The LoHud Yankees Blog

An interesting note from Buster Olney regarding Johnny Damon’s negotiations with the Yankees.

“Part of the concern in some corners of the Yankees’ organization,” Olney wrote, “was that in light of Damon’s initial insistence on not taking a pay cut, he might have gone into the 2010 season very unhappy if he had surrendered to a deal on the Yankees’ terms.”

Indications are that Damon asked for two years, $26 million. The Yankees offered two years, $14 million. Then Damon came back with two-years, $20 million (or $22 million, depending on the version of the story). By then, the Nick Johnson deal was done.

It’s interesting that Olney notes concern about Damon’s happiness about a pay cut, because it’s something Brian Cashman has talked about in the past. Cashman has said he doesn’t believe Bobby Abreu would have come back to the Yankees for the same contract that eventually brought him to the Angels last winter. There is hesitance, Cashman said, for a player to accept a pay cut under any circumstances, and that hesitances grows when it involves coming back to his old team. It’s simply hard for the player to believe that his team believes his value has dipped. It might be especially true when that team has the highest payroll in baseball.

Assumption seems to be that Hideki Matsui would have come back to the Yankees for the same deal he signed with the Angels — count me in that group – but maybe that’s not the case. And maybe Damon’s offer of a diminished contract was made grudgingly. Not sure there’s any way to quantify those sort of personality intangibles, but it’s worth considering.

It was about 14 months ago that an already-disappointing Yankees offseason got uglier when Joba Chamberlain was arrested in Nebraska and charged with driving under the influence. Chamberlain was embarrassed by his actions and, in the aftermath, vowed to try to make a negative into a positive by speaking to parents and children about his mistakes.

I think all of us have heard athletes make similar promises before which means all of us know that someone saying he’ll do something is a far cry from actually following through. Chamberlain, though, did spend time talking to young people this year and never ran from difficult questions about his error in judgment.

With the holidays approaching, Chamberlain is back in Nebraska and it sure sounds like he is making a more positive impact on his hometown community this year. As the story notes, Chamberlain spoke to the kids and then signed a never-ending line of autographs – something that actually isn’t an occupational hazard for him since he’s one of the few players who  pitches right-handed, but writes (and does most everything else) left-handed. Chamberlain also handed out gifts, including Yankees lunch boxes and winter hats.

At this point, I’d like to think that no one assumes athletes are perfect; like the rest of us, they aren’t. Athlete or not, though, it’s always nice to hear about someone learning from his past. In 2008, Chamberlain made an immature mistake. In 2009, he’s showing his maturity.

This seems to be the latest trendy topic in the comments so … let’s discuss.

I know Nick Swisher’s .249 batting average was ugly, but he was otherwise just as advertised in his first season with the Yankees. He saw a ton of pitches, he hit 29 home runs and he reached base at a .371 clip. To me, that’s a productive corner outfielder.

Yes, he strikes out too much to hit for a high average, but in his absolute worst season (2008 with the White Sox, the reason he came to the Yankees so cheap) he finished with 24 home runs and 69 RBI. For a worst-case scenario, that’s not half bad. And he can handle right field. He’s not great out there, but he’s certainly good enough.

I won’t completely dismiss the idea of trading him, but what could the Yankees get for him that’s more valuable to the team? As it stands, he’s the Yankees’ second-best outfielder (in terms of production). Is the idea of trading him contingent upon the idea of signing Matt Holliday?

Certainly, Swisher doesn’t belong in that group of trade-under-no-circumstances Yankees, but I’m not sure I understand the desire to ship him off right now. He was very productive in 2009, and that production was perfectly in keeping with his 2007 and 2006 seasons. If Swisher put up the exact same numbers in 2010, wouldn’t that be good production from a right fielder hitting in the bottom of the order?

Two of his three biggest moves have been for a position player, but Brian Cashman has insisted that “pitching, pitching, pitching” is his winter priority. He brought back Andy Pettitte during the Winter Meetings, he added CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett last winter, and Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain remain high potential starters (or relievers, but that’s a debate for another day). Chad Gaudin, Alfredo Aceves, Sergio Mitre, Ivan Nova and Zach McAllister provide depth.

If the Yankees want to add another starter, who should they target?

When Sam and I were asked about it during Thursday’s chat, we only slightly disagreed. I said Ben Sheets should be the top target, Sam said Justin Duchscherer, but we agreed that one of those two would make the most sense. Joe over at River Ave. Blues seems to agree.

Is there another free agent starter you’d like to see the Yankees go after?

I contend that most of the available arms — Jason Marquis, Doug Davis, Jon Garland and even Joel Pineiro coming off a great year — would provide only a marginal upgrade over Hughes or Chamberlain, if they provide an upgrade at all. Sheets and Duchscherer offer a chance a significant impact, and having Hughes and Chamberlain leaves the Yankees able to take on the risk associated with each. The only other name I would add to that list is Kelvim Escobar, but only on the smallest of contracs. He’s been a great pitcher, but he’s hardly pitched the past two years.

Who else do you like? Sheets, Duchscherer and Escobar are out there. Is there anyone else worth watching?

Here are a few lingering notes from the past 24 hours or so, starting with some changes to next year’s schedule.

Because the Yankees and Red Sox are playing the season opener at Fenway, ESPN2 wants to televise the game. Because ESPN2 wants to televise the game, the game is being played on a Sunday night at 8 p.m. Because it’s being played on a Sunday night at 8 p.m., the Red Sox have shifted the schedule for the rest of the three-game series.

Game 1 will be Sunday, April 4, at 8 p.m.
Game 2, originally scheduled for Wednesday, will be played on Tuesday, April 6, at 7:10 p.m.
Game 3, originally scheduled for Thursday, will be played Wednesday, April 7, at 7:10 p.m.
Monday, April 5, and Thursday, April 8, will now be off days for both teams.

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MLB.com has announced it’s This Year in Baseball Awards, chosen through online voting.

· Hitter of the Year: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins (.365, 28 HR, 96 RBIs)
· Starting Pitcher of the Year: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals (16-8, 2.16 ERA, 242 Ks)
· Closer of the Year: Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees (44 SV, 1.76 ERA)
· Setup Man of the Year: Jeremy Affeldt, San Francisco Giants (74 G, 1.73 ERA)
· Rookie of the Year: J.A. Happ, Philadelphia Phillies (12-4, 2.93 ERA)
· Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies (92-70, NL Wild Card)
· Executive of the Year: Ruben Amaro Jr., Philadelphia Phillies (93-69, NL East champs)
· Defensive Player of the Year: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox (.994 FPCT)
· Unsung Star of the Year: Jayson Werth, Philadelphia Phillies (36 HR, 99 RBIs, 20 SB)
· Performance of the Year: Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox (Perfect game, 7/23)
· Play of the Year: Dewayne Wise, Chicago White Sox (Catch preserved perfect game, 7/23)
· Moment of the Year: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees (Passed Gehrig for NYY hits, 9/11)
· Postseason Moment of the Year: Johnny Damon, New York Yankees (WS Game 4)
· Oddity of the Year: Phillies fanatic (Dad’s catch thrown back by daughter, 9/15)

A special, first-ever X-Factor of the Year was awarded to former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Juan Pierre through a media-only vote by MLB.com editors, reporters and multimedia personnel. In 2010, this category will be added to the overall voting process.

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Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced that Tim Maxey has been named the sport’s Joint Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, a new position whose duties will focus on providing guidance to and identifying best practices for Clubs and Players on issues involving conditioning, fitness, nutrition and other related subjects.

Maxey, who completed his seventh season as Major League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Cleveland Indians in 2009, will be a resource to Major League Club staff and Players in all areas pertaining to strength and conditioning, including the development of educational programs and assisting with the establishment of industry-wide initiatives. He will visit each Club during 2010 Spring Training.

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The Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) will celebrate former winners of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award as it hosts its 21st annual “Going to Bat for B.A.T. Dinner” on January 26 at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel. Founded in 1986, B.A.T. is dedicated to assisting members of the “Baseball Family” through financial grants, healthcare programs and rehabilitative counseling. More than $19 million in grants have been awarded to date, benefiting more than 2,400 members of the “Baseball Family.”

Hall of Famer, two-time MVP Winner and ESPN broadcaster Joe Morgan and Baltimore Orioles broadcaster and B.A.T. Board Member Gary Thorne will emcee the event. St. Louis Cardinals’ Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson will again serve as the Dinner Chairman. Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and MVP winners that are scheduled to attend include Whitey Ford, Robin Yount, Fred Lynn, Denny McLain and Al Rosen.

The World Champion New York Yankees and the Houston Astros will be recognized as the recipients of the inaugural Bobby Murcer Award. Earlier this year, B.A.T. established this Award in honor of the late B.A.T. Chairman, MLB All-Star and Yankees legend. The Award is presented to the team in both the American League and National League whose players contribute the most amount of money to B.A.T. through the B.A.T. Payroll Deduction Program that year.

In addition to former MVP winners, more than 120 players are expected to attend, including Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal and Robin Roberts. Popular former New York players Keith Hernandez, Graig Nettles and Yankees Manager Joe Girardi will also be in attendance.

B.A.T. was founded by former Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, a group of former players and Major League Baseball. In addition to assisting ex-Major League players, B.A.T. also offers support to former Major League managers, coaches, scouts, umpires, athletic trainers, front office personnel, Minor League players, Negro League players, players from the Women’s Professional Baseball League, spouses and children. All aid provided by B.A.T. is strictly confidential, allowing those in the need to receive help discreetly.

For more information about B.A.T., to purchase tickets for the Dinner or to make a donation please visit: http://www.baseballassistanceteam.com.

Bob Nightengale is reporting the Yankees are not going after Matt Holliday, and the folks in St. Louis are growing restless waiting for an answer from the left fielder.

Brian Cashman signed Mark Teixeira last year because he wasn’t sure an impact bat would be available this year. Now he’s talking about a 2010 free agent class that’s “incredibly more impressive” than this year’s crop. He’s said all along that pitching is his priority, but he’s added only one arm this offseason.

Never count the Yankees out, but there seem to be signs that indicate a Holliday-to-the-Yankees deal is not in the works. If anything, the Yankees seem likely to tinker with the offense while saving most of their remaining offseason cash for a risk-reward starting pitcher.

Today’s Nick Johnson deal makes it unlikely Johnny Damon will return. That’s the consensus, anyway. The Yankees and Damon seem to have started the day far, far apart in negotations, and by the time that gap closed to being simply far apart, the Johnson deal was done.

Every team always wants as many toys as possible, but isn’t this lineup already the best in baseball, and a defensive upgrade from last season?

1. Jeter, SS
2. Johnson, DH
3. Teixeira, 1B
4. Rodriguez, 3B
5. Granderson, CF
6. Posada, C
7. Cano, 2B
8. Swisher, RF
9. Cabrera, LF

My first year covering baseball in New York was 2002 and that also happened be Nick Johnson’s rookie year.

As one of the Yankees top young talents, Johnson – like many of the Yankees prospects in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s – existed in a world of uncertainty. His role was murky (Jason Giambi was the primary first baseman); he batted all over the lineup (literally every spot from second to ninth); and he lived in perpetual fear of being sent back to the minors or, more likely, being traded (which he eventually was, in a package for Javier Vazquez).

Even back then, though, Johnson’s exceptional plate discipline was noticeable. It probably helped that the other young Yankee at the time was Alfonso Soriano (who swung at everything), but Johnson’s pitch-recognition and bat-control drew raves both within and outside the organization (Omar Minaya, who was the Expos GM at the time, was particularly enamored with it). Johnson may have been – and still is – a pretty laid-back guy, but he was flat-out tenacious at the plate.

One game that I remember is a Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway in August of 2003, Johnson’s second full season. The Yankees were facing Pedro Martinez and Johnson came up in the fourth inning of a tie game. Johnson worked the count to 3-and-2 and then proceeded to foul off four straight pitches as the Fenway crowd got all amped up only to give a collective “ohhhhhh” each time Johnson spoiled another one.

Finally Martinez tried to beat Johnson with a breaking ball and Johnson singled to left to give the Yankees a lead they’d hold the rest of the way. Johnson, who was 24 at the time,  finished the day a career-best 4-for-5 with four RBI.

Seeing Martinez get visibly frustrated during that at-bat is exactly what Johnson is hoping for whenever he goes to the plate. “Just touch it,” he said when asked about his gameplan that day. “That’s all I want. Just to touch it.”

Johnson only played 96 games that year (and 73 the following year), but even as he’s worked through a career dotted with injuries, his style of hitting hasn’t changed. Last year, playing for Washington and Florida, Johnson saw an average of 4.38 pitches per plate appearance, third highest-in the majors. He simply refuses to be rushed.

Now that Johnson is set to return to the Bronx, the Yankees are hoping to see more of the same from Johnson. Pedro may be long gone, but the approach Johnson took to the plate that day seven years ago – and every at-bat since – hasn’t changed at all.

At this point, it seems a matter of time before Nick Johnson replaces Hideki Matsui as the Yankees designated hitter. The natural question has become, who replaces Matsui as the No. 5 hitter.

To me, Johnson is perfect in the No. 2 spot. In the past 24 hours, his on-base percentage has become the stuff of legend — he once drew a walk while playing first base — and I don’t buy the idea that he’s too slow. Actually, I completely buy that he’s slow, I just don’t buy that it matters. The Yankees need a guy to simply get on base in front of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. The ability to steal a bag is nice, but not remotely essential. Johnny Damon stole only 12 this season.

So, Johnson bats second, and the No. 5 spot goes to…

Curtis Granderson. That’s my pick. The guy hit 30 home runs last year while playing half of his games in Detroit. He had 71 RBI while getting most of his starts as a lead-off hitter counting on Adam Everett, Gerald Laird and Ramon Santiago to get on base ahead of him. His career slugging percentage is .484.

Matsui’s is .482.

An added bonus of Granderson batting fifth is that he can steal a base. That might matter when he’s hitting ahead of Jorge Posada, who has twice led the American League in double plays grounded into, and Robinson Cano, who led the Yankees in GIDP this year.

Here’s the press release from The Sporting News:

Record-setting closer Mariano Rivera, who helped lead the New York Yankees to their 27th World Series championship, is Sporting News’ 2009 Pro Athlete of the Year.

It’s the fourth such honor for the Yankees since Sporting News began handing out a year-end award In 1968. Rivera joins Ron Guidry (1978 winner) and Joe Torre (1996) as individual winners. The Yankees were honored as a team in 1999.

Rivera in 2009 became the second MLB pitcher to save 500 games, converted a personal-best 36 consecutive save opportunities and continued his postseason dominance. With five saves and one run allowed in 16 innings in the playoffs, he improved his postseason records for both saves (39) and ERA (0.74).

Rivera graces the cover of the new Sporting News Magazine. The 12/21 issue includes a Sporting News Conversation with the five-time World Series champion, conducted on a December morning in the kitchen of Rivera’s new suburban New York home.

Excerpts from Steve Greenberg’s interview with Rivera:

Rivera on continuing to pitch at age 40: “The minute I know that I don’t have it, I hang it up right there.”

Rivera on pitching for another team: “With all the respect that all the organizations deserve, it would be hard for me to consider playing for another team. If the opportunities are there, then you don’t know. But I believe the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to play for one team.”

Rivera on pursuing the all-time saves record: “You know what? I’m OK with whatever happens. I’m not a guy who goes looking for numbers or chasing records.”

Rivera on one day losing his ability to throw the cutter: “I didn’t learn it by somebody teaching me. It came by the Lord. So it’s not within myself to lose it or keep it. It will be the Lord to decide when to take it away.”

Lots of interesting tidbits and news coming from today and let me start by saying thanks to everyone who hopped on the live chat that Chad and I did during the lunch hour. We went for over an hour and the questions were still pouring in when the moderator finally collapsed from exhaustion and we had to stop. We touched on everything from free agency to trades, the lineup to the minor leagues and if you’re interested in seeing a replay of the chat just go here.

In processing the numerous things that went down both at and after the Curtis Granderson press conference today, two things struck me:

1. I’d rather have Hideki Matsui than Nick Johnson. It now seems that Johnson is very likely to complete the much-reported deal that brings him back to New York for one year and $5.5 million, and while he is certainly talented that sure seems to run contrary to the idea that Brian Cashman and other officials had been floating for awhile; that is, that they wanted a DH who also offered outfield flexibility.

If they were going to bring in a DH-only type player – which Johnson essentially is since Mark Teixeira isn’t sitting down with any regularity – than I don’t see the logic in letting Matsui go. At this point, both Johnson and Matsui are legitimate injury risks and while Johnson does fit as a solid No. 2 hitter because of his OBP abilities, that isn’t enough for me to pick him over Matsui (who, by the way, was as clutch a player as there is in the postseason – someplace that Johnson has struggled, admittedly awhile ago).

2. Hal Steinbrenner has more than a little of his dad in him. You can spin Hal’s comments on the payroll pretty much anyway you want, but you can bet that more than a few will see his “I don’t believe we’re done yet” comment as a sign that maybe, just maybe, the Yankees could be open to one more big splash a la Matt Holliday.

I still think it’s a longshot but I’ll say this: I’m less convinced of that now than I was before Hal spoke up. If the Yankees have taught us anything, it’s that nothing is out of the realm of possibility.