A year later, Johnny Damon -- coming off one of his best seasons, in which he hit a career high 24 home runs -- stands in the same shoes as Abreu did.
Damon, 37, entered the market asking for a four-year deal. He struggled to find a home, and that number began to plumet...fast. A month ago, Damon went to the Yankees and asked for two-years and $20 million, in which the Yankees said no.
The Braves, Tigers and Giants have been the front runners at different times throughout the off season. But, the Braves have said they only have $1-2 million left, the Tigers said they never had anything to do with Damon, and the Giants acquired Mark DeRosa, which likely takes them out of the market for an outfielder.
So that leaves the Yankees, who say they have $2 million left on the books. SI.com has reported that the Yankees told Damon he has until the end of the weekend to make a deal, or the two parties will go their separate ways.
Damon may now be left with no choice. With no other teams really pushing to sign a 37 year old outfielder, and many teams budgets worn out, the Yankees may be the only suitor left.
Should the Yankees part ways with Damon, they will dive into a pool of outfielders that includes Xavier Nady, Reed Johnson, Randy Winn, Jermaine Dye and Jim Edmonds. All of the remaining OF's with maybe the exception of Dye, are a significant downgrade from Damon, but the Yankees can't control Johnny's demands.
If the Yankees decide not to haul in another outfielder, Brett Gardner would likely get the nod to start in left field. Although, his inconsistency leads most to believe that the Yankees would like to have a backup in place.
Damon's 2009-10 free agency situation is not one that is uncommon. He enters a group of players who know that walk-off home runs, game changing plays in the World Series, and career high numbers, can never change the nature of the market. Sometimes it's not about how good you are, but rather how you fit in.
jess.coleman@classactsports.com
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