The only major roster question that the Yankees have for 2010 is what to do with left field, and by extension, the DH spot. Here is my plan, and I encourage you to chime in with your plans below.
Johnny Damon becomes the regular DH. The Yankees inquire on Matt Holliday, but pass if his cost exceeds 3 years 45 million. If so, the Yankees sign Mike Cameron to play LF, with Xavier Nady and Chone Figgins being my backup plan. This is how I would break up the playing time based on that scenario. I did this quickly, so feel free to correct my numbers if they are off.
Cameron:
120 starts in LF
20 starts in CF
Damon:
40 starts in LF
110 starts at DH
Swisher:
135 starts in RF
15 starts at 1B
Teixeira:
147 starts at 1B
10 starts at DH
A-Rod:
140 starts at 3B
15 starts at DH
Posada:
110 starts at C
25 starts at DH
Gardner/Melky combined
27 starts in RF
2 starts in LF
142 starts in CF
What would you do?
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27 Responses to Discussion: Who Plays Left Next Year?
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TIQ IQ
Just say no to cameron – i’d rather start melky in left and gardner in center than have cameron
Why? Cameron is better in all facets of the game.
I have been a huge Cameron fan for years and would not mind him starting in LF in the least but I think Chone Figgins brings more to the team than just another power hitter would. If Chone agrees to play LF he is a perfect fit for this team, he bats lead off jeter moves to the two hole and Gardner in the 9 makes a lot of speed 9, 1, 2.
That’s fair. I chose Cameron over Figgins solely because he is a better outfielder, but your reasoning is equally valid. I would not mind either.
I give you Cameron is a better outfielder and I actually have wanted him on the Yankees since the whole possible Cameron for Sheff trade, but I just think adding a speed demon like Figgins to lead off makes us a very dangerous team in a way adding more power doesn’t. Probably can’t go wrong either way though, and at least Damon wouldn’t be in LF.
That’s really the key. They might be slightly less powerful offensively, but should be much better defensively.
If no Holliday then I’d rather keep Damon and get a Figgins or DeRosa. Girardi can use them to keep people fresh and then we can start two of Melky/Gardner/Jackson when someone gets hurt (besides Posada or Jeter) and move the super-utility guy to that spot.
Jackson needs to be in this conversation. I would prefer it if he started the year in AAA.
He will probably start in triple A and make it up sometime with in the firs few months depending on injury and production from Gardner and Melky, but he needs to stay in triple A just a bit longer because he has learned how to go the other way, now he needs to become a more complete hitter.
I thought I heard that A-Rod was going to need more extensive off season hip surgery. If that is true I would expect them to split the DH more evenly between Damon, Posada, and A-Rod.
HE ojnly got part of surgery this year, he waited for the full surgery so he could come back and be part of this years line up, you will see a better moving and better hitting Arod next year once his hip is fully repaired. Though you are right he could need some DH days.
I don’t get why AJ is not in this discussion?
Well, now he is. I doubt they are counting on him in 2010, and he will not prevent them from bringing in a FA. He is striking out too much and not hitting for enough power at AAA, and his coaches seem to feel that he needs more time.
I would hope and pray that Crawford’s team option gets declined by the Rays.
But if that somehow fails, I would think that bringing Damon back on a 1 year plus a team option, would be the best case. It seems that Damon has lost his ability to play left field like the previous two years, but there is also the chance that he can be better than he was this year which was atrocious. Despite that he is having a great year offensively and even if he plays below average fielding wise his bat would make him an above average left fielder.
If you give the job to Melky, or Austin Jackson you would gain some defensive improvements but there would be a dramatic drop off in the offense department causing that position for the Yankees to be below average than above average which it currently is.
Then who is your DH? Do you bring Matsui back? Because just rotating it means you have a bench type player playing every day.
Jesus Montero.
He is not ready to be called up yet, sure he could come up and hit but if there is any chance he could become a catcher and stay there you have to take all the steps to do it. His value at DH is ok but his bat at C is Joe Mauer huge!
I would like to inquire about DeRosa. He is another super utility guy that has an above average bat. Holliday seems like a good candidate to replace Damon as well. He has a bat that is atleast the same as Damon’s if not better and he plays an great left field defensively.
He is going to want a long deal. The money does not bother me, but the years…..
I don’t think in this economy he would get more than a 4 year deal and I would have no problem with that because he would be 35 at the end of the deal, if you don’t like 4 straight up just offer him 3 with a team option for the 4th and you have him. Really Holliday and Figgins are the two perfect fits.
How about Jason Bay?
Bay wants a long term deal and is awful defensively. I would not be upset if they got him, but I am not rooting for it either. I want a stopgap, and then possibly Carl Crawford in 2011.
I don’t want a future Johnny Damon with less power on the team in a few years! I’m sorry but he is already 28, his legs are going to go and his arm is weak eventually you will have a less than .300 hitter with no power.
If Bay wants a 3 year deal with a team option for the 4th I would love to have him, he takes away a huge bat from the Sox and adds a legit 4th hitter to protect Alex, and something no one thought of yet (or at least brought up) with Bay and Swisher we would have the number one and two AL walk leaders which really comes in handy in getting men on base.
Mark Da Rosa
August 19th, 2009 at 15:41
“I would hope and pray that Crawford’s team option gets declined by the Rays.”
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Crawford is a guy I have been hopping the Yankees could get…he will be 28 in 2010. This spring I had heard, they (Rays) were not going to offer him arbitration. LF-Crawford, CF-Brett and RF Melkey/Swisher.
As I have stated before; Brett has very little experience playing any other OF spot other then CF…he will more then likely learn over the winter.
With Crawford and Brett we have less power but, this is made up by the speed they have shown and the balance they bring to the team.
I understand there would be less power, but if Damon comes back as the DH, Crawford could man the left field position. He is a great defender and because he is a lefty he would probably see an increase in power at the stadium. The thing is if Crawford’s option is picked up just so the Rays could trade him to another team because many teams could use a player like Crawford.
Wow, my Ideas for next season are a tad off than what was posted here. I’m more into infusing speed and youth. What I would do is only bring Damon back if he signs for one year. Let Matsui go. We all agree on that. Let Molina go. Attempt to sign Chone Figgins.
Now here is where we differ. I bring up Austin Jackson immediately or within first month if he is ready and platoon him with Gardner in CF. I platoon Melky and Swisher in RF. I put Chone in LF. Melky becomes my all around OF platoon guy for the most part.
Than I bring up Cervelli and I play him behind the plate an equal amount with Posada. This is why I would think real hard about bringing back Damon unless its a good deal because Posada becomes my DH. I than bring up Montero towards end of summer and platoon him at DH and back up Catcher. Now we have 3 Catchers on roster and Monteros right handed bat in lineup.
We have youth and speed. Chone Figgins would be a big sign but I don’t give him anything more than 3 years. In 2011 there’s a big crop of OF including Crawford!
Melky in Right
Swisher in Left
Gardner in center
Damon, Nick Johnson or Adam Dunn (if you can trade for him) as DH. NJ should be able to remain healthy as a DH and he is an OBP machine even though his power has declined. He is also fairly young and should be relatively inexpensive.
Use the savings from Matsui and Pettite and sign Lackey.