Morning Bits: Johnson, Bedard, Kennedy, Damon

Here’s a mix of Yankees stuff and league-wide news to start the day:

• Mike Axisa over at River Ave Blues points out that Nick Johnson can really hit a fastball.
• The promising yet frustrating left-hander, Erik Bedard, is close to a one-year deal with Seattle.
• After losing Orlando Hudson to the Twins, the Nationals reacted quickly, landing Adam Kennedy.
• Scott Boras still seems to believe that there is a healthy FA market for his client, Johnny Damon.
• There is at least one AL executive who strongly disagrees with Boras’ view of Damon’s market.

Here’s what that one American League executive had to say regarding Damon’s situation:

“Sometimes, we ask for too much,” said the source, requesting anonymity. “Then the smoke clears and you ask, ‘Where am I?’ And now I can’t believe anybody is going to offer Damon more than the $14 million and $6 million the Yankees did.

“If you turn them down for that, you deserve one year for $3 million or whatever he is going to get. In February, teams have got guys in place. My feeling is that now he is going to be lucky to get whatever he gets. It’s still supply and demand in this game. And Johnny’s arrow is in the middle or going down.”

In retrospect, perhaps the Yankees should have saved the final $2 million they had left in their winter budget instead of spending it on a complimentary piece like Randy Winn. Remarkably, Damon might actually struggle to receive an O-Dog-like deal at $5 million, and, when one considers Damon’s value, such a thought is mind boggling. If they had waited another week or so, the Yankees probably could have re-signed him at their final reported offer of $6 million (half deferred). It is understandable that they chose not to wait, however, as the spring inches closer by the day.

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