TwitterNo Nick Johnson
16 Dec 2009
The Yankees are "talking" about Nick Johnson. I am not sure what "talking" means, but it must at the very least mean that they are considering offering him a contract.
To me that makes little sense. The Yankees just said good-bye to Hideki Matsui because he couldn’t play a position and they worried about his health. Johnson can play first, which is of little help to the Yankees and he is very brittle.
Now, if Johnson wants to come to New York and play 80-100 games at DH for a few million bucks, that’s different, but I wouldn’t pay him anywhere near what Matsui got and I wouldn’t guarantee him the role of full-time DH. The Yankees are looking to increase roster flexibility. The best way to do that is sign someone who can play the outfield and DH. You know, like Johnny Damon for example…
Dec 17, 2009 @ 00:59:17
Who said talking? Care to provide any frame of reference here? Somebody mentioned an incentive laden contract. How would that be bad for the Yankees?
Dec 17, 2009 @ 02:17:06
NICK Johnson…not even for a prop or joke.. we lost bruney and coke… need a second lefty and power righty,, looks like we pull them from the farm..
Dec 17, 2009 @ 08:07:15
Rob http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/nick_could_be_yanks_dh_fix_JJWhu7cTl0IA6lcYCwfrXL
It certainly depends on the contract, but I wouldn’t be thrilled to see the Yankees pass on Matsui at $6.5 million only to turn around a give a similar deal to Johnson.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 10:31:49
Maybe “talking about” = letting Johnny Damon know that just because we lost Matsui, doesn’t mean we are in any more of a desperate situation to sign him.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 11:40:09
I would tend to agree Evan, but articles like this one make me nervous….
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/hardball/up_johnny_damon_vs_nick_johnson_5rZIu5qNBXOZDcH7YMzaXO
Dec 17, 2009 @ 12:34:21
Peter, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve lived in NY, so please correct me if I’m wrong about this… but isn’t one of the most fun parts of the NY Post is that they are fiercely loyal (biased) to our teams? The only fact we have is that Johnson’s name has come up; the rest is an opinion piece, based on an opinion of an unnamed source that is “pals” with Cashman, defending a move that has an unknown likeliness of happening. Concerning, I’ll give you that… but I’m willing to give ol’ Cash benefit of the doubt for now.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 12:47:25
Evan- The Post is certainly biased.
I caught the interview Cashman did with YES today when they announced Curtis Granderson. He was very subdued when talking about Damon and basically said that both sides know what the other is looking for and they can revisit talks if needed at a later date.
So, it sounds to me like the reports that Damon’s “people” have told the Yankees not to make an offer for less than $13 million are true. And, that the reports that the Yankees have basically said no way to that are also true.
Cashman also mentioned left field and pitching as needs still, so I think the Yankees could be trying to force Damon to come negotiate with this move.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 13:17:58
That has a very grim sound to it. Let’s see, is there any team in the MLB that
1) can afford $13 million on a 36 year old left fielder even for ONE year, AND
2) has the need large enough to justify the above?
In theory, there would have to be two teams in this situation, because Matt Holliday is on the market. Don’t Damon and the Yankees truly need each other at this point? As a gambling man, if I were Cashman I take the risk of riding it out and renegotiating with Damon at a later date. We may end up screwed if he leaves, but I don’t want them to “settle” with Johnson or someone similar out of a need to resolve everything right now.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 13:27:33
If the money is low and he’s viewed as a brittle rent-a-bat, then yep, the Johnson deal can make sense.
I still suspect that Damon will be back as a DH/OFer – and it’s the OFer part that makes me more than a little concerned. But we’ll just have to let this soap opera play out for a while. And if Damon signs for 3 years someplace else, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s for lowers dollars per year than the 9 or 10 he’s probably being offered now (the Abreu deal).
Dec 17, 2009 @ 13:34:00
Evan- With Boras you never know, but I think it probably has a lot to do with Bay and Holliday still being available. You have to guess Boras is telling Damon that he has all sorts of teams interested. After those two sign, the market will be a lot smaller.
And Mitchell- I think Damon gets at least 80 games at DH next year if he resigns.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 13:45:19
Work is really slow right now
You’re right, Peter, most/all of this is about Boras. But before Bernie got his big contact (big at the time) way back when there were people worried that we’d lose him because of Boras, when really a housewife in North Korea should’ve known Bernie wasn’t going anywhere. And I didn’t even mention Bay in my last post… with the other outfielders out there, I say Damon comes back. He’ll save face by saying he left the $$ on the table he could have otherwise gotten in order to be with the team he wanted all along and to retire a Yank.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 13:54:04
Make Montero the DH… With breaks for posada et. al.screw damon and his BS agent. lets start telling , don’t talk to us until you come to reason….enough is you know.. melky grandy swish.. gardner fourth guy , or like someone said before reed johnson great glove fast and hits lefties good.. and he is cheap and a gamer..If nobody has seen montero , listen to posada… he wants him up now.. cashman knows he is a monster hitter.. the sound off his bat is different than most.. baby huey.. with a bat.. i know he is young but just let him hit… he has dick allen bat speed and strength.. can’t wait to see him up..they should give dusherer from oakland a shot”
Dec 17, 2009 @ 19:54:53
I think Montero is ready to be a big league hitter – only problem I see is that he still needs work as a catcher – or they need to find another position for the guy from what I read. Miranda makes sense too as a part time DH – if they’re willing to go that way, but right now the buzz is that Nick Johnson’s deal is being committed to a piece of paper for signatures.
Dec 17, 2009 @ 20:47:35
Fragile guy for a powerless fragile guy.. clog up the base
paths..