Johnny Damon: Taking A Look at a Former Idiot’s Market
August 25, 2009 · Christopher Chavez · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Johnny Damon, formerly of the self proclaimed idiots of the 2004 Red Sox team and now a beloved New York Yankee, is waiting until the off-season to hear the verdict if the Yankees want him back.
Johnny Damon was first seen as an act of desperation when he signed about four years ago. The Yankees were stuck in a dilemma where they had to go into the season with either Bubba Crosby or someone else as their center-fielder. Yankee fan-favorite, Bernie Williams was not going to be brought back and the Yankees only had Bubba Crosby to fill his spot.
Those were big shoes to fill for Bubba and many Yankee fans had lost faith. With everyone skeptical, Brain Cashman pulled the trigger on a last minute deal and signed Johnny Damon to a four year deal. He no longer wanted to be in Boston and decided to put on pinstripes.
There were mixed feelings about the deal. Some Yankee fans hated him because of his unforgettable Grand Slam in 2004 that helped the Red Sox overcome their 3-0 game deficit. Then there was the group of fans that couldn’t wait to see him in a Yankee uniform. He first had to shave off his caveman beard and cut some of his long hair. This definitely was seen as a major upgrade from Bubba Crosby.
Damon represented the Yankees in Team USA that year in the World Baseball Classic. On that team he had a chance to get comfortable with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez before he became their full-time teammates. Jeter said he couldn’t wait and was excited to have Johnny in New York.
One big question was whether Johnny could handle New York. Johnny definitely was able to adjust to the more suburban setting. He was charismatic and got along well with the media.
Taking a look at the deal after a few years, one can see that Johnny Damon was worth what the Yankees paid for. He had a great first season in New York and set a personal record with 24 home-runs that season. Johnny just kept on improving in New York and has been an exceptional fielder for the Yankees. He has turned several plays that have been seen on SportCenter’s Top 10 Plays. This year, Johnny Damon is on pace to have one of his best seasons of his career.
In May, Johnny Damon said that he did not expect the Yankees to re-sign him when the season ended. Since then he has expressed that he wants to come back to New York and is willing to accept a one-year deal with a vesting option. The Yankees have recently also said they want Johnny back, but only if he’s willing to take a pay cut.
The Yankees are faced with other similar dilemmas this off-season. Hideki Matsui, Xavier Nady, and Andy Pettitte will be free-agents after the Yankees season comes to a close. Matsui has been suffering from a bad knee the last few years and could be let go. He wants to go back to Japan at the end of his baseball career to retire.
Nady blew out his shoulder at the beginning of the season and will miss the rest of 2009. The Yankees will most likely let him walk away at the end of his contract, like Abreu. Nady was acquired last season at the trade deadline to help the Yankees get to the playoffs down the stretch. The Yankees missed the play-offs for the first time in 13 years, and it looked like the deal had back-fired.
Andy Pettitte wants to return to the Yankees and he has shown he still has some gas left in his left-arm. Andy has a 10-6 record and continues to live-up to his reputation of helping the Yankees win down the stretch.
Johnny Damon may be motivated to put up excellent numbers this season because of the lurking debut of Austin Jackson. Jackson has been performing really well in the minors and has proved that he is ready to be called up at any moment. Damon wants his job as much as Jackson wants it. The outfield is pretty crowded for the Yankees at the moment. Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner share the center-field spot and Nick Swisher is in right-field. Johnny Damon has not lost his job since being moved to left-field. If the Yankees do resign Damon, then Melky or Gardner could be used as trade-bait.
Remember there are other options in the free-agent pool this off-season. Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, and Vladamir Guerrero might be looking for teams this off-season and the Yankees could go after anyone of them. The competition is really getting tough as there are less jobs for more aging players. Damon always has to have the fact that he could be left without a job and could start the season late. That, however, is unlikely because there will be many suitors for Damon.
Damon has been one of the best hitters that Yankee Stadium has ever seen – that is the New Yankee Stadium. He has a .979 On-Base Percentage at Yankee Stadium this season. His On-Base Percentage away from Yankee Stadium has been .785. Johnny Damon has the Stadium edge working to his favor. Arbitration is always an option for Johnny and the Yankees The Yankees have been pretty cheap lately and did not offer arbitration last year to Bobby Abreu.If another team offers him a multi-year deal could that steer him away from the possibility of coming back to New York, even though he wants to stay?
If Brian Cashman wanted to be in a win-win situation he would offer Johnny Damon arbitration. If Johnny Damon walks away the Yankees get a compensation pick. Worst case scenario, the Yankees have Johnny return on a one-year deal.
It’s definitely going to be an interesting off-season for the Yankees, let alone Johnny Damon. If Damon leaves New York he will be greatly missed because he has become a fan favorite in New York. Who would have expect an idiot to make it big in New York and New York to fall in love with an idiot.
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