Consider us not surprised to hear Scott Boras asking for a multi-year deal for Johnny Damon. While Boras is known to shoot for the sky in contract negotations, Damon hasn’t been the most sincere person in the past regarding his free agent intentions. It’s a point we made a couple months ago about Johnny, but since it’s in the news once again, it bears repeating.
As fans we all hope that players value the intangible aspects of playing in a particular city, the tradition of a franchise, etc. It sounds nice and players will say nice things, but in the end, do players really ever take less money to play for a particular team? Johnny Damon certainly hasn’t.
Hey, if he takes a one-year deal, then fine. But, anything more than that is pushing it, especially for a guy who’s proving he can’t play left field anymore.
7 Comments
ryan November 12, 2009 00:15
I don’t remember exactly, but wasn’t Beltran willing to sign for less money to play for the Yankees, even though the yanks didn’t want him?
Via wikipedia: In 2005 “The New York Yankees were tipped as favorites and Beltran offered them a $20 million discount”
Who knows if that would have actually happened. I bet the players association would have ripped him a new one.
Kevin S. November 12, 2009 01:10
I’d argue that Tim Wakefield’s been taking a hometown discount with the Red Sox for the past decade. He’s not great, but he’s been a fairly reliable league-average innings eater for most of his career. That’s worth more than $4 million a year.
stickq November 12, 2009 09:14
I don’t even want Noodles back at a discount. Let him walk, he had a great season and all but this team needs to shed the players who shouldn’t play in the field anymore. The Yankees need to free up the DH spot for Jorge Posada, Not Damon. Posada is not going to catch forever, we need to scale him down to 75 games or so behind the plate and start making room for guys like Cervelli, Montero and Romine. (Not the Mendoza line flirting Molina)
BklynJT November 12, 2009 09:57
I think it is a terrible idea to “free” up the DH spot just to use it as a rotating rest spot for aging players. We need good production from the DH spot otherwise we are giving an advantage to the other teams in the AL. Now, it’s a different story if you get another outfielder who you can be servicable in the field, then you can use him as the main DH and in occassion put him in the field while rotating in some players for rest. Generally it’s not a good idea for an AL team to guarantee a spot in the lineup everyday to the likes of a backup catcher and backup infielder.
Jason November 12, 2009 13:25
As much as Damon is a hypocrite, he’s not signing a one year deal, nor should he be expected to.
He’s still performing offensively at his career norm or better, despite his decline in the field.
3 years minimum is what it will take.
Reality November 12, 2009 16:56
The best thing to happen to Johnny Damon this contract year was Yankee Stadium. I would think that every other GM in baseball can see that. Looking at his power numbers this year is exactly what he’s hoping someone will do.
I think he’s painfully wrong, but if anyone can talk a team into a bad contract, it’s Scott Boras.
GSB November 13, 2009 15:22
I thought O’Neil took less money to stay in NY once upon a time. Of course, O’Neil is a different class of player & person…