Offseason Hitting

[SouljahPhil...]

ah ok..thanks...

Im content on resigning Andy.,matsui and johny for 1 year then...

plus sign a SP.. pref sheets or harden to incentive deal.

[joba_the_beast]

I would love to see us sign Bedard to an incentive heavy deal, I like him a lot more than Harden or Sheets

[SouljahPhil...]

oh I forgot about him...

[EAGLES3658]

Bedard, Harden, or Lackey.

[BryanV21]

Note, I would prefer a trade for a young LFer that can hit as well as Damon...if not better. But the following is going by what we know, not what we hope will happen.

I was looking over the free agent outfielders, thinking I could find one guy that could provide solid defense in LF, along with a solid bat (like a .275 batting average, and OBP of around .340-.350). But I got nothing.

Here's the list I got from Cot's, which includes all OFers...

Bobby Abreu LAA (A)
Garret Anderson ATL (B)
Rick Ankiel STL
Rocco Baldelli BOS
Jason Bay BOS (A)
Marlon Byrd TEX (B)
Mike Cameron MIL (B)
Frank Catalanotto TEX
Endy Chavez SEA
Coco Crisp * KC
Carl Crawford * TB (B)
Johnny Damon NYY (A)
David Dellucci CLE
Jermaine Dye * CWS (A)
Darin Erstad HOU
Cliff Floyd SD
Ryan Freel TEX
Brian Giles SD (B)
Ken Griffey Jr. SEA
Vladimir Guerrero LAA (A)
Eric Hinske NYY
Matt Holliday STL (A)
Geoff Jenkins * PHI
Reed Johnson CHC
Andruw Jones TEX
Gabe Kapler TB
Austin Kearns * WAS
Mark Kotsay CHW
Hideki Matusi NYY (B)
Jason Michaels CLE
Xavier Nady NYY (B)
Magglio Ordonez * DET
Scott Podsednik CHW
Manny Ramirez * LAD (A)
Dave Roberts SF
Gary Sheffield NYM
Fernando Tatis NYM (B)
Randy Winn SF (B)

It looks like the best course of action is to re-sign Damon for a 1 or 2 year deal (or the ever so popular 1 year with an option for a second deal).

And if that's done, I say let Matsui go unless he'll take a 1 year deal, worth no more than $7 million, to be the part-time DH/pinch-hitter (DH in those 80 or so games that Posada catches).

Giving the Yankees a 2010 Opening Day lineup of...

Jeter-SS
Damon-LF
Teixeira-1B
Rodriguez-3B
Posada-DH
Cano-2B
Swisher-RF
Cabrera-CF
Cervelli-C

As for a couple of other FAs and minor leaguers...

Jason Bay - No thanks. Too much money and years for a guy that is horrible defensively, just turned 31, and is an offensive boost that is not needed by the Yankees.

Matt Holliday - First, he'll turn 30 in January. That's not old by any means, but at the end of a 4-5 year deal we'll be paying for his declining years. And paying a good chunk of money too. If the team went after any FA OFer, other than Damon, I would want it to be this guy. But also like Bay, his bat is not needed.

Austin Jackson - He's not quite ready. His power hasn't come around, and he's still striking out too much. Start him out in AAA again, and work on those things. He'll only be 23 years old in February, so it's not like he's getting old for a minor leaguer. And with Damon back, there's really no place for him to get regular playing time...a necessity for a developing player like AJax.

If I left somebody out, let me know. As, except for the first FA part with the list, I wrote this mostly off the top of my head.

[ShadyOne]

As far as starters, if we have a definite opening in the rotation, I am all for Lackey. Of course, that depends on what kind of contract it takes, but if it isn't exorbitant, he would make us absolutely dominant...

And Bryan, you are right, that list is awully slim pickings. You know Bay and Holliday will be expecting the mega-bucks, and I pray we aren't the ones to give it to them. Only guy on that list that interests me is Crawford, but his trade cost will be high as well. Looks like another year of Damon and/or Matsui is the best route..

[DBurchHero]

I really do like Bedard.. when healthy. I am more inclined to take a chance on a ? mark when it comes to health after a full healthy season from CC, AJ, Andy, Joba, Gaudin, etc

If you could get 28-30 starts from Bedard.. worth the money

[EAGLES3658]

I really do like Bedard.. when healthy. I am more inclined to take a chance on a ? mark when it comes to health after a full healthy season from CC, AJ, Andy, Joba, Gaudin, etc

If you could get 28-30 starts from Bedard.. worth the money

Id love to get him also and he was back to his baltimore self this year.

[DBurchHero]

Including the season ending injury

[EAGLES3658]

Yeah, but I will take a shot on him. He will come cheaper now. And the backup plan if he gets hurt could be Kennedy or Z-mac.

[DBurchHero]

Oh I would also take a chance on him. Especially if Andy decided he is finally done. He would be our secondary lefty that I am liking more and more on this team

[EAGLES3658]

If Andy did come back we would have CC, AJ, Andy, Joba, and Hughes. But I want Bedard and Andy is likely o come back...

[DBurchHero]

Dont forget Wang. Half season or not we would need to make room for him... Its crazy if we just let him walk IMO

[EAGLES3658]

Which just makes things point away from any FA pitchers even more.

[JMaest]

I would love to see us sign Bedard to an incentive heavy deal, I like him a lot more than Harden or Sheets

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