NY Daily News - by BILL MADDEN


http://www.nydailynews.com/spo...t_boras_yankees.html

i think its 50/50 where johnny signs. wherever he goes he will have to take a pay cut. the yankees seem to be content with johnson in the #2 hole and gardner in left probably platooning with a right handed bat. they have no need for Damon so its all on him if he wants to come back. i know atlanta and detroit have been possibly places where he may land, but neither seem to be great fits and neither will compete for the world series in 2010 either.

Damon is going to end up on the Yankees .

unless He absolutley can't be a productive player anymore.

not likely now....

Yankees Sign Randy Winn
27th January, 2010 - 4:48 pm
ESPN - The New York Yankees have agreed to terms with free agent outfielder Randy Winn on a one-year contract, pending a physical, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The contract is worth in the neighborhood of $2 million.

This move effectively will end Johnny Damon's career with the Yankees.

Don't fix what ain't broken. I really thought he would re-sign.

...and it wouldn't surprise me if Theo in beantown swoops in. He lost out on both Bay and Holliday, signed Cameron and has 5'3" Ellsbury. What better way than to improve his team, put a good lefty in the line-up at Yankee Stadium, and tweak the Yanks all at once.

About Winn, from a SF beat writer:
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Winn merits a final salute as he leaves San Francisco. The man was, and is, a complete professional. Winn delivered a consistent effort whether he was thriving or slumping, healthy or in pain. By driving himself to excel in all facets of the game -- he's an excellent baserunner and a polished, underrated outfielder -- Winn separated himself from the sorry plethora of ballplayers who almost seem to refuse to improve themselves.

The Yankees will quickly learn how lucky they are to have Winn in their midst. His professionalism will enhance the Yankees' aura as reigning World Champions. They'll cherish his ability to play all three outfield positions and his other diverse skills. On that club, any offense he provides will be a bonus

But also this, from Newsday:
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Maybe they think their nucleus - Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Teixeira - combined with the addition of Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson, will be enough to compensate for the loss of the 300-odd runs generated in 2009 by Damon and Matsui.

Maybe they think Teixeira still will knock in 122 runs without Damon getting on base ahead of him, and still will hit 39 homers while being fed a steady diet of curve***** from pitchers no longer concerned about speed on the basepaths.

Maybe they believe Brett Gardner will suffice as an everyday outfielder - heck, they won titles with Chad Curtis and Melky Cabrera out there practically every day - and they know from experience that their fans will forgive them just about any farewell. Case in point: Bernie Williams.

And maybe, come the All-Star break, they will look at the production from their revamped outfield - incredibly, Nick Swisher, a first-year Yankee in 2009, will be the only returning regular in their outfield - and wind up having to spend more than the $8 million or so it would have taken to retain Damon for one more year.

All I know is, come late July 2010, if Cashman tells me he can't afford to add another outfielder, I won't be laughing. I'll be believing.

Guys ..

These are the Yankees we are talking about

Everything works out for God's most beloved team .

Gauranteed Wynn has a better season than does Damon no matter where he ends up.

i would prefer Damon over Johnson and Winn, but Boras really screwed up a Damon return. i like the team we have though. we are better defensively and i think adding Javy Vazquez is a great addition. He takes pressure off whoever wins the #5 spot in the rotation and also gives us great pitching depth. CC, AJ, Andy, Javy, Joba/Hughes...then we have Gaudin and Mitre who did decent jobs last year when they were called upon. You never know when a starter will go down and i think we have the depth to be OK if that does happen. This lineup is still the best in baseball despite losing Damon and Matsui.

Gotta agree wit Biz above.

The Yankees far and away have the best lineup and are CLEARLY the best team in Baseball .

This team is going to win win well over 100 games and the record mark ( Mariners 116 ) is a
possibility.

Wth Allstars, MVP canditades, to hall of famers at every position on field and others to back them up the Yankees are as much of a sure thing as are taxes and death.

The Yankees and Damon made a huge mistake. First of all the Yanks should have never let him go and done what ever it took to keep him. The one two combo of him and Jeter were one of the best in baseball. Jeter’s and Damon’s numbers speak for themselves. Although the Yanks still have a great lineup, they do not have the players to replace Damon and Matsui. We are talking a lot of HR’s and RBI’s they are going to be missing this season. And Damon is a big time game player in the post season, he stole a big game in the WS all by himself.

There has to be something with dealing with Scott B as an agent that turns teams off and hurts some of his players. There is no doubt Damon screwed up here too, because there is no doubt he did not want to leave NY. I am sorry to see him go, and I think the Yanks will be. Hey since when did $$$$ matter to the Boss. It was all about what’s best for the Yankees and their fans. Damon is still a Yankee if George is running the show.

It is hard for me to believe that Gardner will be the starting Left Fielder or Center Fielder. He is not a starting player. Now that the Yanks have Wynn, who can play all 3 outfield positions, there is another deal to be made. It doesn't have to be a big name. David DeJesus would be a perfect fit for this team. Great defensive left fielder. 30 years old. Can also play center. Solid player. A New Yorker. Makes contact. Hits lefties. Good .OBP. I think he would hit 15+ home runs in Yankee Stadium. Could be a good number 2 hitter. Could move Johnson and his slow feet to 8th or 9th.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.../stats?playerId=5799

quote:

Originally posted by billyk:
It is hard for me to believe that Gardner will be the starting Left Fielder or Center Fielder. He is not a starting player. Now that the Yanks have Wynn, who can play all 3 outfield positions, there is another deal to be made. It doesn't have to be a big name. David DeJesus would be a perfect fit for this team. Great defensive left fielder. 30 years old. Can also play center. Solid player. A New Yorker. Makes contact. Hits lefties. Good .OBP. I think he would hit 15+ home runs in Yankee Stadium. Could be a good number 2 hitter. Could move Johnson and his slow feet to 8th or 9th.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.../stats?playerId=5799

All good points billyk, and I feel the same way about Gardner. I like what he can add from the bench with his speed, but I don't see him as a starter in any outfield position.

Johnny