Damon doesn’t expect a pay cut
November 23, 2009, 3:00 pm by iYankees · 8 Comments
From Mark Feinsand (Daily News), who spoke with Johnny Damon over the weekend:
“This is a slow time in baseball; just a lot of rumblings and all that stuff,” said Damon, who is heading on a European vacation with his wife, Michelle, later this week. “I’m sure well be talking to them soon. We’d like to come back to New York. Hopefully it can happen.”
Damon’s preference is to remain with the Yankees, and while he has made that wish well-known, sources close to the veteran say he isn’t about to give the Bombers a big discount to stay in pinstripes.
Although he’s told friends all season that he would take a shorter deal from the Yankees than he would elsewhere, it is believed that he would want a higher average annual salary if he were to take fewer years.
A source close to Damon said that the outfielder believes his statistics over the past two years have been good enough that unless the market crumbles entirely like it did last winter for Bobby Abreu, he doesn’t feel he should take a pay cut.
Damon chose not to discuss his contract desires Sunday, saying only that his first wish is to stay in pinstripes.
“I want to continue to be on a team that can win and to play in front of great fans – and we know that the Yankees fill both of those,” Damon said. “I think everyone knows my desire to come back. Still, every time I’ve been a free agent, I’ve ended up switching teams. It’s the nature of the beast. If people are interested, I’m going to listen.”
“Still, every time I’ve been a free agent, I’ve ended up switching teams.” Sounds rather ominous, right?
If Damon, who made $13M in 2009, doesn’t expect a pay cut, then maybe the Yankees are wasting their time.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Ominous for Damon, maybe. Heh, the only way that could be construed as a bad thing for the Yankees is if it carries the kind of jinx that’s associated with mentioning a no-hitter or perfect game, IMO.
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I hope the Yankees pass on Damon. I’d pay him nothing before overpaying him.
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I wouldn’t pay Damon as much as Abreu got this year to be honest… Abreu has terrible D but he can play RF with his still strong arm and unlike Damon he is still a .300 hitter with a lot of patients, Damon’s power has nowhere to go but down and he has already seen his average slip to .282 sooner or later he will be at less than 20 HRs and under .280 BA, is he going to be worth the money then when he is a DH who can barley hit?
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While Damon has historically shown that he will leave a team if he’s insulted by their contractual offers, I don’t see these type of quotes as necessarily being “ominous.” He’s in the middle of negotiations. What else is he supposed to do? He’s still trying to get the best deal possible [money+location+team+etc]. I think I would be approaching it in a smiliar way.
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Good point, Halo.
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That is true but a guy like Damon to me comes off more proud than he even wants to admit he is and when he says he doesn’t want to take a pay cut and to take less years he wants more money, it seems to me it’s more of what he will and won’t be willing to do over a scare tactic to make the Yankees sign him.
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you may be right. but i don’t think the yankees will be treating him like they did a-rod two years ago. if damon wants too much, he will play elsewhere. i’d be fine with cameron or someone like that in left for a year or two.
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I truthfully hope he gets a 4 year deal somewhere and has no choice but to go.
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