1. The Yankees will not be a young team next year, but they will be moving closer to one of Brian Cashman’s visions to have more players in their prime years. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez will all be in their mid-to-late thirties. But the other five players projected to be on the field
right now will all play next year at age-30 or lower:
Mark Teixeira (30), Curtis Granderson (29), Nick Swisher (29), Robinson Cano (27) and Melky Cabrera (25).
2. It is because the Yankees are determined to get younger that I do believe they are going to keep an offer to 36-year-old Johnny Damon to one year at less than $10 million. Why?
Because Damon represents so much of what concerns the front office when it comes to age: Yes, he plays his 140-plus games, but more and more he does it with greater aches and pains. His defense has retreated to the point that I believe if he returns he would be a DH half the time anyway. And Damon’s desire for a three- or four-year deal feeds into the Yankee concerns of having too many older players on long-term deals.
Yankee officials admire that the Red Sox let key championship players such as Damon, Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez leave not long after winning it all in 2004, yet stayed a very good team and by 2007 was a champion again.
The Yanks know for a bunch of reasons from loyalty to performance to history that they cannot let Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera leave when their contracts expire after the 2010 season. But they could let Damon go if he does not play under their terms.
It is possible that Damon would have a market elsewhere. However, the Giants – a likely suitor – have said they are not interested. Atlanta wants a righty outfield bat, but probably would consider Damon if the Braves could free up money elsewhere, and that would work for Damon since they do spring training near his Orlando home.
But the perception is that Damon wants to stay a Yankee and certainly wants to train in Florida, something he could not get if, say, Seattle decided it wanted him as a DH.
And there is the matter if a strong multi-year offer is really going to be there for an older, defensive-deficient player.
Damon might be this year’s Bobby Abreu, who waited and waited last year for a long-term contract that never came and wound up accepting $5 million for one year from the Angels. Or Damon might get that long-term offer from a place that just is not appealing to him.
3. I will probably write more about this as the offseason progresses, but be careful about being depressed if your team has not done much yet; such as the Mets. Yes, of course, it is better if a team actively executes a plan for the players they desire. The Yankees have done that quickly by trading for Curtis Granderson and re-signing Andy Pettitte, who were their two main priorities this offseason.
But, remember, in general, this is a horrid market and, so far, it is an overpaid market. You will not be hearing the union crying collusion when Randy Wolf and Brandon Lyon both get three-year deals.
Obviously, the Mets have plenty of work to do. But most of those who elected free agency are still free agents. A new level of free agents will emerge soon with non-tenders. There is nearly three months to pitchers and catchers. Longer than that to Opening Day. Much longer than that to the July 31 trade deadline.
In other words, there is still a lot of time to address the roster. And, as always, the most important stuff for the Mets is, for example, occurring in Jose Reyes’ legs and David Wright’s mind and Johan Santana’s elbow. Nothing the Mets do this offseason will matter if their core is not healthy and productive.
Yes, I get it, Met fans want some presents for the holidays. But panicking puts you in position to get booby-prizes instead.
