Hideki Matsui is not a burden

Recently, we’ve discussed Hideki Matsui in a number of different posts. For that reason, this thought will be short and sweet. Jon Heyman, in a “young players to watch” piece on SI, said the following about Hideki Matsui.

Hideki Matsui has been worth almost every penny. But since he can’t play the outfield for months, he seems more like a burden than an asset right now.

I understand what Heyman is getting at, but I would hardly call Matsui a burden. With his career approaching its final stages, his knees have basically betrayed him, hindering his mobility and versatility (i.e. value) as an outfielder while reducing some of his power.

However, as Steve noted , the man can still drive in some runs and with Alex Rodriguez out of the fray for a while, that’s all you can really ask for. There’s a reason Joe Girardi will slot him 4th in the lineup once the season is underway. Without him, I’d be very worried about the team’s offensive production.