According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees offered free agent outfielder Johnny Damon a $6 million contract last week and he turned them down.
In a last-ditch effort late last week after Damon himself called the team, Cashman, one of baseball’s best dealmakers, tried floating a contract of $6 million with $3 million deferred at no interest (with the promise it would be cleared with team boss Hal Steinbrenner, who was about to return from his honeymoon). But Damon wasn’t moved enough to respond.
“I know what kind of player I am. I know I’m a player who makes a difference and won’t back down,” Damon told SI.com by phone on Thursday.
Damon is said to have a few possibilities. Teams reported to have shown some interest include the A’s, Rays, Tigers, Reds, Braves and Blue Jays. Damon doesn’t sound worried at all.
“I’m all right being a free agent at this point. I get to see how teams are shaping up,” Damon said. “I know what I can do. And I think the rest of the world knows what I can do.’
This is turning out to be one of the greatest mysteries of the MLB offseason and I’m not referring to how Damon still hasn’t signed with anyone. It’s a mystery that this clown thinks he’s worth double-digits because he hit 24 home runs last year in the wind tunnel that is Yankee Stadium.
Damon and his agent Scott Boras have reportedly been seeking $10 million a year from the Yankees, but Brian Cashman was only willing to do $2 million a year. It’s a little surprising that Cashman bumped that number up to $6 million and Damon rejected.
Any National League team that is willing to give Damon $10 million a year is out of their minds. He has the throwing arm of a 3-year-old child and he’s a complete disaster judging balls in the outfield. Simply put, the only thing he can do well is hit and there’s no guarantee at his age (35) that he’ll continue to hit .282/24/82 away from Yankee Stadium.
If some team is willing to fork over $10 million for half a player, then they obviously have no idea what the terms “money management” and “value” are. The Yankees have played this situation right and if Damon doesn’t want to compromise on a $6 million deal from the World Series champs, then here’s hoping he has to settle for a low ball deal from a non-competitor. Because he and Boras are delusional about what he brings to the table in terms of talent.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
