Johnny Damon, former left fielder for the Yankees, has been the centerpiece of the offseason rumor mill over the past week or two. Stories of him signing elsewhere, coming back, and even retiring have all been appearing. So when and where you may ask will he sign? The answer is: nobody knows. Frankly it all comes down to how money will be put in, and if it is not a sizable amount for Johhny or his agent Scott Boras, he might actually consider retiring from his fantastic baseball career.
If Johhny Damon doesn't come back, who would play left field? Judging by the way Cashman has chosen his words, Brett Gardner is a strong possibility. Weighing in at a .270 average with a .379 On-Base Percentage over 284 Plate Appearances, he is just below Johnny Damon who is at a .282 average and at .365 OBP. 2009 Clearly was a great year for Johnny, tying his single season home run record with his first year with the Yankees with 24 big ones. Will Johnny Damon be able to put up those numbers once again? Probably not at the tender age of 36. Will Brett Gardner be able to produce nearly as many home runs? Not with the limited power he has displayed over his past two years of major league experience.
So the question really is, who would you like to play left field for the Yankees in the 2010 season?
