Olney On This Year's Free Agents

How about this -- the Yankees look at the situation and decide that a player like Bay or Joe Mauer make a better long-term investment than Jeter. Money isn't an object for the Yankees of course, but Hank decides Jeter's asking price is too high for a player who will be on the wrong side of 35 when his current contract ends. So they either let him walk, or they low-ball him.

Meanwhile, also following the 2010 season, the Red Sox are finally free of the Julio Lugo albatross and in the market for a SS.......

I'm just saying.

Braves- that makes no sense. Billy Beane will still ask for an arm and a leg...that's what he does. And for what? A guy who hasn't looked like much thus far. I know you need outfielders, but that seems desperate. '...and then have someone overpay for him.'????? What do you mean? Are you talking about FA compensation? Picking up draft picks? 'Flipping' him? None of those scenarios make any sense whatsoever, so...

As an O's fan, the Huff aspect intrigued me. It should be interesting to watch what the Birds do with Huff this year...whether they'll deal their big slugger at the deadline or hang on to him and try to collect draft picks. I'm going to go out on a pretty huge, sturdy limb and say he's a likely Type A and should garner some interest on the FA market. I'd also guess that the O's would offer arbitration, given his relatively cost-effective contract. Likewise, Huff would almost certainly decline in order to net a bigger payday. Two premium picks would be nice for an organization that hasn't had an extra pick since '06, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see an in-season trade if the price is right. The youth movement is in full swing now, so MacPhail has to be looking to unload Huff, Mora, Walker (good luck!), and possibly even guys like Sherrill, Baez, and Scott (maybe for you, Braves for NL East!).

By May/June of next year, the O's could have the youngest team in baseball.

Holliday is still the best FA not named Lackey.

JBay has been worth 1.4 WAR so far this season..

Matt Holliday has been worth 1.2 WAR.

That's a marginal difference. See: defense.

Holliday is having a down year.

Bay is having a MASSIVE career year. Can someone say with a straight face that he's going to keep a 1.042 OPS for the season when he hadn't OPS'ed over .950 since 2005. He's 31, Holliday's 28.

If Bay gets more than Holliday, that is a massive overpayment for Bay. Hopefully teams look at trends as opposed to just the previous year.

Holliday needs Coors and Coors needs Holliday.

Rockies should make a move involving Atkins+ for Holliday.

Damon's hitting .274 vs lefties. His lifetime avg vs lefties in .284. That's not far from his usual numbers. Almost all of his homers are vs righties and we tends to walk more vs righties vs lefties. I really don't think that it's that drastic of a split to make it an issue but a platoon could happen. I think a 1 or 2 year deal for around $5 mil per is about right for Damon at this point in his career.

Posted by: YanksFanSince78 | June 01, 2009 at 12:57 PM

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The last 2 years Damon has put up and Ops of .705 and .710 against lefties. This year his Ops against lefties is .700. Again this year his Obp against lefties so far this season is below .300. So I will say again he is a platoon player. If Nady comes back able to play the field Damon should not play against lefties imo.

Huff is always a slow starter. He won't replicate his numbers from last year, but I think you could bank on an .850 OPS for the next 2 years and not look too silly.

Do we trade him? I think it depends on a few things, most importantly what we can get back. We'd probably ask for full salary relief, along with a B+ SS/3B prospect who is close to major league ready (at most a year away). If we don't get it, we'll probably just sit tight and take the draft picks.

The last 2 years Damon has put up and Ops of .705 and .710 against lefties. This year his Ops against lefties is .700. Again this year his Obp against lefties so far this season is below .300. So I will say again he is a platoon player. If Nady comes back able to play the field Damon should not play against lefties imo.

Posted by: dan l | June 01, 2009 at 02:05 PM
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Well that's the issue. Nadys elbow probably will not allow him to play the field. He JUST started a throwing program after being on the DL for a month. At this point "Noodle Arm" Damon might actually have a stronger arm than Nady. It might make sense to platoon Nady @ the DH spot against leftties and Matsui (.238 vs lefties) against righties.

As for Damon, his .274 against lefties aren't alarming to me. I've seen him turn on plenty of inside pitches from lefties, especially in Yankee stadium. Problem he usually lines them right at someone. I guess if it really became a problem then he could sit against tough lefties and we could slide Melky to LF and let Gardner play in CF.

As for 2010, Matsui is 90% gone unless he wants to stay for cheap as a bat off the bench. Damon might be 60/40 to leave depending on how strong he and everyone else (Melky, Gardner, Swish and Ajax) finish.

"Damon can't hit left handed pitching anymore. He is really only a platoon player going forward as a dh/5thOF. IF he gets more then a 1 year 5 million dollar deal I will be shocked"

So stupid. A .700 OPS vs lefties is fine, especially when you have a 1.000 OPS against righties. I don't know where the hell you came up with 1/5. All he does is give you a .360 OBP every year, at worst, along with some pop and 25 stolen bases. Also, arm aside, he is a nice LF. This guy is a wonderful offensive player, if somebody can get him for a 1/5 deal during the winter that will easily be the best deal made of the offseason. I don't think 2/20 is really out of the question at all, especially for the Yankees.

Holliday just got off to a slow start and is doing fine now, so all the HE NEEDED COORS are just confirmation bias losers. Posted by: nut bunnies | June 01, 2009 at 02:54 PM

I think your stretching it a little bit here. Over his last month Holliday's numbers are .286 BA, 16R, 4Hr, 14RBI, 4 SB.

Now granted the team is horrible and he is not in a pitchers park but those are pretty pedestrian numbers. At this point I think a 3 year 33 million deal is about right. I don't believe Boras will accept that, but I don't think Holliday will be getting blown away with offers.

It's ironic....aside from Bay, Bedard, Molina, Figgins, Hudson and Damon, most of the 2009 FA's are posting dissapointing numbers or have been injured so far. That list includes Holliday, Ordonez, Vlad, Nady, Lackey, Delgado, LaRoche, Cabrera, Giambi, Garciapara, Beltre and Ankiel.