Quantity over proven quality.
Unable to agree on a deal with Johnny Damon, the Yankees officially announced the Randy Winn signing yesterday, and agreed to a minor-league contract with Marcus Thames.
Added to Brett Gardner, the Yankees have three possible replacements for Damon, who is unemployed.
Winn, 35, is guaranteed $1.1 million and can bag another $900,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances against lefties — $100,000 each for 50, 75 and 100 plate appearances and $150,000 apiece for 125, 150, 175 and 200 appearances. He is a career .280 hitter versus lefties, but the switch-hitter batted just .158 against southpaws last year.
Winn batted .262 with two homers and 51 RBIs for the Giants last year, when he made $9.6 million. The righty-hitting Thames, who appeared in seven games for the 2002 Yankees (they drafted him in the 30th round in 1996) and homered off Randy Johnson in his first big-league at-bat, was limited to 87 games last year with Detroit due to injuries.
Thames, 33 next month, signed a minor-league deal that will pay him $900,000 if he makes the team. He batted .252 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs last season.
“He has a great bat against left-handers,” manager Joe Girardi said of Thames, who was dealt from the Yankees to Rangers for Ruben Sierra in 2003.
Said GM Brian Cashman: “He hits left-handed pitching well, and we know him as a person, so we will see where it takes us.”
Thames is a career .256 hitter with a .516 slugging, 40 homers and 105 RBIs in 620 at-bats against lefties. Thames made $2.38 million last year.
⇒ Thames was one of 20 non-roster players invited to camp. Stud catching prospects Jesus Montero and Austin Romine are among the list that also includes lefty-pitching bust Kei Igawa.
