The Tigers are considering Johnny Damon for their designated hitter job and the interest is mutual. The 38-year-old free agent is open to returning to Detroit, where he played in 2010, tweets John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
"I have interest knowing that I loved playing there and they are a team built to win," Damon said.
Damon is just 277 career hits away from the 3,000 hit milestone. He hit .261/.326/.418 with 16 homers and 29 doubles in 582 plate appearances as the Rays' DH in 2011. Relative to the league as a whole, he hit well (110 OPS+), but DHs averaged a better batting line this past season: .265/.340/.429. The Scott Boras client has played in at least 140 games every season since 1996. I examined Damon's free agent stock in November, concluding that another modest one-year deal is likely.
The Tigers are on the lookout for DH help and seem to be especially intrigued by left-handed bats, like Damon. The club has also been linked to left-handed hitting free agents Juan Pierre, Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui.
I think Damon would be a perfect fit. He could slide right into the 2 spot. Fill that gap. Fill in the need for the left handed bat. He would also add speed at the top of the line-up. He stole 18 bases last year. He also has some power in which he hit 16 homers last year and could see him taking advantage of the shorter left field porch like Avila did last year.
“Johnny Damon Would Consider Tigers”, that’s a good thing. Since not very many teams seem to beating down his door to sign him.
I just wonder what will come first. Johnny Damon announcing his retirement or Johnny Damon announcing, “Well, I’ve always wanted to play for the Yuma Scorpions…”
Good question.
You’re right, it’s getting down to slim pickems, not slim pickens.
Johnny Damon would consider any club that pays him. His agent has only three criteria in which club to go with. Money, money, and money. Detroit could be Johnny’s new favorite city- again.
Well at least he knows that team pretty much. The Detroit fans seem to like him. He’s also pretty close to some historic records. He set a bunch with the Rays last year. Interesting guy to follow.
Let the kids play – take the money spent on either Pierre or Damon and donate it to Detroit youth baseball. Money better spent
Too bad Boras can’t convince some poor sap of a GM that Damon has the arm of JD Drew, rather than that of a 6 YO girl… As it is..Nobody in their right mind wants him, except as an ancient DH without power. Vlad IMO is more appealing in that regard.
My six-year-old daughter takes offense to the idea her arm is as poor as Johnny Damon’s.
Please God, not Damon
Really? Not even this Damon?
He’s only saying that because he’s desperate. His wife hated the idea of going to Detroit in 2010 originally. Can’t say you can blame them, from Boston and New York to Detwa? That’s quite a precipitous drop in lifestyle.
you obviously haven’t been in oakland county or grosse point farms before
Johnny Damon would consider signing with any team that will pay him money and let him play reguarly as he’s trying to get to 3,000 hits. Any team he plays for he will declare that they are his “favorite” and that he’s always wanted to play for them.
He’s probably better off, production wise, going back to play for the Yankees as he has a good swing for the short porch in right, yet they probably won’t play him any more than four times a week, and that won’t get him to where he wants to be on his hit list. He’s in a race with father time.
I wonder if he makes 3,000 and then he’s elected to the HOF (which he should not be and I don’t think he will even with 3,000) whose hat he’ll go in under? This man has been a total mercenary. I’m not knocking him for it, but he truly is a man without a team. My guess is by default he’d go in as a Royal, the team he came up with and played the most for.
I would think he’d seriously consider going in as a Red Sox, given how much that World Series win meant to that team, and their nation of fans in general.
I think he’d consider going in under any cap, but he doesn’t get to pick (the Hall does), but if he did, I’m pretty sure that the Red Sox would now be at the bottom of his list.
Based on comments I’ve read, he felt the Red Sox front office trashed him on the way out and the media played along, and worse, he was unhappy with how Red Sox fans treated him after he left, booing him reguarly, throwing things at him in the OF, etc., as opposed to how Yankee fans welcomed him back and cheered him after he left that team. He was so annoyed, that when the Red Sox tried to reaquire him for the stretch run in 2010, he refused the trade.
It was like a relationship gone bad.
Alternate Headline: Guy Who Really Wants a Job Would Consider That Place That’s Hiring.
One gets the sense that the Tigers may no longer be considering Johnny Damon.
not anymore
trombone slide – whAa whAa whAaaa
maybe Johnny Damon will go to the Texas Rangers now that the Tigers have signed Prince Fielder.
yea they’re winners cause your not their pick
Damon should go back to the A’s and finish his career. They could use his leadership with their young offense, and would be a good fit at DH.
Yanks need to get Jonny rocket back
A 110 OPS+, 16 HRs playing at the Trop, and 19 SBs doesn’t scream washed up….but he’s also not exactly a replacement for V-Mart.
Can you say whimpee, whambly wombly? Sure, I knew you could.
Why? sign him to a 2 year deal then in 2013 you have miggy 3b fielder 1b and damon lf it would be legend….ary.