Could Johnny Damon end up playing for Jim Leyland?
From Lynn Henning of the Detroit News:
Johnny Damon, the free-agent outfielder who helped the Yankees to a world championship in 2009, would be happy to talk with the Tigers.
“Johnny believes the addition of him to Detroit’s lineup would make the Tigers a winner,” Scott Boras, Damon’s agent, said during a Monday phone conversation.
Boras agrees.
“He’s batted .363 at Comerica Park, he has a .412 on-base percentage at Comerica,” Boras said.
Boras added, quoting Damon before Damon signed earlier contracts with the Yankees and Boston Red Sox: “I told you I could make the Yankees a winner, and I told you before I left Oakland (where he played in 2001) I could make a Boston a winner.”
Boras says Damon has the same disposition toward the Tigers in 2010: “I can make the Detroit Tigers a winner,” Boras said, citing Damon’s words to him in December.
Damon in Detroit makes sense for the Tigers offensively. He might even be a defensive upgrade to Carlos Guillen, as well, who attempted to man left field in Comerica Park on a regular basis for the first time ever in 2009. Guillen’s UZR/150 at the position, over a measly 42 games, was -12.7 and, given his injury-prone ways, it would be worthwhile to use him as the designated hitter rather than in the outfield. Damon has absolutely no arm, but his range is not as bad – it is definitely still a negative, according to RngR, though not a huge negative – as many perceive it to be.
Will Detroit be willing to spend on Damon, though? In the end, that’s the real question.
Photo by Getty Images
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8 Responses to Damon: "I can make Detroit a winner"
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TIQ IQ
Why not. Dave Dombrowski went to Detroit with a stellar reputation from the Marlins, Expos and ChiSox and has made bad move after bad move since moving to Detroit. The Magglio Ordonez deal was shaky from day 1, the Sheffield deal was a mess (though he didn’t give up much) the inexplicable extension to Dontrelle Willis, even the Miguel Cabrera deal has had mixed reviews. Now he wants to give Verlander a 5 year deal (which I think is a mistake) and sign the aging Damon.
You could say he was forced to deal two players he would have preferred to keep in Granderson/Jackson by the bad economy, but he’s only under that kind of pressure due to all the bad deals on the books which are unmovable. Sorry, but Dombrowski’s been a lousy GM and Damon would be yet another bad move. Watch him give Johnny 2-3 years.
Damon states {i can make detroit a winner}.. OK ..so take the major league minimum, johnny baloney , with a stipulation on them winning the WS, then you get 13mil … or go back to the yanks with the same deal..this guy is a legend in his own mind. i know he is goofy, get the butterfly net ready
Damon was with the Yanks for four years. We were winners before him, and we will be after. Honestly, he didn’t make us winners. So, comparing him coming to NY and going to Detroit is two different things. Jeter, Posada, Mo, and Andy have always been winners, and Tex, CC, ARod, and Burnett helped fuel that. We could have won without Damon. Don’t get me wrong, he was a great player for us. But, he certainly wasn’t the difference. For his first two years in pinstripes, he was barely productive.
He was a good player for us, but not one we couldn’t live without.
BTW-Note to Johnny-”Winners” don’t tell everyone in the room about every ache and pain they have. Just FYI.
very true, he is full of himself, but i sit and think is that it or is him just dumb..if thats the case he should just go play for the mets
I don’t know, Mike Lupica recently said the Yankees can’t win the WS without him!
!!!!!
lupica should put brain in gear before using mouth..
Obviously I appreciate that the excerpt you publish is just that – an excerpt – but all the same I was interested in the following:
Number of Times the word “Damon” is mentioned: Six
Number of Times the word “Boras” is mentioned: Six
Tim