Kenny Rogers made famous these riveting lyrics many years ago, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.  Know when to walk away and know when to run.”   Somebody should have played the song for Johnny Damon, as his gamble didn’t pay off today as the New York Yankees signed former San Francisco Giants OF Randy Winn today as his replacement.  The signing most likely is the final chapter of Damon’s tenure in New York.

Winn’s signing comes shortly after Damon’s agent, Scott Boras, rejected the Yankees latest and final offer.  Winn’s contract is a one-year deal for $2 million, providing the Yankees with an economical replacement whose fielding capabilities are superior to Damon.  Winn will likely platoon in the outfield with Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher.  Winn struggled last year, batting just .262 with only 2 home runs and 51 runs batted in.

The decision by the Yankees to go economical signals they will likely be players in the 2011 free agency market for an outfielder.  Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Brad Hawpe and Magglio Ordonez are all expected to test the waters after the upcoming season.  That’s so long as the Yankees still have money left over after unloading their riches on Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer.

As for Damon, he wins this year’s Scott Boras Bonehead Client of The Year.  Previous winners of the award are Alex Rodriguez and Bobby Abreu, who earned the same distinctions following the 2007 and 2008 season’s respectively.   To earn the award, you must display unshaken faith in your agent, believe all of his shoe shining about how great you are and leave yourself out on the free agency marketing until there are no suitors interested in your services.

The Yankees had offered Damon early in the free agency signing period a two-year deal worth $14 million.  Boras directed Damon to request a higher annual salary and three years…call their bluff.  Sorry Scotty, they weren’t bluffing.

There aren’t a lot of options out there for Damon, as most teams have addressed their needs and don’t have a budget for Damon.  The Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds probably have the inside track, but their offering won’t be nearly as good as the Yankees.  Perhaps the Florida Marlins may pursue as well now that they have been mandated to spend more money or feel the wrath of the other MLB owners.

It is disappointing to see this happen to a class act like Johnny Damon.  He’s done nothing but play his heart out for every team he’s played for, been loved by the fans in each town and provided a positive influence in the locker room at every stop.  Due to his agent’s bad advice, he’ll likely be taking a bargain price 1-year deal on a non-contender team as he fades into the pasture.

The saddest part of this story is that when and if Damon does sign, Boras will actually get paid for his top-shelf services.   It is almost criminal.

Tags: Brian Cashman, johnny damon, New York Yankees, randy winn, scott boras

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 8:48 pm and is filed under MLB, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.