Headlines

  • Aaron Judge Undergoing Testing For “Elbow Issue”
  • Yankees Acquire Ryan McMahon
  • Mets Acquire Gregory Soto
  • Padres Interested In Luis Robert Jr., Ramón Laureano
  • Mariners Acquire Josh Naylor
  • Latest On Eugenio Suárez’s Market
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Stock Watch: Johnny Damon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 13, 2010 at 6:19pm CDT

It seems like just a few weeks ago that Johnny Damon was still a free agent, mulling offers from the Tigers, White Sox and others. He is already halfway through the one-year $8MM deal he signed as Spring Training began, so let's take stock of Damon's value.

He's still getting on base (.362 OBP, 40 walks) and stealing occasionally (seven steals in eight attempts), but his power has dropped off noticeably. Damon cranked 24 homers last year, including 17 at Yankee Stadium, a park that seems perfect for his swing and appears to have boosted his homer total. Five of Damon's 17 Yankee Stadium round-trippers were classified as 'just enough' home runs by HitTrackerOnline (that means they didn't clear the wall by much). Comerica Park is considered a pitchers' park, though all six of Damon's 2010 home runs have come at home.

Damon has played in left and center field this year, but has spent most of his time DHing. He turns 37 this winter, so teams are probably wary of relying on him for too much defense at this point. The market for DHs has not been good in recent years, but Damon remains an above-average hitter. 

The Elias rankings currently place Damon in Type A territory, but just barely. The Tigers will probably not offer arbitration after the season, since $8-9MM would be a lot to pay Damon next year. 

That said, teams other than the Indians and Blue Jays don't have DHs locked up long-term and could look to Damon as a way of getting production on a one-year deal. His former teammates, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Hideki Matsui could be among the players competing for DH jobs after the season, but Damon should still draw one-year offers.

Let's not forget that Damon will likely be about three seasons away from the 3,000 hit plateau after this year. That milestone could make it harder for Damon to pass up multi-million dollar offers to play in 2011, even if it means taking a paycut.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Uncategorized Johnny Damon

Solutions At Short
Main
Braves Interested In Cody Ross
View Comments (8)
Post a Comment

8 Comments

  1. Rich_in_NJ

    15 years ago

    I think Damon made a mistake by not taking a little less to play for the Yankees this season because the increased production that would have likely resulted from his ability to adapt his swing to NYS would have probably resulted in him getting a larger contract for 2011, which would have offset any reduction in his 2010 salary.

    Reply
  2. j6takish

    15 years ago

    I understand the dilemma in offering arbitration, but would a Boras client go to arbitration?

    Reply
  3. Israel Piedra

    15 years ago

    Damon doesn’t deserve 3000 hits

    Reply
    • Raylan Givens' Stetson

      15 years ago

      I’d love to hear the logic in your thinking.

      Reply
  4. Patrick OKennedy

    15 years ago

    Damon was signed by the Tigers because, after not offering arbitration to Polanco and trading Granderson, there were huuuuge questions at the top of their lineup. He wasn’t signed because they needed an outfielder, or a DH. It doesn’t matter where he plays in the field, but there is nobody else in the organization that is remotely qualified to bat second in the order ahead of Ordonez and Cabrera. If Damon leaves, they’ll have the same problem.

    If DD does this right, he’ll fill that 2 slot in the order with a 3B or a SS, if he gets a bona fide two way player for one of those positions, for a change.

    Dombrowski is not one to offer arbitration to a player unless he’d be happy to have him accept. Damon probably gets a bit more by accepting arby than he would on a one year deal on the open market, but at least they’d keep it to one year. More likely, DD will leave two top draft picks on the table- again.

    Reply
  5. 0bsessions

    15 years ago

    So, you’re saying that hitting outside of NYS adversely affected his slugging?

    Who could have possibly seen that coming?!

    Reply
    • LordD99

      15 years ago

      Yankee Stadium helped Damon, but not to the degree that people think. Randomness and timing of hot streaks plays into home/road splits.

      With Damon, we have a 15-year career to rate his hitting, so we don’t have to look at one single season to make a determination. A couple years back he hit 17 HRs. 10 on the road and 7 at the Stadium. Last year was the third time he hit 20 or more HRs, and the last time he did it was 2006. He hit 13 at home and 11 on the road. Statistically meaningless. He was going to hit 20+ HRs that year.

      It’s not uncommon for a player to have a drastic a home-road split from one season to the next. Damon hits HR’s in streaks, and two of his hot streaks started right before he returned home. Out of the 17 HRs he hit at the Stadium, five were categorized as “just enough,” which means the other 12 had plenty of distance. It other words, Damon was going to hit 20 HRs last year no matter what.

      This year he has six HRs, all in Detroit, which was supposed to crush his power. Problem is he hasn’t hit a single HR on the road. Normal production means he’d be in double digits in HRs. At this point in his career he’s basically a guy who is going to hit 15-20 HRs in a season, depending on a number of factors. Yes, he’s a lefty hitter was can take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium , but not as much as people believe.

      Reply
    • LordD99

      15 years ago

      Yankee Stadium helped Damon, but not to the degree that people think. Randomness and timing of hot streaks plays into home/road splits.

      With Damon, we have a 15-year career to rate his hitting, so we don’t have to look at one single season to make a determination. A couple years back he hit 17 HRs. 10 on the road and 7 at the Stadium. Last year was the third time he hit 20 or more HRs, and the last time he did it was 2006. He hit 13 at home and 11 on the road. Statistically meaningless. He was going to hit 20+ HRs that year.

      It’s not uncommon for a player to have a drastic a home-road split from one season to the next. Damon hits HR’s in streaks, and two of his hot streaks started right before he returned home. Out of the 17 HRs he hit at the Stadium, five were categorized as “just enough,” which means the other 12 had plenty of distance. It other words, Damon was going to hit 20 HRs last year no matter what.

      This year he has six HRs, all in Detroit, which was supposed to crush his power. Problem is he hasn’t hit a single HR on the road. Normal production means he’d be in double digits in HRs. At this point in his career he’s basically a guy who is going to hit 15-20 HRs in a season, depending on a number of factors. Yes, he’s a lefty hitter was can take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium , but not as much as people believe.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Aaron Judge Undergoing Testing For “Elbow Issue”

    Yankees Acquire Ryan McMahon

    Mets Acquire Gregory Soto

    Padres Interested In Luis Robert Jr., Ramón Laureano

    Mariners Acquire Josh Naylor

    Latest On Eugenio Suárez’s Market

    Pirates Listening On Oneil Cruz; Deal Seen As Unlikely

    Diamondbacks Reportedly Planning To Be Deadline Sellers

    Jesse Chavez Announces Retirement

    Padres Among Teams Interested In Sandy Alcantara

    Rays Option Taj Bradley

    Padres Have Discussed Dylan Cease With Several Teams

    Guardians Open To Offers On Shane Bieber

    Cardinals Designate Erick Fedde For Assignment

    Isaac Paredes Has “Pretty Significant” Injury; Astros Could Pursue Additional Bat

    Lock In A Lower Price On Trade Rumors Front Office Now!

    Mariners, D-backs Have Discussed Eugenio Suárez

    Twins More Seriously Listening To Offers On Rental Players

    Blue Jays Interested In Mitch Keller

    A’s Listening On Jeffrey Springs, JP Sears

    Recent

    Reds’ Carson Spiers To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Tigers Sign Luke Jackson, Designate Geoff Hartlieb

    Phillies Interested In Eugenio Suarez

    Rockies Select Warming Bernabel

    Diamondbacks Designate Trevor Richards For Assignment

    Rays Designate Coco Montes For Assignment

    Phillies Acquire Brewer Hicklen, Designate Ryan Cusick

    Aaron Judge Undergoing Testing For “Elbow Issue”

    Rays Acquire Tristan Gray From White Sox

    Cubs Interested In Adrian Houser

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Josh Naylor Rumors
    • Eugenio Suarez Rumors
    • Ryan O’Hearn Rumors
    • Marcell Ozuna Rumors
    • Merrill Kelly Rumors
    • Seth Lugo Rumors
    • Ryan Helsley Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version