- Back in pinstripes again
Many fans have expressed their displeasure over the Yanks decision to go with Nick Johnson and cut ties with Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui in recent days. Jason Rosenberg over at IATMS goes point by point expressing the reasons he doesn’t like the deal, so I thought it was a good opportunity to answer each one of his concerns directly.
Here’s his thoughts with my replies:
1-I thought that Cashman wanted a player who is capable of playing the OF to man the DH spot. Otherwise, just sign Matsui. Like the Angels smartly did.
Answer-Matsui can’t play the OF. The Yanks tried to work him out there over and over again for the past few seasons and every time they did, his knee blew up. Nick Johnson can at least play 1 defensive position, Matsui can play zero.
2-Did Cashman panic when Matsui signed?
Answer-No, I’m sure Brian had a Plan A (Damon) Plan B (Matsui) and Plan C (Johnson). He simply reached his Plan C when Hideki signed and he saw Damon’s contract expectations were unreasonable in his view.
3-Heck, why not look at Vlad Guerrero? Xavier Nady? Nady would have been a nice DH and possible platoon for Grandy if his lefty woes got worse, not better. And possibly cheaper than Nick.
Answer-Guerrero is physically spent and Nady is coming off (his 2nd) Tommy John surgery. Nick Johnson’s a far better option than Guerrero or Nady.
4-Is this Cashman just trying to exert his will upon Damon and prove to all that he’s not going to be pushed over only because he has the biggest wallet?
Answer-Lets not make this personal, it’s a business decision.
5-If we’re to believe the contract terms, wouldn’t it have made infinitely more sense to re-sign Matsui? The difference is reportedly “only” $1M. Mice nuts to the Yanks.
Answer-You have to establish that one player is far better at this point of their career for the 1mm difference to make “ infinitely more sense“. That hasn’t happened, and I could credibly argue that the opposite is true.
6-Matsui’s proven.
- Proven at being able to handle being a FT DH
- Proven at handling the pressure
- Proven at delivering in the post-season
Answer-Jason’s reference is to a small sample size in the World Series, but over the course of his 7 year Yankee career, Matsui is a .312/.391/.541 (.933 OPS) in the post season in 56 games. So chalk up one for Jason. The stuff about handling the DH role I don’t put much stock in. If anything Johnson’s fielding has declined so much that most teams think he’s better off being a DH at this point in his career.
7-Matsui’s Japanese-related advertising draws pays for his contract twice over, and then some. It’s about the money, right?
Answer-Sorry, but I don’t believe those numbers. Especially coming from a Japanese newspaper where you figure the source was close to Matsui, who was obviously a FA and trying to justify a big contract. Previous estimates had the Yanks earning 2-3 mil per year from Matsui’s deal. To use your term, mice nuts to the Yanks.
8-I wonder what Damon and Boras must be wondering right about now, besides “Oh, #$%^&*“. Aside from claiming there’s a mystery team ready to sign Damon to the same over-the-top contract that Bay’s “reportedly” about to receive. But Damon is apparently living well on Planet Boras.
Answer-There were reports that Johnny lost a lot of money in some Bank scam when the financial markets crashed, and he was even quoted as saying “I cant withdraw my money” at one point. So I don’t blame him for taking whatever he can get. Its likely his last deal, and he has an (allegedly) ex-stripper wife to keep in Armani G-strings.
9-I think Boras/Damon overplayed their hand. Though, there might be some goofy GM who thinks Damon is worth 3-4 years at $12-13 million per.
Answer-Damon won’t be the first client Scott Boras steers to a bad team for $, and won’t be the last.
10-Does the lower contractual amount free up more money to sign a guy like Sheets, as I have been lobbying for?
Answer-I think so, everyone from Girardi to Hal to Cash made it clear at the Curtis Granderson press conference that they’re in the market for another starting pitcher. We just have to see if Sheet’s demands are as crazy as Johnny’s were, which so far they are.
BTW-Make sure to check out Jason’s response below, he wanted to put his comments in proper context.
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21 Responses to Point/Counterpoint with Jason of IATMS on the Nick Johnson signing
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TIQ IQ
Matsui is a very good postseason performer, while Johnson’s postseason stats are tiny sample sizes from seven years ago, so there’s no traction for saying he’s a bad postseason performer. Johnson also had some sick stats with RISP. OPS of 1.100 in his brief time with Florida last year, north of .900 in a crap lineup in Washington. Tough to infer that he’s necessarily clutch, but patience and reasonable K totals should play in any situation.
Here’s a question: what if, after all the posturing and the usual Scott Boras nonsense, Johnny Damon realizes that 2Y/$20M is a very fair offer for his services? Is there any rason why the Yanks can’t bring him back on their terms? Wouldn’t the Yanks be better off with Damon in LF and Johnson at DH than they’d be with Melky in LF and Johnson at DH?
I certainly understand that Johnson’s signing makes it seem like the Damon era is over but it doesn’t really have to be, if both sides can come to terms on a more rational and realistic contract. Right?
Nice piece there Steve. I agree with all of your point and don’t see it as some “huge mistake” by Cashman that he went with Johnson over Matsui. However I dont think the door is closed on Damon just yet, but I could be wrong.
Steve,
I never really said I didn’t like the deal and I didn’t make it about Nick Johnson. The thrust of what I was saying was that for roughly the same money, we could have kept Matsui. And that was after Cashman ‘reportedly’ said that he was looking for a player who could also man the OF. Vlad might be done and Nady’s no surer bet to return, no question on those, either.
I’m a BIG Nick Johnson fan and will be very happy to see him back in pinstripes. You fisked my questions fairly and I have no problem with that whatsoever. Debates are good, healthy. However, in fairness, you could have at least mentioned the way I opened my posting, which was:
However, there’s TOO MUCH that I don’t understand about this possible signing. This is not really about Nick, per se.”
And my summary:
First, thanks for the reply. I used your post as a jumping off point to respond as much to the fan backlash as to you,but you’re right that I should have added more context. I will include a link to your reply when I get home tonight, I can’t log in on my dopey phone.
BTW-love the term “fisked”, I’m stealing it.
To me, this is the point of blogging: engaging in healthy debates and discussions. I wouldn’t want or expect everyone to agree with my thoughts. So long as we keep it above the childish name-calling…!
What has me confused about the Nick-love around the Yanks blogosphere is how discounted Nick’s injury history has become. Like it’s no big deal. (Keith Law tweeted #madeofglass after talking about Nick!)
I wrote that I hope moving to the full time DH will hopefully help him. But we don’t know that it will. Just as we don’t know if he’ll be like Giambi and be a lesser hitter as a DH than as a position player.
It’s more risk than some are making it out to be, in my opinion.
Good work, Steve.
Maybe my memory’s playing tricks on me but I don’t remember Nick Johnson being dealt to make room for a high-priced free agent signing. Giambi and Johnson were teammates for two seasons (2002-2003) before Johnson was traded for a young ace on the rise (Javier Vazquez) in a completely logical and sensible trade of one young asset for another.
I think you’re over analyzing one word. There was no room on the Yanks for Johnson due to Giambi. That’s a fair statement to make.
Considering the Yanks’ first intention was always to have Giambi spend a lot of time at DH, I dont think I’m over-analyzing at all.
The Yanks traded Johnson because he was a redundancy, yes, but considering he and Giambi did not play such a disproportionate number of games at 1B over that two year span (NG: 138; JG: 177) I don’t agree that one was traded to clear room for the other. Johnson was considered a very valuable commodity at the time for his glove and his developing bat and was the main piece of a swap between the Yanks and Expos.
Keep in mind, I’m not arguing that they should’ve kept Johnson, I’m simply disputing the notion that there was no room for him on the team while Giambi was there, given the team’s intention to give Giambi significant time at DH, as the games played at 1B bear out.
Giambi games @ 1B (2002-2003): 177
Giambi games @ DH (2002-2003): 132
I am not too wild over the Johnson over Matsui decision. I do like Johnson, but Matsui is a hitter…reminds me of Lou Pinnella. Johnson is a great back-up for Tex and I think he can play the outfield in a pinch, Matsui puts fear in the pitchers mind, thus providing good protection for A-Rod. I do not think Johnson has that same effect.
Gotta love it when Boras get the short end of the stick, but its a shame that it was Damon…3 years @ 13 million a year is just nuts
Can’t help but think there has to be a deal coming for a pitcher…Cashman said his priorities were pitching, pitching left field and pitching. I do not think he is stopping with Andy
Cashman might not have been making a statement to Damon, but he certainly used this situation to tell Boras that he will not be controlled. Two years for 20 is realistic for Damon — 4 years for 50 is absurd.
The extra money might be used on Arroydis Chapman also.
Can we talk about where the Yankee payroll is right now, and how they are possibly going to fit ANYONE else on it if the Yankees were serious about a 185-190MM payroll?
I have the payroll right now at right around 190MM after the Johnson signing, and this is without arb raises to Melky, Gaudin, and Mitre (4.5M combined 2009 salaries).
Are we going to see a 200M payroll again in 2010?
You’re right.
I’ve been saying that too. Save the money, build from within.
But everyone just ignores the payroll and wants another guy and another guy. Melky and Joba are never good enough and can’t improve even though every year they do.
It’s the Yankees, money is unlimited and if they say it is, they’re liars, I guess.
GAudin & Mitre will be goners if we sign a Pitcher.Somebody will take all or some of their salaries.
Fine, but still that is a miniscule amount of money compared to the overall payroll, and the money that will be going to the new pitcher. I’m just wondering if that lowering budget talk was just that…talk. Maybe a negotiating ploy.
I believe that is the case.Yankee strategy should laways be that they are confined to a budget.
Keep in mind POSADA, Mariano and even Jeter will be making less in 2 years.Posada will probably be gone, what is he making 15 million or more?
Pettite and his 11.5 million will be gone too.Igawa will be gone too.
Even with modest increaes to the Cano’s of the world and Joba/Hughes Yankees should be in pretty good shape in 2 years.For them at least.
Posada will be gone… after 2011. Jeter and Rivera’s contracts are up after this season. Assuming they both come back (I don’t see any scenario where they don’t, unless the Yanks win it all and Rivera goes out on top. Jeter will be back), they won’t be taking any pay cuts. You can bet Jeter’s next contract is 20M+ annually, while Rivera has done nothing to merit a pay decrease.
As much as I love Jeter NOBODY will give him more 15 million per on a long term deal imo.
This, was Brian Cashman’s best move. Most of his other moves required NO inspiration, no Theo Epstein like foresight. He just had Steinbrenner’s deep pockets.
But, now….Brian “brain dead” Cashman has finally shown a “yankees soul”. No matter how belated and minute. Nick Johnson is a true Yankee. He grew up in our organization. He can hit homers at will out of the band box. He can play a decent Bronx first base.
Nick is the man. Brilliant move Cash. By the way, Nick’s arrival doesn’t preclude Johnny “I am a winner” Damon’s return. Damon could come back. Shame if he doesn’t. But…..the Yankees will repeat without him. Its just that it would have been cool to seee Johnny repeat…as he is truly one of the all-time greats…..and all-time great guys.