Who will replace Curtis Granderson?

For the record, I would be shocked if the New York Yankees took Johnny Damon up on his offer to cover for Curtis Granderson for the first month of the 2013 baseball season.

Nor do I believe we are primed for an Alfonso Soriano return to the Bronx, even if the Chicago Cubs decide to kick in some salary to move him. But the quest to replace Granderson is on, a mere two days after Grandy had the rotten luck of getting hit by a pitch and breaking his arm in his first spring training at-bat.

I expect the Yankees to turn to one of their internal candidates since his disabled list stint is only supposed to keep him out for the first five weeks of the regular season. None of the potential candidates – Juan Rivera, Melky Mesa or Matt Diaz – will put up Grandy-like numbers, but I’m sure one or a combination of them could hold down the fort for a month.  

The Yankees have been committed to reducing their payroll and adding another high-priced, aging player goes against that plan. But a recent report indicated that Hal Steinbrenner may be spooked by reaction to that plan and indifference toward the team shown by fans of late, as demonstrated by the empty seats in the ballpark in October. While I do believe he is willing to pay to keep Robinson Cano after this season, I don’t think this means Steinbrenner will open up his wallet to pursue another star outfielder to deal with what is essentially a short-term problem.

Bottom line, Yankees spring training games will be worth watching to see which outfielder can step up and replace Grandy, just for a little while.

Youkilis could pull an Ichiro-like Yankees revival

I’m not crazy about the idea of Kevin Youkilis becoming a member of the New York Yankees, but I’m hoping I’m wrong about him, just as I was wrong about Ichiro Suzuki.

Reports indicate that the Yankees are close to finalizing deals with both Youkilis and Ichiro soon. I’m happy to welcome Ichiro back as he proved to be a valuable addition to the Yankees during the 2012 season. I’m a lot less excited about Youkilis playing third base for the Bronx Bombers.

My hesitation about Youkilis has nothing to do with him being a former member of the Boston Red Sox, although he will probably never earn my affection, just like Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon never won me over despite World Series championships. My issue with Youkilis is that I don’t think he’s a very good player anymore, certainly not worth the $12 million the Yankees threw in his direction. His batting average has slipped in recent years although he had a decent second half in 2012 after being traded to the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees were in a tight spot because they needed a third baseman for at least the first half of 2013, but didn’t want to make any multi-year offers to anyone due to their newfound austerity. They had to go with who they could afford and so they decided Youkilis was the best one-year option for them.  

But I’m willing to entertain the possibility of Youkilis becoming a new man in the Bronx and Ichiro is the only reason for that. I wasn’t crazy about the trade for Ichiro last season because I thought it was a typical, old-Yankees style move: trading for an aging veteran with tremendous name recognition who could no longer play up to his previously high standards. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. It turned out that all Ichiro needed was a change of scenery to rediscover his stroke and love for the game of baseball. He proved to be a terrific addition to the Yankees, both on the field and in the clubhouse.

Maybe Youkilis will win Yankee fans over, just like he won the hearts of Red Sox Nation, by pulling an Ichiro and reviving his career in pinstripes. I’m willing to give him that chance.

Yankees baseball is back

There’s nothing like the first day of reporting for pitchers and catchers to get people excited about baseball again.

For me, most of March will be spent tracking Syracuse University’s (hopefully long) journey through the Big East and NCAA tournaments toward another national title. But I will make some time for spring training baseball. I was excited to see the YES Network announcement of the first broadcast of a New York Yankees spring training game on March 4. Sure, most of the Yankees regulars probably won’t even play and those that do will only play for a few innings at the most. But it will be fun seeing the Yankees take the field again after their disappointingly quick exit from the playoffs last year.

And the start of spring training will once again lead to a rash of last-minute activity. Brian Cashman finally managed to trade away AJ Burnett, but he will still have some decisions to make about the roster, namely filling out the bench roles. It’s looking less and less likely that Johnny Damon will return to pinstripes (which I had doubts about due to his desire to chase 3,000 hits), but Eric Chavez seems happy to reclaim his supporting role with the Yankees.

The Yankees have plenty of decisions to make heading into the 2012 baseball season. Who will be the odd man out of the starting rotation? Who will be the back-up catcher for Russell Martin? Do they hire a designated hitter with the money they saved from trading Burnett or do they leave the job open for the aging Yankee infielders? The answers will probably come slowly over the next few weeks, but they will make spring training interesting to watch. 

Yankees set up for a happy reunion

The New York Yankees apparently are on the hunt for a part-time designated hitter after trading Jesus Montero. So expect to hear the announcement that Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui will return to pinstripes any day now.

 

The Montero trade clears the path for one of the World Series heroes to come back to the Bronx and try to recapture the magic of 2009. The Yankees won’t overpay for either of them and won’t promise them much in the way of playing time. But if Damon or Matsui are realistic about their options, they might consider a return to the Yankees to be their best chance for another championship.

However, Damon already has a pair of World Series rings and is 277 hits shy of the magic 3,000-hit mark to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame so he might opt for a team that will guarantee him more playing time. Matsui is still immensely popular in New York, as shown by the loud cheers and long standing ovations that he received every time he stepped up to the plate as a member of the Angels and the A’s, even with former teammates such as Derek Jeter. If he is willing to settle for less money, the Yankees would likely welcome him back.

The Yankees do not really need to hire a designated hitter. They could go with a rotation that has position players such as Jeter and Alex Rodriguez fill the slot once or twice a week to rest their aging bones. Truthfully, I would much rather have a younger back-up who could help Eduardo Nunez spell the regulars. At this point of their careers, neither Damon nor Matsui can be counted on for regular work in the field.

But I may have the minority opinion on this one, as we Yankee fans are suckers for nostalgia and the great tradition of the Bronx Bombers. As long as either Damon or Matsui could be had for the right price, I don’t think the Yankees have any problem bringing one of them back into the fold. They’ve done it before with Tino Martinez, a move that thrilled me beyond belief despite Tino’s rough years away from the Yankees because he is a personal favorite of mine (like I said, we are suckers for nostalgia). So a Damon or Matsui reunion could be imminent, a prospect that will make a lot of Yankee fans very happy. 

Thanks to Keith Allison for the Damon photo and edogisgod for the Matsui photo via Wikipedia. 

Yankees have no place for Johnny Damon

As popular as Johnny Damon was in the Bronx, the chances of him returning to the New York Yankees are remote.

Damon proved to be a clutch player in pinstripes and was a big reason why the Yankees beat the Phillies in that World Series last year. But the problem is that Damon is a year older now, meaning his range in the field is probably worse than it was during his last few years with the Yankees. Besides, the Yankee outfield is settled with Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher so Damon would be strictly a backup limited to one start a week, barring an injury. With Jorge Posada now firmly ensconced in the designated hitter spot, there's simply no place for Damon to get at-bats.

But I can see why there would be some interest in bringing Damon back. During the Yankees' loss to the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series, they needed someone to step up, have good at-bats and wear the Rangers pitchers down. Damon would have been the perfect guy for that job and perhaps that could have woken up the sleeping offense. We'll never know for sure, but maybe that ALCS turns out a bit differently if Damon was still wearing pinstripes.

Damon didn't have a great year for Detroit, but I can see him getting a job with more regular playing time than the Yankees can offer. If he's willing to sign a reasonable contract (no sure thing with Scott Boras as an agent), he would be a great fit for a team on the periphery with young players he can mentor. I hope he does find the right place for him, but it probably won't be with the Yankees.

Thanks to KenN and Mattingly23 via Wikipedia for the photo.

Yankees don't need Crawford or Werth

The New York Yankees need pitching, not hitting, despite the disappearance of their offense in the playoffs. That's why I believe the stories about their lack of interest in Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth.

Sure, the Yankees could be spinning the story to drive down the price for either or both of these guys. But in making their offseason plans this week, I totally buy that the discussion centered on how much money they can throw at Cliff Lee and a backup plan to trade for a good starting pitcher if Lee spurns them. The Yankees need another arm to go with CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes, especially if Andy Pettitte finally decides to go home for good. Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi believe AJ Burnett can rebound in 2011 and the next guy they hire to be their pitching coach will have the sole mission of fixing Burnett, but they can’t pin their hopes on being able to straighten him out.

When the Yankees look at their team, I don't think they see their outfield as a liability. Late in the baseball season, Curtis Granderson started to show the promise that led Brian Cashman to go after him and say goodbye to fan favorite Johnny Damon. Brett Gardner scored nearly 100 runs, mostly out of the 9th spot in the lineup, while bringing an element of speed that the team has been missing for a long time. And despite his second consecutive rough postseason, Nick Swisher had an All-Star year in hitting 29 homers and knocking in 89 runs.

This being the Yankees, I wouldn't rule them out of landing Crawford and/or Werth, especially if the market for free agents collapses again. But there won’t be intense pressure to sign either one like there was two winters ago to sign Sabathia. If Cashman hadn't gotten his man that time, his master plan for revamping the Yankees would have blown up in his face. But he got Sabathia and another World Series ring.

If Cashman can focus all his energy on Lee, he could add more jewelry to his collection. He doesn't need another bat for that, even if has the name Crawford or Werth on it.

Thanks to Keith Allison and phillymads63 via Wikipedia for the photos.

Random Yankee thoughts: playoff edition

You would think that the Steinbrenner family and New York Yankees have more important things to worry about these days: their team's lackluster play in the baseball playoffs, perhaps? But they are acting like real bullies in preventing a 77-year-old woman from releasing letters she received as a teenager from a young George Steinbrenner.

Lonn Trost, the COO of the Yankees, cited the potential embarrassment and harm to business interests that would be caused by the release of the letters, whose content has been described in several news articles. I'm amazed by such a claim about innocent letters passed between teenagers. If anything I would think releasing the letters would make Steinbrenner look better, especially after Bill Madden's biography cast new light on his terrible treatment of players and employees. The Steinbrenner family's behavior is shameful, but not surprising because the Boss was the ultimate bully.

* Austin Kearns is not in the lineup for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series despite the devastating injury to Mark Teixeira, which brings me back to my original question: why is he on the postseason roster? After striking out against the world in September, it is clear that Joe Girardi has no confidence in him. At this point, he’s just taking up space in the dugout. If the Yankees do make the World Series, they may want to consider making a roster move.

* Melky Cabrera, a key cog in many thrilling Yankee comebacks last year, was released by the Atlanta Braves. I guess that Javier Vazquez trade didn't really work out for either team.

* Johnny Damon last week expressed an openness to returning to the Yankees despite last year's bitter divorce. With the way the offense has been struggling this postseason, the Bronx Bombers really could have used his clutch bat this October.

* Minka Kelly, best known as Derek Jeter's girlfriend, was named Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive in 2010. For a guy like Jeter who values his privacy, I'm sure he was thrilled by the attention.

Jeter deal won't be major dilemma for Yanks

I can't help but laugh at these stories about the supposed hand wringing the New York Yankees will do this offseason over Derek Jeter's next contract. The Yankees and their captain will reach a deal within a month of the last game of the World Series. Why? Because they can't live without each other.

Sure, the Yankees may be contemplating how much to offer Jeter after his subpar season, but there's no way they are going to make him a low-ball offer. Not after all he has meant to this franchise and with him less than 100 hits away from the magic 3,000 hit mark. Ultimately, Jeter is going to get what he asks for, as long as want he asks for is within reason. No one doubts that Jeter deserves at least $20 million annually for three or four years. And knowing Jeter, he will be so motivated to prove that he is worthy of such a contract that the Yankees should expect a major bounce-back season from him in 2011.

This isn't a Hideki Matsui/Johnny Damon situation. As much as Yankee fans loved those guys, they were ultimately replaceable. But we are extremely protective of Jeter because we've seen him grow up right before our eyes, because he has come up in the big spot more often than not, because he has never embarrassed us or left us subject to ridicule the way other baseball players have.

Not only can the Yankees not afford to insult Jeter with a low-ball offer, they really can't even replace him. Tell me who steps into his iconic shoes if Jeter isn't the Yankee shortstop next year. I wouldn’t want to be that guy, whoever he is. Even an aging Jeter who is a fraction of his All-Star/MVP candidate self is better than any of the shortstops in the Yankees system and the vast majority of guys on the 29 other baseball teams.

Reaching a new deal with their iconic shortstop won't be the major dilemma that everyone is portraying it to be. The Yankees and Jeter need each other and they both know it. Yankee fans should expect an early Christmas present announcing the deal that ensures the Yankee Captain ends his career in pinstripes.

Damon spurning of BoSox good for Yankees

I thought Johnny Damon's divorce from the New York Yankees was bad, but it was obviously nothing compared to his bitter split with the Boston Red Sox.

The Detroit Tigers outfielder/designated hitter turned down the opportunity to get back into a legitimate pennant race in the American League East. Damon is very well liked in Detroit by his teammates, but he is also well liked by his former teammates still on the Red Sox roster such as David Ortiz and Jason Varitek. The fact that they were unable to convince him to join their quest to stay alive in the East shows just how badly Damon believes he was treated on the way out the door by the organization and the fans. Given the joyful welcome home he received at Yankee Stadium recently, it's hard to imagine him turning down a similar opportunity to return to New York if it had come to that.

The Yankees should be relieved Damon opted to stay in Detroit. No question a Damon return to Boston would have been great for the Rivalry, but it would not have been good for the Yankees from a baseball perspective. Knowing how clutch Damon is, the last thing they needed to see was him at the plate for Boston with runners on base during what will be key games against the Red Sox down the stretch.

So Damon stays in Detroit where he can't do much to interfere with the Bombers' march toward another berth in the baseball playoffs. For the Yankees, that's for the best.

Thanks to Ken N and Mattingly23 via Wikipedia for the photo.

Bad blood doesn't boil over for Yankees, Tigers

Thankfully, the bad blood from last night's game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers didn't boil over into today.

The Yankees and Tigers played a relatively quiet game, with Phil Hughes pitching an efficient game, helped by some sparkling defense, and the Yankee offense finally coming back to life. I was concerned that some of the ugliness from last night would filter into this afternoon's game, but the players retreated to their neutral corners and focused on baseball.

I was surprised to see Johnny Damon of all people stirring things up on the Tigers' side, accusing Brett Gardner of a dirty slide that put Carlos Guillen on the disabled list. Damon should know his former teammate better than that, but he obviously wasn't the only Tiger who felt that way. Jeremy Bonderman hit Gardner in the first inning last night, triggering a warning from the home-plate umpire that turned out to be completely pointless.

There's no question the umpires did a bad job last night. Bonderman hit Gardner on the leg, which I have no problem with, and that should have been the end of it. But the warning led to any ugly dispute later in the game between Tigers manager Jim Leyland and the umpires after Miguel Cabrera was hit after hitting two home runs. I don't believe Chad Gaudin intentionally hit Cabrera, but the umpire boxed himself into a corner by issuing the warning. The Tigers were rightly enraged when he didn't throw Gaudin out of the game and later threw at Derek Jeter. No question that was on purpose.

But I'm glad it ended there, rather than the Yankees retaliating for their captain being thrown at. With about six weeks left in the season, the Yankees have a lot more to lose than the Tigers.

Classy welcome back for Johnny Damon

Good or bad, New York Yankees fans never forget. For Johnny Damon, the memories are very, very good.

Damon got a really warm welcome from the Yankee Stadium crowd tonight that nearly brought him to tears. The cheers started building as the public address announcer began his introduction and got louder and louder as Damon took off his helmet (revealing a Mohawk, ugh!), smiled and waved in all directions and tapped his heart in appreciation of the fans' affection.

It's still difficult to say that the Yankees made the right call in letting him go. It did open up a full-time spot for Brett Gardner in left field, but Curtis Granderson has been a major disappointment in center. There's no question the Yankees miss Damon's clutch bat at times, although Nick Swisher has done a nice job in the #2 spot between Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira.

But judging from the ovation, the fans definitely miss Damon and fully appreciate all he did during his Yankees tenure, despite the ugly divorce. No hard feelings from the folks in the seats. Nothing but love for old #19.

Thanks to Wsim12 via Wikipedia for the photo.

Jeter move back to #2 in lineup permanent?

For the first time in a year and a half, Derek Jeter was the #2 hitter in the New York Yankees lineup, not #1. Will the move be permanent?

It was an inspired move by manager Joe Girardi last year to switch Jeter and Johnny Damon in the lineup, with Damon serving as the perfect #2 hitter between Jeter and Mark Teixeira. But with Damon long gone, can Girardi now spark that same kind of magic by moving Jeter back into the #2 spot he held for years?

It's an intriguing move for a number of reasons. Brett Gardner has more of the speed that you would expect from a traditional lead-off guy, with 24 stolen bases and the ability to go first to third on almost any single while Jeter has only stolen 9 bases so far this year. The outfielder is also outhitting the Yankees Captain .314 to .281.

Jeter, who is still ahead of the pace to break Pete Rose’s all-time hits record, has made it clear on more than one occasion that he does not care where he hits in the lineup, merely expressing a preference to bat in the first inning, so he probably wouldn’t be upset by such a change. And the shortstop has absolutely no problem sacrificing himself to advance a runner, willing to lay down a bunt at any time, an ideal trait for the #2 guy in the lineup.

Can Girardi catch lightning in a bottle twice by making this move permanent? I’m very curious to find out.

Johnny Damon thriving with Detroit Tigers

After a contentious divorce from the New York Yankees, Johnny Damon has found a home with the Detroit Tigers. He loves Motown and Motown loves him back.

Although his home run numbers are down after last season's power surge in the new Yankee Stadium, Damon is as usual scoring a lot of runs (24 already) and hitting .294 with 14 ribbies. More importantly, he has become a leader on that ballclub, as he was a leader with both the Boston Red Sox and the Bronx Bombers, the kind of leader the Tigers desperately needed. Think Detroit couldn't have used a guy like Damon in that one-game playoff against the Minnesota Twins last year?

As much as he is thriving in Motown, Damon still has a lot of affection for his former New York teammates and is looking forward to hosting them this week in his new home city. The feeling is mutual, with Yankees like Nick Swisher looking forward to seeing their ex-teammate, exchanging pleasantries and memories, and then beating him and his new team on the baseball field.

It is amazing to think about how Damon is thriving in his new environment, Hideki Matsui is as beloved in Los Angeles as he was in New York for his ability to come through in the clutch, but both Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson, the young guns hired to replace them, are on the disabled list with their returns uncertain. So much for the youth movement.

Thanks to OneTwo1 via en.Wikipedia for the photo.

Hal Steinbrenner the real Yankees boss

Maybe I should stop calling him Jr. Boss. It's now abundantly clear that Hal Steinbrenner is fully in control of the New York Yankees, stepping out of the large shadow of his dad George Steinbrenner to take the reins of the team.

Although he shares responsibility with his brother Hank, Hal is in charge of the day-to-day running of baseball's most formidable team and is the public face of the franchise. While Hank has more of his father's tendency to bluster, Hal seems to be the quiet, contemplative type. Long gone are the days when someone named Steinbrenner was grabbing the back pages of the New York tabloids. For the Yankees organization, it's probably a welcome change of pace.

While Hal says he still runs things past his old man, he is the one who actually makes the decisions. That was clear during the offseason when he gave general manager Brian Cashman a budget and stuck to it despite tremendous pressure to repeat as World Series champs and doubts about whether the Yankees could truly become more budget conscious. When it came to his Yankees, George never made a dollar he wasn't willing to spend. Not Hal. He wouldn’t be bullied by the media or fans into parting with one more dollar than he wanted, even for fan favorite Johnny Damon.

Hal is proving he is his own man when it comes to running his team. He definitely needs a new nickname. Any suggestions?

Damon wise to try to mend fences with Yanks

In a classy gesture by New York Yankees fans, the crowd at Steinbrenner Field yesterday gave Johnny Damon a lengthy standing ovation in his first at-bat for the visiting Detroit Tigers. It was a tremendous sign of appreciation and affection for Damon, who many fans never wanted to leave the team. Damon was truly touched by the ovation, smiling and waving back to the crowd and tapping his hand to his heart in obvious gratitude to the fans and to his former teammate Damaso Marte, who stepped off the mound to let him enjoy the moment a little longer.

But for Damon, the most important moment probably came before the game when he had a chance to chat with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, with the two men sharing an apparently pleasant conversation and quick hug.

Regardless of whether Damon blames the Yankees or his agent Scott Boras for not being in pinstripes, it's a smart move on his part to try to mend fences with the team. Several times after Damon signed with Detroit, he mentioned that if the Yanks needed a guy down the stretch, he could be that guy. As much as he might like playing for Jimmy Leyland, Damon clearly left his heart in New York. And the only way he could return to the Bronx Bombers is if he figured out a way to patch things up.

Cashman has always been of the mindset that he will go after any player who can help the team and he doesn't seem like he holds grudges so I can see him being open to a Damon reunion if the circumstances warrant it. But it would have to be on his terms. And Damon making nice with Cashman is a good way to signal that he's ready to do it the GM's way.

Will Damon ever wear pinstripes again? Unlikely, but stranger things have happened in baseball.

Thanks to Ken N and Mattingly23 via Wikipedia for the photo.

Jorge not going down without a fight

Even with Joe Mauer out of the picture for now, Jorge Posada still has to look over his shoulder. Super prospect Jesus Montero will start the season in the minor leagues, but it's clear that he is the catching future of the New York Yankees. So where does that leave Jorge?

Posada is right to watch his back. Brian Cashman is taking every possible opportunity to lower the average age of his team. He is not bound by sentimentality and will not hesitate to replace an older, clutch player such as Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui with a younger Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson. You have to imagine that he will do the same with Posada when his contract expires after next season, if not sooner.

But Posada is a feisty guy so he's not going down without a fight. I see him rising to the challenge to prove to everyone that he is nowhere near done. I expect him to put up his usual strong power numbers for the Yankees.

Thanks to Googie man via en.Wikipedia for the photo.

Pressure on Cano growing each day

The pressure on Robinson Cano to fulfill his enormous potential is growing every day now that he doesn't have clutch players Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon hitting ahead of him in the New York Yankees lineup.

Cano is being talked about as a possible #5 hitter, but before he gets the important job of protecting Alex Rodriguez, he has to prove that he can hit in the clutch, something he has struggled with.

General Manager Brian Cashman, hitting coach Kevin Long and Tex have all been talking about Cano's MVP potential. But you wonder if that kind of talk will make Cano put too much pressure on himself, which could magnify his struggles. Worse, the talk could go to Cano's head and lead to a repeat of his previous behavior of not putting enough work in and just relying on his talent. Cano swears it won't. We'll see.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.

Johnny Damon's puzzling choices

I'm happy Johnny Damon finally found a new job, accepting an $8 million offer to play baseball for the Detroit Tigers this year. But he's made some strange decisions during this round of free agency.

Here's what I find so bizarre. If Damon ultimately was willing to accept $8 million from the Tigers for one year, why couldn't he accept $14 million over two years from the New York Yankees? Did he and agent Scott Boras simply overplay their hand, thinking Damon could get the money and years he wanted with another team? Or did he find the Yankees offer so insulting that he just couldn't accept it? Granted, it was a drastic pay cut, but it was two years guaranteed, which would have kept Damon from having to go through the free-agent circus again in 10 months.

The $8 million doesn't make much sense from the Tigers perspective either, especially considering they just traded the younger, more versatile and cheaper Curtis Granderson to the Yankees. It seems like they overpaid, probably out of fear they would lose Damon to another team. But the Chicago White Sox openly withdrew their offer on Friday so who were they really competing with? Boras is known for creating a mirage of competition for his players where none exist. But with spring training starting, the Tigers probably could have shown a little more patience and gotten Damon for a better price. Very strange indeed.

Thanks to Googie Man via en.Wikipedia for the photo.

Worst moves of baseball offseason

This was an easier list to compile because several teams made questionable decisions, starting with the New York Yankees cross-town rivals:

1) Mets strange offseason moves: Under tremendous pressure to redeem themselves after a lost 2009 season, the Mets made a good move signing Jason Bay to the deal they wanted rather than on his terms. But everything fell apart after that. Defying conventional wisdom, catcher Bengie Molina dissed the Mets to resign with the San Francisco Giants. But the most embarrassing, head-scratching move was the Carlos Beltran surgery debacle. Getting into a nasty, public dispute with one of your best players is unwise and a true reflection of the behind-the-scenes dysfunctionality that prevented the Mets from really fixing their ballclub.

2) The Yankees letting both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui walk: Yes, Brian Cashman fulfilled his stated desire to get younger, but he did so by letting two clutch performers who perfectly fit their roles with the team walk away. He didn't even put up a fight to keep Matsui, signing another injury-plagued player, Nick Johnson, to replace him without saving much money. Damon is going to end up signing with another team for about the same dollars he could have gotten from the Yanks so that's partly on him and Scott Boras, but the team could have been a little more flexible in those negotiations. I just hope Johnson and Curtis Granderson can fill those big shoes.

3) Phillies trading Cliff Lee: When I heard the Phils got Roy Halladay, I thought they would be unbeatable, until I heard they gave up Lee as part of the multi-team trade to get him. They cited a need to replenish their minor league system, but I think they blew a major chance to dominate the National League for the next five years. Lee was incredible during the 2009 playoffs and will make a nice free-agent target for the Yankees, unless Seattle locks him up first.

Thanks to Wknight94 via Wikipedia for the photo.

Gardner deserves fair shot at starting spot

Days before baseball pitchers and catchers are due to report, Brett Gardner is already down in Tampa working in the batting cage and preparing for a tough battle for a starting job in the New York Yankees outfield.

Although Joe Girardi likes his speed and defense, Gardner is not a sure thing to win a spot in either center or left field. The Yankees proved that with the decision to bring in not just Randy Winn, but Marcus Thames late in the process. Typical Yankees mentality: they didn't want to spend the money necessary to retain Johnny Damon, but didn't quite trust Gardner to fill the spot so they brought in reinforcements.

Girardi said Winn will have a shot at winning the starting spot. But given his youth and skills, Gardner has to be given a legitimate shot to win and keep the starting spot. The Yankees have more than enough offense in that lineup and could use more balance on the defensive side. Plus, the speedy Gardner on base, hitting from presumably the 9th spot, ahead of Derek Jeter could turn the lineup over quite effectively.

Thanks to Keith Allison via Wikipedia for the photo.