Time To Trade Johnny Damon?

Bob Klapisch raises a possibility I haven't seen yet: should the Yankees start shopping center fielder Johnny Damon?

Damon is earning $13MM annually through 2009, and has a partial no-trade clause.  His age 33 season has been a disappointment so far; he's hitting .259/.363/.364.  His flyball rate is down from 40% to 32%; that might have something to do with it. 

Damon was supposed to enter the 2007 season in good health, with a broken foot bone healed and his shoulder 100%.  However, he began the regular season with cramps in his calves.  That developed into a strain, and then hamstring and back problems surfaced in late April.  Jason Giambi's injury will give the Yankees a chance to DH Damon, but it really seems like he needs to rest for two weeks on the DL.

Trading Damon would not be easy right now, and would qualify as selling low.  The Yankees would probably have to eat some of his salary.  I really can't think of a club that would make sense though.  I'd suggest the White Sox, but they seem too thrilled with Darin Erstad.

 

Comments

[DentalPlan]

Remember when Damon's father said Damon going to the Yankees would be like when they sold Babe Ruth? What an ass.

[beaminack]

what does Damon even do well anymore? he cant get a hit cant play D whats the point of trading for this guy? i mean yeha he may be able to turn it around. is it worth 13 million to find out?

[ptk420biatch]

Peanuts, get your peanuts.

[MarkH]

I can count the "excellent" free agency club signings in the past 15 years on one hand. The process enables mediocre talent and their agent to exploit the market. Damon has always been injury prone and he has arguably the worst arm in the majors. Savvy Scott Boras sold his client's charima and decent OBP to a club the has more money than God.

[MarkH]

I can count the "excellent" free agency club signings in the past 15 years on one hand. The process enables mediocre talent and their agent to exploit the market. Damon has always been injury prone and he has arguably the worst arm in the majors. Savvy Scott Boras sold his client's charisma and decent OBP to a club the has more money than God.

[ErroRod1985]

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda, but didn't. Great move Epstein. The Coco move hasn't worked out either, but atleast their more inclined to start Ellsbury over this bum then that bum.

[dj_kurioo]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..Hold upppp hahah... trade johnny .. if he gets traded and some team takes him .. damm i'm gonna feel bad for that team.. my grand pa runs better and trow's better than this bum.. yanks r stupid.. they overrate alot of players .. johnny getting 13 mill dammmmmmmmmmmm..

[ArodSucksAtLife]

"Damon has always been injury prone and he has arguably the worst arm in the majors."

Never been on the DL once his entire career.

[MarkH]

"Never been on the DL once his entire career"
No, you are right, but he's missed many games due to injury. Nice try!

[dudewheresmygrl]

As a Sox fan, I know that Damon is one of the toughest players. He was one of my favorite players on the Red Sox from the moment they signed him. Yes that is hard to say since he sold his soul to go play for the Yankees, but with his mentality of all out playing in a physically demanding position, he is prone to getting injured. However these are not long injuries and he is able to get past them to play well. However now that he is reaching his mid 30's those injuries that he was once able to play through, are in fact causing him trouble this year. The Yankees are putting him at full-time DH for the time being as perhaps a ploy to raise his stock in the trade market, and perhaps get him healthier. A lot can change from now until then, so it is still early on this trade front, it should be revisited around the trading deadline if Damon has started to hit again, but a 13 million dollar DH who's slugging percentage is one point higher than his on-base percentage is going to be hard to shop.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

"Never been on the DL once his entire career"
No, you are right, but he's missed many games due to injury. Nice try!

Johnny Damon avg 11 seasons, not counting rookie, and this season- 151 games a year.

Derek Jeter avg 11 seasons, not counting rookie, and this season- 151 games a year.

Has Jeter always been injury prone?

"Nice try!"

[russell]

The Yankees are already trying to get Damon to make Erstad type change to first.

[MarkH]

Are you retarded, Arodsucksatlife?
I don't even know how to comment to that response.

[MarkH]

Do yourself a favor, Arodsucksatlife...Check out the following website and review Damon's history of injury report thoughout his career:
http://www.rototimes.com/mlb/player/1239/notes/