"At this moment, I'm not sure I want to leave Detroit for that.

Will Damon approve the move and once again play in front of the most knowledgeable fanbase in sports?

Johnny, you merchant!

Damon talked about how excited he is with his new team, insisting repeatedly how much he and wife Michelle love Detroit. He went so far as to say the Tigers were his first choice even before he signed with the Yankees as a free agent in December 2005.

Source

"This is where I wanted to be from day one," he said Monday at Tigers camp.

Source

Damon always wanted to be of the feline persuasion.

*Props to Stringfellow Hawke for also contributing to this post.

From the Detroit News:

Johnny Damon, the free-agent outfielder who helped the Yankees to a world championship in 2009, would be happy to talk with the Tigers.

"Johnny believes the addition of him to Detroit's lineup would make the Tigers a winner," Scott Boras, Damon's agent, said during a Monday phone conversation.

Boras added, quoting Damon before Damon signed earlier contracts with the Yankees and Boston Red Sox: "I told you I could make the Yankees a winner, and I told you before I left Oakland (where he played in 2001) I could make a Boston a winner."

Boras says Damon has the same disposition toward the Tigers in 2010: "I can make the Detroit Tigers a winner," Boras said, citing Damon's words to him in December.

First, he thinks baseball will examine the luxury tax, specifically because he didn't sign with the Yankees. What?? Dude, you're really not that good.

He said baseball's luxury tax may have played a role in the offer.

"I definitely thought there'd be more talks monetarily," Damon said. "Everyone knew what a great fit (it was); so did Cashman; so did the Steinbrenners; that's the way (it is) with the budget and the (luxury tax), which is why it probably will be discussed at the next (collective) bargaining session.

And then there's this gem:

Damon, who claims several teams are interested in him, said he was hopeful the Yankees didn't encounter the same problems with free-agent to be Derek Jeter next year.

"I hope Derek is not offered a 45 percent pay cut," Damon said.

Johnny, you are no Derek Jeter.



*Props to Mick Shrimpton for also contributing to this post.

First, by all reports, the Yankees are at the edge of their budget right now, and unless Damon is willing to take a enormous pay cut, he's not coming back. And considering Jerry Hairston signed for $2.12 million, we don't think Damon will settle for that type of cash. Come on, you all know he has X-Men genetics and the body of Lee Haney. He's the new Cal Ripken and better than Rickey Henderson.

Second, is his overall production going to be significantly better than any of the potential starting OFs on the Yankee roster? Will it even be better at all? The man will be 36 and one could make a serious argument that 2009 was his best offensive season ever. Is it reasonable to assume some dropoff in 2010? We think so. And we all know about his defense last season.

And for whatever it's worth, the virgin fans who make their own projections at Fangraphs have Damon being outperformed on an overall basis (defense included) by Brett Gardner (in 170 less PAs, mind you).

So whether you put faith in those projections or not, we think most people would agree that logically, once you take out the CLUBHOUSE CHEMISTRY!! rationale, we don't see how the re-signing of Johnny Damon would make the Yankees that much better, if at all.

Looks like Scotty and Johnny priced themselves out of the market.

*Props to Mick Shrimpton, Vizzini, Marshall Seymour, & Michael Knight for also contributing to this post*

Damon is still seeking a three-year contract without taking a pay cut - that would put a deal at $39million - believing that his performance last season was good enough for him to continue earning an annual salary of $13 million. And after watching Mike Cameron - who is almost a year older than Damon - ink a two-year pact with the Red Sox, Damon sees no reason for him to settle for less than three.

"Players out there are getting multi-year deals," Damon said. "(Andy) Pettitte got a raise at 37, even though it was only one year. Cameron is 37 (he turns 37 in January) and he got two years. We're not going to know much until we start negotiating with teams, but that should happen soon."

"I've been too busy with the kids to worry about it," Damon said. "We're just going about our business and our life. I'm not really too concerned about it. We'll find a team elsewhere if the Yankees don't bring me back."

We find it hilarious when people talk about a player's preference to play for a certain team, because bottom line, these guys are mercenaries. They only care about money. You really think Damon would say to himself, "Well in NY, I have a chance to play for a championship" and take less money to stay? That's what fans want to think, but it isn't reality. If he stays, it's because the Yankees gave him the best offer.

Re: Damon, the guy obviously thinks he is bigger than market forces and a still struggling economy. Or, he's just dumb.

...chronological age seems to be a huge issue for the media with Johnny Damon...I can cite you many players that perform at very high levels at 38 to 42, better than players at 30 to 34...In Johnny’s case, his production, his body type, who he is as an athlete, he is not measured by the customary gauge of a player.

Boras giving a presentation on Johnny Damon's DNA

To this point, the Yankees and free agent outfielder Johnny Damon seem to be apart in contract talks, with the Yankees looking to pay him about $20 million over two years and Damon believed to be seeking a four-year deal while trying not to take a pay cut from the $13 million a year he made.

This is the second day in a row Heyman has said the Yankees want Damon for 2/20.
And like yesterday when we addressed this rumor at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen, one immediate question comes to mind:

The Yankees would rather Damon sign a 2-year contract, than a 1-year arbitration deal?

We don't get it. Damon just turned 36 on November 5th. He'd be nearly 38 at the end of a 2-year deal. For the front office, you'd think years would be more important than annual salary, especially for someone who played a terrible LF this season. We'd much rather see 1 year at $15 mil (or whatever he'd get in arbitration) than 2 years. Plus with offering him arbitration, you'd at least get the insurance of multiple draft picks if Damon walked.

If this rumor is true, Cashman & crew basically thought 2 years/$20 mil at ages 36 & 37 far outweighed 1 year/$15 mil with draft pick insurance.

That's messed up, yo.

edit: For the record, we'd rather bid farewell to Damon entirely, and sign Holliday. Our commentary was based on speculation that the Yanks actually want to re-sign Damon. All this is rumor obviously. How are you today? Starting to really get cold out. Going to a holiday party this weekend. It's an ugly sweater party. Sounds like fun. Watched Carrie Underwood's special last night. Thought it was great. Who knew she was such an entertainer.

1. By declining arbitration for Damon, Pettitte, and Nady, it's clear the Yankees believe the economy is still in the toilet (which it is) and will weigh heavily once again on the free agent market. Thus, the risk of arbitration acceptance is high. In Damon's case, arbitration would be based off a contract that was signed in late 2005, when the economic situation was completely different.

2. Due to continued frugality among MLB teams, the Yanks may believe they can re-sign any of these guys at less than what they'd receive in arbitration.

3. The Yankees may have indeed made the decision to let Damon go, which could clear the way for a run at superstar (yes, he is a superstar) Matt Holliday. After all, Damon is basically a DH at this point in his career. With Damon, you'd think the Yankees would be more concerned about years, considering his age, not $$. So the fact that the Yankees found it unappealing that Damon may accept a 1-year deal at above market-dollars makes us believe Johnny is a goner...something we support.

4. Not offering arbitration to Nady is a no-brainer.

5. Pettitte is an interesting case, because the Yankees obviously need to re-sign him, so we hope this isn't a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.