. Like Halos designated hitter Hideki Matsui, Swisher had been slipped a phony ring.

"As soon as I got my box from skip, I didn't even worry about it," Swisher said. "I was giving Whitey Ford a hug, Yogi Berra a hug. I was so excited, and then when I started shaking guys' hands, I was looking down at my box, and I was like, 'What is this?' I flipped it up and knew they were playing a joke on me."

Mariano Rivera confirmed that he was the prankster who nailed Swisher, just as Derek Jeter had popped a Yankees giveaway ring into Matsui's box.

...

"I wore it the whole time I was out there, the fake ring," Swisher said. "Then I was like, 'Man, somebody's got to give me my ring.' Finally, we're walking off the field, and Mo comes over to me. He had it in his hand. He got me good."

Yesterday, it was reported that Derek Jeter pulled the same prank on Hideki Matsui.

I believe this is the ring that was given to Matsui and Swisher:


Gotta love Jeter and Mo pulling pranks on people. They're probably two of the guys you'd least expect to be pranksters.

He Seems To Like LA

This is Hideki Matsui's walk-off single from a couple nights ago in LA.

He and his .370/.414/.667 hitting line will be coming back to the Bronx tomorrow.

Forget the Rally Monkeys

It's only opening day but Hideki Matsui is picking up where he left off, this time with the Angels. He drove in a pair of runs with a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth and a homer in the eighth, in a 6-3 triumph over the Twins Monday night at Angel Stadium. His home run fueled Hideki mania in Anaheim where there were 104 Japanese media members tracking Matsui's debut, and over 43,000 fans cheering on the Japanese legend. The fans have quickly forgotten about Vladmir Guerrero and have embraced Matsui with "cult like" attention. In fact they have already established "Matsuiland" in the right field stands.

Now I read this on The Angels website:

ANAHEIM, CA -- On Tuesday April 6, 2010, the Angels will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the "largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets." All fans in attendance at the Angels vs. Minnesota Twins game (7:05PM) will receive a complimentary Hideki Matsui Blankie courtesy of Konica Minolta.

"We are very excited about this special opportunity," team spokesman Tim Mead said. "Setting this world record will be a unique and memorable experience for our fans, the first of many in 2010."

During the game, an anticipated sellout crowd of over 40,000 will be prompted to wear their red "blankies", featuring Matsui's name and number, for five consecutive minutes. After completion of the five minutes, a Guinness World Records Adjudicator will officially certify the new record. Later in the game, Guinness World Records will hold a short ceremony to recognize the record breaking attempt.

This is the first Guinness World Record attempted by the Angels. The current record for the largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets is 17,758 set by the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 5, 2010.

Rally monkeys, thunder sticks, Matsui Blankies, Guinness World Records. A slightly different atmosphere than Matsui was used to after 7 years at Yankee Stadium. If Matsui continues to perform, who knows how much further the Angels fans will take it?

Matsui Arrives, Delivers Some Bad News

First here are some pics of Matsui arriving at Angels camp yesterday:

And now for that bad news... This quote comes via Lyle Spencer:

"Physically, I feel pretty good," he said. "To be honest, my knees aren't 100 percent. Overall, I feel pretty good."

That can't be what the Angels were hoping to hear on day 1 of spring training. Mike Scioscia still seems open to the idea of Matsui playing the field, but made sure to emphasizing that he's there to hit:

"He had some questions as far as what our team might shape up like," Scioscia said. "What was important to him was how much outfield he might play. We're a versatile team. If Hideki can play some outfield, it's going to enable us to rest some guys.

"We need him swinging the bat in our offense. We have seen him for a while and know what kind of hitter he can be."

If Matsui plays more than 5 games in the outfield all year I will be shocked. Anyway, best of luck in LA, just don't beat the Yanks.

Harold Reynolds Answers Questions About Yanks

From the NY Post:

Q: How much will the Yankees miss Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon?

A: I didn't like letting either of them go. Matsui really mastered the DH role, not everyone can sit around all game and excel in four at-bats. And It's hard to imagine the Yankees without Damon. He brought so much thunder to that team at the top of the order with his coolness, calmness and experience.

Q: Are they still the World Series favorites?

A: Yes, because they added Curtis Granderson and Randy Winn. Watching Granderson in Detroit -- his potential is off the charts. ... And Winn is a tremendous professional player. . . . If you are not going to bring back Damon, they brought two complementary guys who will do a nice job.

Q: The biggest spring training competition for the Yankees is for the fifth starter's spot with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes as the top candidates. Who do you think is better off in the rotation?

A: Neither, both should be in the bullpen. If you look at Hughes, Chamberlain, (Damaso) Marte, (Mariano) Rivera at the end of games, you are now asking your starters to go six innings. That's a tremend-ous lift and takes a major burden off the starting pitcher. I think that's a formula that can win them another World Series

I agree with the his answers to the first two, but not the third. I do think one of them should start this year, and both should probably be in the rotation next year. The Yankees can still have their starters go six without either Joba or Hughes in the pen and still put themselves in a great position to win most games, especially when you consider that Hughes or Joba could be two-inning setup guys if they need to be.

What are your thoughts?

Cash: Matsui Signing Was One Of My Best

From Reuters:

“I’ve had some successful signings in Japan, I’ve had some unsuccessful signings in Japan. Hideki Matsui will be one of the best deals I ever made.”

Cashman added, “We will have future players from Japan on our roster. They will do everything in their power to try to help us win, but I doubt we’ll find another Hideki Matsui.”

...

"We did not sign Hideki Matsui because he was Japanese, we signed him because he was a true champion and one of the world's more gifted baseball players," he said.

Team president Randy Levine also praised Matsui, adding he hoped the Yankees did not lose Japanese fans with his departure.

"We know the great allegiance to Hideki Matsui -- he deserves it. He was a great Yankee," said Levine.

That he was. Matsui was everything the Yankees could have hoped for when they signed him prior to the '03 season. How would you rate Matsui as far as Cashman's signings go?

Johnson and Granderson Versus Matsui and Damon

In 2009 the Yankees benefitted from nearly miraculously productive seasons from Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon. Matsui in particular had detoriated to the point where if somebody had picked him for World Series MVP back in March, they would have been laughed at. Coming off a major surgery expectations for the longtime Yankee were very low. Damon was also seen as a broken down former centerfielder who was now a liability in the field.

In reality, the two were huge bats for the Yanks. Although Damon's defense continued to fall apart, he had the best offensive year of his career and hit homerun after homerun into the right field seats. Matsui surprised everybody with his .509 SLG% and was a much needed power threat in the middle of the lineup. Altogether the two combined for 52 home runs and 172 RBI's. They were worth 47.4 offensive runs and a 5.4 WAR if you prefer more sophisticated stats. That's a lot of offense no matter how you look at it.

In the aftermath of the Nick Johnson signing and the Curtis Granderson trade their were a lot of people claiming that the chances of those two replicating the 2009 performances of Damon and Matsui were slim. My intial reaction to this claim was to note that the chances of Damon and Matsui replicating their 2009 performances were ever lower. However, it ocurred to me to wonder whether or not this claim was true and I don't think it is at all.

First a look at Damon and Granderson. Although Granderson is not directly replacing Damon in left field, he is the guy that ultimately made Damon expendable by allowing Gardner to slide over to left. Over the past three years their average offensive numbers are pretty close with Damon providing the more consistent number. Granderson has ranged from a .395 wOBA. I would say his true talent level is probably around what he did in 2008. Damon's 2009 was a pretty good year for him. He put up a line of .282/.365/.489 with a .376 wOBA. Offensively, it wouldn't really be a surprise if Granderson pulled off a season like that, after all he did essentially that in 2008 and was worlds better in 2007. Besides that, Granderson will now have the benefit of that short porch in right that Damon used so well to his advantage in '09. Granderson is coming off of the worst year of his career though and I think its fair to call them a wash in this area.

What really makes the difference between Damon and Granderson is their defense. Granderson contributed 14.2 runs to his team on defense in 2007, -8.9 in 2008, and 1.6 in 2009. Not spectacular but all signs indicate that he plays a solid centerfield. On the other hand, Damon is a major liability in the field. His defensive value has declined steadily from contributing 4.8 runs in the field in 2007, to costing the Yanks 1.1 in 2008 and 9.2 in 2009. He's gone from a solid centerfielder to a leftfielder who should really be DH'ing at this point. Its not even close, Granderson has a huge edge defensively that will push him over the top. Again, the age factor comes into play and its pretty safe to say that Damon's range will probably decline even further in 2010.

Nick Johnson should be directly replacing Hideki Matsui in the DH hole. However, this comparison is quite a s straightforward. I think its pretty easy to say that Johnson is a better hitter than Matsui. Nick doesn't have quite as much power as Matsui and won't fit into his old #5 spot in the lineup. However, he's an on base machine. To pull out the stats is almost meaningless as he barely played in 2007 or 2008. However, in 2009 he put up a line of .291/.426/.405 while playing hurt. That all adds up to a wOBA of .373. Matsui did manage to match it though. His line was .274/.367/.509 with a wOBA of .378. If healthy, Johnson likely could have topped that though. The big question is will the DH spot and regular days off keep Johnson healthy, much the same way it did for Matsui last year.

Over at fangraphs.com they have Johnson and Granderson projected for a combined 5.8 WAR in 2010. Its an admittedly unscientific projection made by the fans. However, its worth a glance at least. Matsui and Damon combined for a 5.4 WAR. A lot depends on Nick Johnson staying healthy but the idea of the two new Yankees replacing the production of Damon and Matsui isn't nearly as ridiculous as some of you may think.

Why Matsui Is An Angel

Via Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem (hat-tip to River Ave. Blues):

In the end, Hideki chose to accept Angel's offer rather than wait for Yankees to decide whether they wanted to bring him back. Failure to act quickly might have caused L.A. to withdraw its offer and forced Hideki to sign with a weaker team, thus forfeiting a shot at another World Series. Conflicted, Hideki stayed up all Sunday night mulling his final move in this limited game of musical free-agent chairs. He didn't want to be left standing.

Happily, the Yankees' 2010 home opener is against the Angels on April 13. Hideki will be on hand --- kusuri-yubi (index finger) extended -- for the ring ceremony.

Makes sense. I can't wait to hear the ovation he receives that day.

Tellem also says that "Scioscia's current plan is to have Hideki test his knees and mobility in spring training. Ideally, Hideki would start in left at least once or twice a week. The rest of the time, he'd DH." I'm not too sure Matsui's knees even have a start a week left in them.

Remembering Hideki Matsui

As you know, the Angels reached an agreement on a one-year contract with Hideki Matsui worth $6.5 million yesterday to replace Vladimir Guerrero at the DH role. So now, let's take a look back at Godzilla's career in pinstripes.

The Japanese import spent 7 great years with the Yankees, and he certainly went out with a bang in what was his last season in pinstripes. He batted .274 with 28 homers and 90 RBIs in the regular season, and then had a legendary performance in Game 6 of the World Series, driving in 6 runs and eventually capturing the World Series MVP. In his entire career, Matsui is a .292 hitter with 140 homers and 597 RBIs.

Matsui started his professional career in Japan as the superstar outfielder of the Yomiuri Giants. A three-time MVP in the Japanese Central League (1996, 2000, and 2002), Matsui led his team into four Japan Series and winning three titles (1994, 2000 and 2002). He also made nine consecutive all-star games and led the league in home runs and RBIs three times (1998, 2000, and 2002). His single season mark for home runs was 50 in 2002, his final season in Japan. In the ten seasons he played in Japan, Matsui totalled 1268 games played, 4572 AB, 1390 hits, 901 runs, 332 home runs, 889 RBIs, a .304 batting average, and a .582 slugging percentage.

After signing a big deal with the Yanks in December of 2002, Matsui put up big numbers in his rookie season in ‘03, finishing 2nd in the Rookie Of The Year balloting to Angel Berroa. He had an even bigger year in 2004, crushing 31 home runs and posting a .298 average. 2005 was just as good, but 2006 was when things suffered a setback. Matsui broke his wrist in May and played in only 51 games that year, and the Yanks missed him dearly.

2007 was a bounce back of sorts for Godzilla, as he blasted 25 dingers and drove in 103 runs. That proved to the Yanks that he can still be productive, but knee surgery in the offseason forced them to limit his outfield starts and make him the primary DH in 2008. But yet another knee injury, which required another surgery, forced him to miss most of the 2nd half in ‘08.

But as I said, Matsui bounced back strong in 2009, playing in 142 games and finally getting his first World Series ring, plus an MVP to go along with it.

I don’t know about you, but to me, Matsui was one of my favorite Yankees in the past decade. He hit for average, slugged at least 25 homers almost every season, and was just a classy guy. And if it weren’t for him, we may not have won Game 6 and may not have won the Fall Classic at all. I’ll miss ya Godzilla. Good luck in LA.

Matsui Now An Angel

From Tyler Kepner:

Hideki Matsui and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a one-year contract, ending Matsui’s seven-year run with the Yankees that culminated in a World Series Most Valuable Player award last month.

According to an official involved in the negotiations, Matsui agreed with the Angels on Monday. The official was granted anonymity because the deal will not be announced until Matsui passes a physical exam.

Well, Damon just gained some leverage in his negotiations with the Yanks.

If you ask me, the Yankees dropped the ball on this one, Matsui was the a great bat to have as the Yanks DH in 2010.

Angels Close To Signing Matsui

From Jayson Stark:

A league source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that the Angels and Matsui were closing in on a one-year deal for about $6.5 million.

This might force the Yankees hand a bit with Damon, which isn't good. Hopefully they don't end up doing something stupid like giving him more than two years.

Angels Looking At Matsui

From Mike DiGiovanna:

A dozen or so Japanese media members gathered around Tony Reagins as the Angels general manager checked into the winter meetings hotel Monday afternoon, ready to pounce with their questions about free-agent slugger Hideki Matsui.

Reagins didn't disappoint.

"He's a person we've talked about," Reagins said of Matsui, who earned World Series most-valuable-player honors by hitting .615 with three home runs and eight runs batted in to help the New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. "But we have a lot of scenarios we can attack, whether through trade or free agency."

Honestly, I don't see this happening.

And with the Granderson deal being close to complete I think the Yankees should seriously consider bringing back Matsui if they aren't already. With Granderson in center, Melky in the left, and Swisher in right, there is no need to re-sign Damon, but the Yanks will still need a DH.

Now, if they do resign Damon then he could DH split time between DH and LF. With the acquisition of Granderson who would you rather see the Yanks re-sign, Damon or Matsui?