Johnny Damon to Yankees

SkinsFanInHawai'i · Post by **SkinsFanInHawai'i** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:50 am

What the hell.
52mil over 4 years :shock:

No source from me but it happened

ANT7088 · Post by **ANT7088** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:21 am

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/s ... id=2267080

Yankees' executives had said all along that they would not go crazy to sign Johnny Damon. They would talk about three or four years, nothing more.

Scott Boras, the player's agent, initially asked for seven years, and the Yankees said no way. Six years? Nope. Five years and a vesting option for a sixth year? No.

As recently as Monday, some Yankees' officials were convinced that they really didn't have a shot at Damon, that eventually, the Boston Red Sox would take control of the bidding; Damon had become such an important player to the Red Sox, particularly in a winter in which slugger Manny Ramirez had indicated he wanted to be traded.

But as Boston maintained its stance of a four-year offer, the contract term asked for by Boras gradually came within range of the Yankees. Boras indicated Damon would talk about four years.

"It was like we were hunting duck," said a New York official Tuesday night. "We were not going to go to five years or beyond, but if he wanted to talk about four years, we were going to be aggressive and take our shot."

On Tuesday, Yankees officials told Boras they needed an answer by midnight, because there was a possibility that another center fielder would become available -- maybe someone like Corey Patterson of the Cubs. If Damon wouldn't take their four-year, $52 million offer, they were going to go in another direction.

For the Damon camp, this was crucial: If the Yankees had gone out and made a deal for Patterson or some other center fielder, Damon's leverage in dealing with Boston, and getting the Red Sox to move off of their four-year offer, would have been gone. Without any indication that Boston was going to budge to a fifth-year, Damon and Boras bit on the Yankees' offer, immediately shifting the balance of power in the American League East.

Damon is, for now, exactly what the Yankees needed: A center fielder who could hit leadoff. Last year, Damon had 197 hits and 53 walks, including 51 extra-base hits, and now he will bat ahead of three players who might be Hall of Famers, eventually -- Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield. He'll hit ahead of Jason Giambi and Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano, and give the Yankees improved athleticism at a time when the team is starved for speed.

At the same time, the Damon deal is devastating for the Red Sox. They've seen other parts of their lineup undergo change, with the departure of Bill Mueller, the change at shortstop with the departure of Edgar Renteria. They had added proven veterans in Mike Lowell and Mark Loretta, but the lineup that had begun to take shape was filled with a lot of guys who can't run. As long as Damon was re-signed, to hit in front of David Ortiz and Ramirez, the key components of an offense that averaged six runs per game would remain in place.

Now, however, the Red Sox are left to scramble, having seen one of their best players defect to their hated rival. Now it's Boston that will be left to sift through imperfect solutions -- perhaps a deal for Seattle center fielder Jeremy Reed, a talented but unproven player, or the acquisition of Patterson. Now it is the Red Sox who don't have a center fielder.

The loss of Damon will be cast against the backdrop of Boston's front office alterations this offseason. Whoever was calling the shots in the last week -- John Henry, or Larry Lucchino, or co-general managers with an advisor whispering in their ears -- the failure to re-sign Damon can't be viewed, within the current market, as anything other than a colossal mistake. Boston had the power and the resources to control these negotiations, in the end, to take the Damon bidding out of range of the Yankees, and the Red Sox needed to keep Damon. In a winter in which Rafael Furcal got three years and $39 million, and in the first winter after J.D. Drew signed a five-year, $55 million deal with the Dodgers, a five-year contract for Damon would have been reasonable -- and that's about where the Yankees thought Boston would take the bidding, and win it.

But one of the game's best leadoff hitters fell into their laps, and they are happy to take him.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:44 am

He doesn't have the arm to throw in our center field.

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:56 am

i can't write what i think about damon until this topic moves to smack.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:59 am

Believe me, Joey...no arguments here. I'm perfectly comfortable with our regular leadoff guy.
Haven't seen this guy with short hair since the A's, and I'm in no particular rush.

DEHog · Post by **DEHog** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:03 am

What rivalry?? Money talks what a shame. The Yankees cursed this guys in years past.

George's motto if you can't beat em' buy em'

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:13 am

Whatever, DE. I never really concerned myself with how we got the players. It's all good under the current rules. He doesn't seem to mind paying the luxury tax, which gets funneled to the rest of the league. The same teams who whine about the spending don't refuse the extra revenue, do they ?
Anyway, I was hoping for a younger guy with a better arm...but Ichiro wasn't happening.
I'm a die-hard Bernie Williams fan, so this is hard to take.

Fios · Post by **Fios** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:15 am

Two points:
1) Baseball needs a salary cap badly, my own Cleveland Indians are about three years removed from having the club pillaged. And I recognize that the Damon signing is not a sterling example of the need for the cap but the need exists nonetheless.
2) The Yankees did not have trouble hitting the ball last year, they had trouble pitching. That problem, in my opinion, remains unsolved, the Dotel signging aside.

Sir_Monk · Post by **Sir_Monk** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:18 am

As much as I loved Damon playing for us, I am not as upset at him as I am at the Sox management group. How do you go from winning the World Series to more or less dismantling the heart of championship team and driving the GM out of town? Heck if I were Damon I would have been running from that situation to. Just hurts it has to be the Yanks.

EA7649 · Post by **EA7649** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:35 am

i dont care for withe of the teams but it will heat up the rivalry!

Go Phillies!

SkinsFanInHawai'i · Post by **SkinsFanInHawai'i** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:47 pm

Fios wrote:Two points:
1) Baseball needs a salary cap badly, my own Cleveland Indians are about three years removed from having the club pillaged. And I recognize that the Damon signing is not a sterling example of the need for the cap but the need exists nonetheless.
2) The Yankees did not have trouble hitting the ball last year, they had trouble pitching. That problem, in my opinion, remains unsolved, the Dotel signging aside.

Exactly.

TC how would you feel about a salary cap?
Of course teams like the Yankees and Boston would be hurt the worst.

redskindave · Post by **redskindave** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:57 pm

I guess if you have enough money you can buy anybody

John Manfreda · Post by **John Manfreda** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 12:22 am

Great I hate the Red Sox and I am not even a Yankees fan. They come to Nationals games all decked out and cheer Yankees suck when its two national league teams playing each other. I can't stand there fans and I hope the Sox suck this year.

air_hog · Post by **air_hog** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 12:27 am

John Manfreda wrote:Great I hate the Red Sox and I am not even a Yankees fan. They come to Nationals games all decked out and cheer Yankees suck when its two national league teams playing each other. I can't stand there fans and I hope the Sox suck this year.

Are you sure your not talking about the Redskins... :wink:

But Boston just got screwed. Now way they make it to the playoffs this year.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 9:06 am

SkinsFanInHawai'i wrote:TC how would you feel about a salary cap?
Of course teams like the Yankees and Boston would be hurt the worst.

I'm not sure, exactly. I mean, in the interests of parity (not "parody"

), I guess I could get behind it. Lookit the NFL now. All the old dynasties are gone. Anyone with good coaching and a good eye for talent has a chance.
On the other hand, I'm not up for a Rockies/Devil Rays World Series, either.

JansenFan · Post by **JansenFan** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 12:22 pm

For baseball to have a successful cap, they need smarter people at the top, period. They have the soft cap now, and revenue sharing, and all the small market owners stick that sharing right intheir pockets. There should be regulations dictating a certain percent of revenue sharing must be added to your current player salary table or something to that effect to make sure that the profit sharing benefits the team and its fans and players and not some rich moron who doesn't give a crap whether his team wins or loses.

If they can't properly manage a soft cap, how are they going to institute something more restricting.

Redskins Rule · Post by **Redskins Rule** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 8:59 pm

What was Georgie thinking???!?!?! He still doesn't have a pitcher that can throw a strike. Yet, he spends ALOT of money on Damon. I guess he just wanted to piss of the Red Sox some more, but they still owned him a two years ago. And if they still have Manny and David, healthy Schilling, and Beckett........they'll own him some more.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:35 am

I don't think that GS knows the difference between liking a player and having to have him on his team.
He covets, and he buys what he covets.

welch · Post by **welch** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 11:24 am

So a couple on nights ago, too late for a reasonable call, I heard the phone ring. My daughter was alternately gasping and laughing and "wowing". She's a Yankee fan. On the phone, I immediately knew, was her brother, Redskin Dan Version 1978, who is a Red Sox fan...even though he was born in The Bronx about a week after the Yankees won the incredible 1978 championship. I've never gotten him to appreciate Ron Guidry, Thurman Munson, and Bucky Dent. Oh well.

But, as TCW says, I hate seeing Bernie Williams pushed aside, just as I hated seeing Steinbrenner drop Tino Martinez for Giambi, and hated seeing him drop Brosius for the amazing wonder-kid, Drew Henson.

A few words on Bernie: reminds me of Art Monk. He did everything smoothly, with class, without "look at me", without publicity. He just played great center-field, and hit.

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 12:02 pm

with damon's $13 mil per year, the payroll for the projected starting lineup for the yankees exceeds $107 mil. that's more than the entire payroll for all but 1 other team from 2005 (sox). wow.

welch · Post by **welch** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:23 pm

Joe Bag said

with damon's $13 mil per year, the payroll for the projected starting lineup for the yankees exceeds $107 mil. that's more than the entire payroll for all but 1 other team from 2005 (sox). wow.

Joe forgot to mention that hardly a penny of the Yankee payroll goes to pitching, except for Mariano Rivera.

Grumble. Remember Jeff Weaver!

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 11:26 pm

I'm still trying to forget him.