SUNDAY,8:40pm: Eric Chavez confirmed to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter) that he was waiting on the A.J. Burnett deal to come back to the Yanks, but the veteran says that his return is still 50-50.
6:06pm: The Yankees have a framework in place for a deal worth about $1MM plus incentives with Raul Ibanez, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The deal has been on hold, however, because the club first had to be sure that they didn't have to take on a DH type such as Garrett Jones, Travis Hafner, or Bobby Abreu in an A.J. Burnett trade, Sherman tweets.
There's also mutual interest between Eric Chavez and the club in a return and that deal would also work out to $1MM plus incentives, but not before Ibanez's deal is finalized (Twitter links).
SATURDAY, 2:46pm: The Yankees have been negotiating extensively with representatives for Raul Ibanez, tweets Ken Davidoff of Newsday. An agreement seems very likely once the A.J. Burnett trade is finalized.
This morning, we learned that the Yankees still prefer Ibanez to Johnny Damon because he's better against right-handers and in the field. The club is reportedly intent on adding two bats to the fold.
Pretty obvious that this was going to happen. At least he’s a new face to root for. Welcome aboard Raul Ibanez. Great clubhouse character and a welcome addition in a platoon with Andruw Jones. Damon would be smart to take a deal with a team who loses a player due to injury during spring training.
No, no, no, no, no, no. This guy STINKS.
Rauuuuuuul is amazing
No, he is NOT better in the field. Maybe with the arm, but that is all.
definitely with the arm
Okay definitely with the arm, but Damon is definitely better defensively.
Yuck.
love this move expect him to have around 85 to 90 RBIs hitting around seven in the order another plus it limits Andrew Jones at bats
Randy Winn part II. He’ll be DFA’d by June.
Couldn’t agree more, I think that’s a perfect comparison. I just hope he gets a Randy Winn-esque 2 million and not a penny more (less, I think, is unrealistic).
If he sees enough at bats, it might be an alright signing. It still would have made more sense to invest in a real shortstop, though.
I couldn’t stand watching that guy strikeout. Not even sure how many times he did in a Yankee uniform. It might have been less than others proportional to his time there. But darn, it certainly seemed like every time he went up there he swung and missed on strike three and made the walk of shame back to the dugout
Better in the field? COME ON, Zach.
He’s just relaying what the Yankees FO is saying.
Raul still has plenty in the tank.
Better hope he doesn’t go on a slump because when Raul goes on a slump for what seems like months.
If he goes in a slump, that’s okay—Eduardo Nunez and A-Rod can split the at-bats.
Good guy wish him well. Can’t hurt for what they’re paying him, Wonder what he has left. Pitchers with plus fastballs can overpower him.
Why are there extensive negotiations? One has to think Cashman really only needs to say “Look, do you want a job or not. And by the way, we have other options.”
Probably because they have to wait and see if Burnett passes his physical and whether MLB approves the trade. Probably just keeping Raul’s representatives in the loop
Unless the physical shows something wrong, I can’t see a hangup. (Then again, the Yankees voided Hideki Okajima’s contract.)
Damon is proven commodity in the better league and in the toughest division in baseball.
Is anybody worried about his awful Home/Road splits the last two years?
He’s been awful away from the hitter friendly confines of his home park.
… Like Yankees stadium isn’t Left Handed Power Hitter’s Heaven.
Andruw Jones should not be the platoon DH vs LH. He should be platooning with Brett Gardner, playing LF against LH. Gardner was terrible vs LH pitching last year. The Yankees should be seeking a full-time DH that hits both LH and RH.
Gardner was bad vs lefties last year but he’s too young to be considered a platoon player, has extreme value with his ability to draw walks (still had a .350 OBP vs lefty starters) and play defense. He was much better vs lefties in 2010 (.252/.373/.353) and you just have to hope Long and BG can fix the problem.
“This morning, we learned that the Yankees still prefer Ibanez to Johnny Damon because he’s better … in the field.”
May I go cry now??
-C
I like ibanez hes clutch
I like ibanez hes clutch
Thanks for the draft pick!!
What? If you’re referring to Ibanez he was no were near a Type A free agent, and even if he was, with the new CBA this offseason it’s very unlikely he would have been labeled as one of the Free Agents to actually cost a draft pick.
Cash with Cash (joke) is putting together a championship team on paper at least. This guy is a going to probably be a good lefty DH platoon with Jones. Their bench which is usually ignored is getting solid. Chavez will be a another addition. I see positive things happening here IMO. And Burnett is gone which I think was a good move. In playoffs def. Very possibly WS win in the winds in the making. Solely IMO.
Ibanez is old, definitely on the decline, and nobody is really that intrested in him.
So what are you waiting for Billy Beane go get him
Ibanez is old, definitely on the decline, and nobody is really that intrested in him.
So what are you waiting for Billy Beane go get him
Its not like he didnt play in a hitters park last yr
At times… This guy is easily the most streaky hitter I’ve ever seen.
He was a black hole, which is precisely why I want to see him with the Yankees.
Lets say it gives an extra 3 hrs would that of made his numbers actually good?