Braves Still in the Running for Johnny Damon?

by gondeee on Jan 11, 2010 2:35 PM EST in Braves Related Free Agents

According to Jon Heyman at SI.com, the Braves are one of the teams which have made a contract offer to free agent outfielder Johnny Damon:

The Braves and Giants are believed to have made offers for Damon, though he hasn't snapped up either one immediately, leading some to wonder whether the Yankees might get involved again.

The Braves are likely to only be offering a one-year deal in the $6 to $7 million range, and if that's the case I would expect him to return to the Yankees. I wonder if this is old information (though it was in today's column), since the Braves have stated that no other major moves are likely to be made. This could also be a case where the Braves are low-balling Damon, knowing that he has limited options. The other interesting scenario here could be that if the Braves sign Damon, then they intend to commit themselves to trading either Melky Cabrera or Matt Diaz to clear payroll space, viewing Damon as an upgrade over either.

We shall have to see how this unfolds.

[UPDATE: 6pm]

And so it unfolds, as David O'Brien tweets:

I'm told that Braves have not made an offer to Johnny Damon, despite a rumor suggesting otherwise.

Heyman did say he that he just "believed" the Braves had made an offer... excellent journalism.

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Comments

Uh oh.....

NOOOO!!!! Start Heyward in the bigs and our OF will be fine

by mj10catchit10 on Jan 11, 2010 2:37 PM EST reply actions

I don't think Damon has any effect on Heyward

He isn’t playing right and I doubt Bobby will consistently run Melky or Diaz out in right. Damon would probably take at-bats away from Diaz and definitely Melky.

R.I.P Jazz #6

by was385 on Jan 11, 2010 3:16 PM EST up reply actions

i'd be all for a one year deal

assuming we got rid of Melky and not MattyD.

Remember folks, I'm almost always wrong.
"Let Jason Heyward start the season in RF, and get the hell out of his way."

by Scott Coleman on Jan 11, 2010 2:53 PM EST via mobile reply actions

this

Matt>Melky

by adc62 on Jan 11, 2010 3:10 PM EST up reply actions

-Yellow Jackets, Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Thrashers fan!

by ChrisK562 on Jan 11, 2010 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

anything>Melky

Shouldn't Reid Gorecki get a shot in RF before that Heyward kid everybody talks about?

by Rhyno18 on Jan 11, 2010 3:53 PM EST up reply actions

Except Garrett Anderson, Jeff Francouer...

and a lot of other below average players.

by Mr. Sanchez on Jan 11, 2010 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

I was just thinking that if you grafted Melky’s arm onto Damon’s body, then you might have a real outfielder.

by carpengui on Jan 11, 2010 3:59 PM EST up reply actions

nah, even then you wouldnt, you’d have to graft a canon on his body to make it worth signing johnny damon

but, even then, he’d have to regrow the jesus beard and keep the long hair, that would be the only way it’d be worth it

by MO'toole on Jan 11, 2010 4:01 PM EST up reply actions

The Braves are likely to only be offering a one-year deal in the $6 to $7 million range, and if that’s the case I would expect him to return to the Yankees.

I would think that $6-7m in Atlanta dollars would spend almost as far as $7-$9m well-taxed New York dollars.

FWIW, Damon went to High School in the southwestern area of Orlando (Dr. Phillips HS), which is as close to the Disney Spring Training site as you can get and still be in Orlando.

by carpengui on Jan 11, 2010 3:37 PM EST reply actions

I keep hearing these mentions of Damon being from and living in Orlando, and the Braves training there for a month and a half like it makes any difference. The Yanks train a quick commute to the Gulf in Tampa. I don’t think that has anything to do with his decision… it’s all about money, remember who his agent is.

by gondeee on Jan 11, 2010 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

Right

I agree, and regardless of my comment about, I gotta believe that this rumor (even if it truly is “new”) is a Boras ploy to try and make the Yankees believe there is demand for Damon. You gotta wonder if the source of Heyman’s info is Boras or a contact from the teams involved.

by carpengui on Jan 11, 2010 3:47 PM EST up reply actions

I can’t imagine the Braves throwing any money towards Damon. That would be a complete waste of money. We have a hitter(Diaz) who will be able to put up similar numbers with a full season at a much lower price.

by rcates on Jan 11, 2010 4:26 PM EST up reply actions

Roughly, this year a seven million dollar deal in Atlanta as opposed to New York would have allowed Damon to keep an additional 1.2M. Factor in the 8.35% sales tax in NYC and higher cost of living and it’s likely at least 3M real dollars difference in a 7M deal.

"Four of us wolves, running around the desert together in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine..."

by jeg on Jan 11, 2010 4:35 PM EST up reply actions

It doesn’t matter what team you play for. You taxes are based on where you Place of Residence is.

"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."

by justincredubil02 on Jan 11, 2010 4:55 PM EST up reply actions

Are you sure?

Last I heard, you pay taxes in all the states where you earn money, and the state where you live.

http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=LLmJwJ5GwrZJzsRPKVrmvTnhyJQ47dLrGVT7llcpYFTmMyS0yfXH-1778128411?docId=5002579939

by Lennox on Jan 11, 2010 5:34 PM EST up reply actions

Link Fail

It was supposed to be a link to an article discussing how MLB players are taxed in all the states where they play (including road games).

by Lennox on Jan 11, 2010 5:37 PM EST up reply actions

Well, I have never heard of that before – some people get double-taxed? That isn’t right at all.

Maybe it is because I am military and fall into a little bit of a different situation, but I have a hard time believing that…

"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."

by justincredubil02 on Jan 12, 2010 1:09 AM EST up reply actions

Well, as I understand it, you’re taxed on the income in the state where you earned it, you’re supposed to report your full income to your state of residence, and usually they’ll give you a credit for taxes already paid to the state where you earned your money.

by Lennox on Jan 12, 2010 1:16 AM EST up reply actions

hmmm…interesting.

"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."

by justincredubil02 on Jan 12, 2010 1:58 AM EST up reply actions

check

my mother did that for a few years once

"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"

by Doghnut on Jan 12, 2010 6:27 AM EST up reply actions

Pretty sure that's right. It's certainly not "double taxed".

by Mr. Sanchez on Jan 12, 2010 9:31 AM EST up reply actions

Evolving Outfield

I’d like to see us trade Melky some salary cap relief and sign Damon for one year. Perhaps the trade with the Yankees was all about the young pitcher and everyone else was a decoy for us. I hate to lose Javy but it may work out in our favor if we can do this and a few other things.

by Crispy on Jan 11, 2010 5:26 PM EST reply actions

if we get damon please please trade melky and not diaz

The PuertoRican Kid

by Kobe:The Legend on Jan 11, 2010 5:39 PM EST reply actions

Aww tits

I was kinda diggin the idea of Damon on a cheaper, 1 year contract. Oh well. Thanks for raining on my parade DOB.

Remember folks, I'm almost always wrong.
"Let Jason Heyward start the season in RF, and get the hell out of his way."

by Scott Coleman on Jan 11, 2010 6:21 PM EST reply actions

If we trade an outfielder I say either melky or mclouth. I think we could get more for mclouth.

by jtl585 on Jan 11, 2010 9:09 PM EST reply actions

Don’t think Damon is worth what he is asking. Milky is also a below average player.

by FitzFan on Jan 11, 2010 9:54 PM EST reply actions

No he's not.

He’s absolutely the definition of average, and he’s young enough that it’s beyond reasonable to expect him to get better.

Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.

by MichaelProcton on Jan 15, 2010 2:28 AM EST up reply actions

I’m just not a fan of Damon so this doesn’t interest me good to know that it doesn’t seem likely but I do wonder if the Braves are still looking for someone to put in left field(Damon, Dye, Nady) or if they will be happy with a Melky/Diaz platoon if Heyward proves he can play rf. If I had a choice between keeping Diaz or Melky as the fourth outfielder though I’d take Melky because of his versatility.

by Magoo12218 on Jan 11, 2010 11:17 PM EST reply actions

you would honestly rather have Melky Cabrera instead of Matt Diaz?

Remember folks, I'm almost always wrong.
"Let Jason Heyward start the season in RF, and get the hell out of his way."
Tyreke Evans for Rookie of the Year.
Peyton Manning = Best Quarterback of all time.
At Arizona, our basketball team doesn't rebuild...we re-load.

by Scott Coleman on Jan 11, 2010 11:44 PM EST up reply actions

He did say as a 4th OF

And the fact that Melky can play adequate defense in CF makes that a justifiable position. Who else would we run out there if Nate were to go down? I don’t know about you, but seeing Omar Infante in CF doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for me. Now I wouldn’t take Melky over Diaz as a player and I certainly wouldn’t get rid of Diaz if we did sign Damon, but Melky’s ability to play CF may make him the better 4th OF option for the Braves.

by nixa37 on Jan 12, 2010 12:38 PM EST up reply actions

Fair enough. I guess I didn’t get the 4th OF part

by Scott Coleman on Jan 12, 2010 7:10 PM EST up reply actions

Yep...

I think people are underrating Melky because he played for the Yankees and overrating Diaz because he plays for the Braves. Melky would give us a switch hitter off the bench that can give you above average defense at all three outfield positions, I just think he has more to offer a team as a fourth outfielder than Diaz and I don’t think its close.

by Magoo12218 on Jan 12, 2010 2:07 PM EST up reply actions

Jon Heyman

Jon Heyman is NOT and NEVER HAS BEEN a reliable source. He rumor mongers all the time. If you follow his tweets, and I do not, it’s even worse. Jon is a good writer and he often has worthwhile things to say, but it’s just best not to put too much stock in anything he says about player movement.

by Zontar on Jan 12, 2010 10:12 AM EST reply actions

If we have 6-7 million dollars to spend, I would rather keep it for a midseason trade. I like the idea have at least having the ability to make a trade at the deadline for some help. Maybe Wagner gets hurt and Saito struggles. We go out and get a closer. Maybe Glaus goes down with something. We can trade for a 1B. Using all of our resources during the offseason lacks forward thinking that we need. We don’t have an unlimited payroll like some teams. It would be nice to have some money stashed away for a midseason pickup.

by dlkinser86 on Jan 12, 2010 12:09 PM EST reply actions

+1

and the fact that Damon is a strong upgrade over Diaz should make this a no contest.

by Cracker! on Jan 12, 2010 2:52 PM EST up reply actions

dude, you have got to be on crack?

how is someone who has no arm, is relegated to left field only, and has NO power outside of the yankees bandbox an upgrade over matty d?

or would you prefer that i use proper typing?

How is someone who has no arm, is relegated to left only, and has NO power outside of the Yankees bandbox of a stadium an upgrade over Matt Diaz?

does that satisfy your sense of moral outrage over my typing skills?

by MO'toole on Jan 12, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions

*isn't

not is. I was going to make that edit but I thought it was obvious in context. Guess not.

by Cracker! on Jan 12, 2010 7:34 PM EST up reply actions

I think the Braves should sign Johnny Damon. use him at left move melky to right and the braves should trade matt diaz for cash. The Braves should sign damon cause the braves are sure to make it to the championship.

by ADog on Jan 12, 2010 5:26 PM EST reply actions