Damon to the Yankees

[26 to 6]

We shouldn't take this as too much. Damon doesn't need to be beamed in the head. Just imagining the amount of runners that will score from third against New York because Damon has a weak arm seems funny enough to me.

You guys werent laughing about that when he was in Boston, were you?

[schillingouttheks]

You guys werent laughing about that when he was in Boston, were you?

Well, we always knew he had a s***** arm and always knew runners scored mainly because of his weak arm.

[Sox fan in Tex]

I'm not laughing. I'm extremely dissapointed. You just have to think that with some of the moves we've made over the last few years, this will only free up money that can be put toward something else.

[yagmaster]

I don't understand why fans are so down on Red Sox management. I think it's been a good offseason thus far. The significant moves we have and have not made:

 

Acquiring Beckett, Mota, and Lowell for prospects (good prospects, but still prospects)

 

Acquring starting second baseman (and allstar) Mark Loretta for backup catcher Doug Mirabelli

 

Acquiring prospect/reliver Van Buren for no one in particular

 

Trading Renteria for best prospect in baseball Andy Marte

 

NOT getting ripped off by trading Manny Ramirez

 

Signing Rudy Seanez

 

NOT overpaying Johnny Damon

 

 

Yes we have holes, but we still have pitching to trade to fill these holes. I'm not worried at all about this season; I already like the '06 Sox more than the '05 Sox.

[Sox fan in Tex]

26-6, if I'm a Yankee fan I'm extremely happy regarding this move. You guys are going to be even tougher in 2006, looking at that lineup. Congrats on the pickup.

[a700hitter]

Please, please John Henry, step in and stop this. Don't let this happen! Maybe you are not competent to be the Principal Owner.

[ORS]

I applaud the FO for sticking by their guns and not going as high as $13M per AAV. That is crazy money for Damon's skill set and strong chance of rapid decline due to age. I guess Bernie Williams didn't teach the Yankee's FO much the last two years.

 

That said, they have, without a doubt, the most imposing lineup going into the season. Going by last year's stats, they have all 8 position players capable of producing over 30 VORP. By comparison, the best offense in the game last year, the Red Sox, had 5 produce over 30 VORP, and two of them are gone (Mueller, Damon).

 

This improves the Yanks in '06, but is really good for the Sox in '07 and beyond. They now have 2-1st round picks, 2-sandwich picks, and an extra 3rd round pick going into June's amatuer draft. This will widen the gap between the two farm systems. Plus, if the Reed deal goes down, they have a lot of salary freed up for a much stronger FA class at the end of the next year.

 

I can stomach a year of them positioning the team to build a powerhouse post-2006.

[schillingouttheks]

Yeah, agreed with yag. I've been trying to say that I'm glad the management has been holding their ground and not overpaying for Damon or getting ripped off with Manny. There's nothing you could do with this. They offered Damon as much as they should, and it just turns out that Damon's an *******.

[jimmycarter05]

What a stab in the back, Damon was saying how he was Red Sox for life and how much he wanted to get a deal done here, I mean what's the difference, 3 million dollars a year? 3 million! What's the difference bewteen 10 million a year and 13 million a year? Come on, what a back stabber.

[Sox fan in Tex]

Acquiring Beckett, Mota, and Lowell for prospects (good prospects, but still prospects)

 

We had an outstanding third baseman in Bill Mueller. You could even say he was the most clutch in the game. It hasn't been a horrible offseason, but here's the point: It's your job to out-do or keep up with the Yankees. It's our move now, make something happen.

[ksushi]

Exactly. They signed another Bernie. If you don't recall, this year Bernie was somewhere between bad and worthy of a slap in public. If it weren't for the fact that he is the classiest man this side of barry white (this side of the grave) then he would have gotten one. Damon is not so classy and in four years you are going to wish he chose to keep the hair and bring his bad attitude and poor sportsmanship somewhere else.

 

Damon is a great lead off hitter, but the end of his season was completely gum and glue and thats bad. He is a good player, but not a durable player despite any 'damon has played this many games and not missed this many' ******** someone might throw at me. If this was not his contract year, he would have sat down instead of playing some of those games at the end, perhaps even hitting the DL. He plays too hard to last much more than 2 seasons without injury.

 

If the sox were not winning, they would have never put up with his crap. But he looked very pretty in our lineup for the last four years, but will only look so pretty for the next two in yours and his best days may be like his hair, gone.

 

I'll take my draft pick, thank you and my jeremy reed if you don't mind. I'll keep my papelbons and lesters too, and who knows josh beckett might be useful now and then so I'll have him around too. Have fun with your senior citizens brigade, you might want to install a wheelchair ramp onto center field, bernie was complaining that he needed one this year. Damon will have that issue in a couple years too.

[ACL BoSox]

Stop blaming this on Damon. He called the Red Sox to match the offer, they said no, hence Damon is a Yankee.

 

Possible suitors now for CF, my choice would be Jeremy Reed, but with the M's signing Washburn, would they really want Clement. That CoCo Crisp deal is s*****, so who does it leave?

[CalvnHobs6]

I'd be pretty happy come time when we have Loretta/Cora/Graff/Pedroia platooning middle infield, Marte/Lowell/Youkilis between first and third, and Manny, Trot, and Reed/Crisp in the outfield. Not gonna lie, that's really not terrible. Oh, and also, Schilling/Beckett at the top of the rotation? Papelbon/Wakefield/Arroyo or Clement rounding it off. I have no problem with the 2006 Red Sox.

Let me say: I'm not unhappy Johnny's gone. I am unhappy he went to the ONE TEAM that really gets to Sox fans. However, I would be enormously unhappy if we signed him for as much as the Yanks did. It's very bittersweet. ANY other team would be fine, and you'd be remembered in Boston for the good times. But what he just did is unforgivable.

[jsinger121]

i can't wait for next yrs draft where we can stock the system again with all the draft picks. lets get reed for next season. then we will let trot come off the books....move reed to right and bring in andrew jones.

[ARod2212]

They signed Bernie to a 7 year deal, Damon got a 4 year deal. The contract length is perfectly acceptable for Damon's age and ability.

[CalvnHobs6]

And I forgot the only two players NOT talked about this offseason: Ortiz and Varitek...the only two position players NOT available for trade.

[Sox fan in Tex]

Well, the mood has gone for horrible to signs of hope. Somebody needs to start selling "Screw you, Johnny! And take your money with you!" t-shirts or something like that, haha. Guess I'll be burning my "W.W.J.D.D.?" shirt, soon.

[ksushi]

jesus, my last post was in response to someone who got bured in the time it took me to write it.

 

sox fan in texas, i am glad you are in texas. here is why...

 

if you ran the red sox i would be a sad man. Retaliation is bad idea. They have a plan in place for the future that doesn't have any "In case the yankees sign someone we used to have" clauses in it. There are no bail outs like that. The best way to succeed is to follow a plan and follow through with it and not jump the gun and over pay for a preston wilson and trade your pitching prospects for a miguel tejada if someone you wanted doesn't want you back.

 

On that note, are you the kind of guy who might show up drunk and naked on a girls front lawn signing songs like "Do we really know what time it is" and throwing little pebbles at her window until her dad calls the police? Similar situations if you think about.

 

Once again, im only partially responsible for all this stuff, contact my agent if you're angry after reading this.

[ahhchon]

HOLY s***.

 

everyone take a step back. this is johnny damon we are talking about, not barry bonds, not manny, not ortiz, not puljos.

 

why is everyone freaking out about this? this is not the first time someone has left the red sox for more money, it has happen many many times. more recent players are mo vaughn and pedro. if another club offered tek 4 years 48 million he probably would have left too.

 

damon has done everything he can in boston, become one of their better lead off hitters ever, help them reach the alcs twice, helped them win a word series, he's off to other things. he knows that the yankees lineup will be one of the best in the history of the game. those guys are going to break some insane records.

 

i for one am not stressing this at all. i would not have offered damon anything over 3 years 33 mill. we didn't overpay for an aging centerfielder with no arm, it was the correct, smart decision. we basically freed up money to sign a bigger name after 06, mr andruw jones, who is far superior to damon. we also get a draft pick for losing damon. like ORS said, we'll be slightly weaker in 06, but it strengthens our future.

 

don't hate damon, i don't. thank him for all the great time and great moments. he did what ANY of us would do if we knew we were going to decline sometime within the next few years. get the most you can before it's over. who knows what damon has in store for himself after baseball, he might not have a career, he might not gain any significant income to upkeep his current lifestyle, that's where the 12 mill extra comes in handy.

 

i'll never understand why people freak out about free agents leaving. you play for whoever pays you the most.. if you made 50k a year and someone else offered you 55k a year you'de leave in a heartbeat, the same goes for baseball players.

 

hey, pedro going to the mets didn't bother me, there is no way in hell i would even stress a hair on this, yankee or not.

 

john

[jsinger121]

they signed bernie when he didn't have alot of wear and tear on his body like damon has. damon has taken a beating the last 2 seasons physically.

[ksushi]

BTW, would anyone be averse to me compiling stats, and other ******** in a 300 page binder report on why I am the best member in baseball especially when leading off a thread? I think I should.

 

That is all.

 

No its not, everyone who is typing needs to stop and read ahhcons post. That is great.

[ahhchon]

What a stab in the back, Damon was saying how he was Red Sox for life and how much he wanted to get a deal done here, I mean what's the difference, 3 million dollars a year? 3 million! What's the difference bewteen 10 million a year and 13 million a year? Come on, what a back stabber.

 

the difference is 12 million dollars. TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS. that's more money than you will see in your entire lifetime. you'de be stupid not to take an extra TWELVE million dollars.

 

it's funny how you people speak as if 12 million bucks is nothing..

 

john

[yeszir]

This is extremenly disappointing. It doesnt matter what calibre player it is, if a player leaves the sox for the yankees and vice versa, hey have no soul. Craig Grebeck could do it and I'd be pissed. John Wasdin too. This is just something you flat out DO NOT DO. Damon will not be able to live this down for the rest of his career, and I hope it does him in.

 

I say we buy up his retarded ass shitlit, "idiot" and burn it in mass quanitities. He should get booed off the field when he plays us at home (10 times). He deserves every bad thing that is about to happen to him. Death to Johnny Damon.

[CalvnHobs6]

i'll never understand why people freak out about free agents leaving. you play for whoever pays you the most.. if you made 50k a year and someone else offered you 55k a year you'de leave in a heartbeat, the same goes for baseball players.

 

NO, not when the job I'm working at for 5K less is one I really enjoy, where I love the place and everyone there loves me.

 

HE WENT TO THE YANKEES. Dodgers, Orioles, Mets, Cards, ANYBODY ELSE. But no, going to the Yankees is unforgivable. AND PEOPLE DON'T NEED THAT EXTRA 8 MILLION DOLLARS.

He made SO much money off his book and his endorsements, as well as in the past, that 44 million WOULD, in fact, set him up for life. But no, I guess that wasn't quite good enough.

[Sox fan in Tex]

Okay, thinking logically now, ksushi, I just would like a better offseason than New York. That's all. Alright, I think I'm over the initial shock now.

[ORS]

They signed Bernie to a 7 year deal, Damon got a 4 year deal. The contract length is perfectly acceptable for Damon's age and ability.

This further proves my point. Bernie's 7 year deal was for years 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. Damon's is for years 32, 33, 34, 35. Bernie was good the first 4 years, but declined big time in year 5. BA, OBP, SLG, and OPS just fell off the table, as did FRAR. With Damon's contract, they are getting (probably?) 2 years instead of 4 before the decline begins. That is a big risk at $13M per.

[ahhchon]

NO, not when the job I'm working at for 5K less is one I really enjoy, where I love the place and everyone there loves me.

 

HE WENT TO THE YANKEES. Dodgers, Orioles, Mets, Cards, ANYBODY ELSE. But no, going to the Yankees is unforgivable. AND PEOPLE DON'T NEED THAT EXTRA 8 MILLION DOLLARS.

He made SO much money off his book and his endorsements, as well as in the past, that 44 million WOULD, in fact, set him up for life. But no, I guess that wasn't quite good enough.

 

5k was an example, if you do the math it's more like 30%.. so would you take a job that pays 50k in which you have a great time at over a job that pays 65k? no one knows that damon will have less fun in NY than he will in boston. as boston fans we all say that the ny lockerroom is this and that, we don't know what goes on in there. lets assume that the 65k job will be enjoyable, but not overly funfilled like the 50k job. you'de take the 65k job, especially since you can demand for a trade if you don't like it..

 

i guess i have a different viewpoint towards this because i love the redsox so much more than i hate the yankees.

 

john

[jimmycarter05]

the difference is 12 million dollars. TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS. that's more money than you will see in your entire lifetime. you'de be stupid not to take an extra TWELVE million dollars.

 

it's funny how you people speak as if 12 million bucks is nothing..

 

john

 

It is nothing to them, remember they say they play for the "love of the game", remember "I live for this," huh? Remember that, so if they play for the so-called love of the game, whats an extra 12 million when you're already making 40 million to play a game where the people and players love you already? No instead he took the money and ran to our long time rivals, to be in the spot-light. 12 million dollars is nothing to those big-time players.

[yeszir]

5k was an example, if you do the math it's more like 30%.. so would you take a job that pays 50k in which you have a great time at over a job that pays 65k? no one knows that damon will have less fun in NY than he will in boston. as boston fans we all say that the ny lockerroom is this and that, we don't know what goes on in there. lets assume that the 65k job will be enjoyable, but not overly funfilled like the 50k job. you'de take the 65k job, especially since you can demand for a trade if you don't like it..

 

i guess i have a different viewpoint towards this because i love the redsox so much more than i hate the yankees.

 

john

If you want to treat it as an office job, we can do that. Say you work at a company called redcorp which is finally enjoying some financial success. The employees are relatively happy (except for one who will occasionally bitch about a stapler) and everyone involved is liking their job. Then one coworker, who you view as a friend, decides to quit for $5,000 more. Fine. But he decides to go to evilcorp, the conglomerate that pollutes the air/water/soil, has been trying to put redcorp out of business for years, and is run by Ken Lay.

[CalvnHobs6]

5k was an example, if you do the math it's more like 30%.. so would you take a job that pays 50k in which you have a great time at over a job that pays 65k? no one knows that damon will have less fun in NY than he will in boston. as boston fans we all say that the ny lockerroom is this and that, we don't know what goes on in there. lets assume that the 65k job will be enjoyable, but not overly funfilled like the 50k job. you'de take the 65k job, especially since you can demand for a trade if you don't like it..

 

i guess i have a different viewpoint towards this because i love the redsox so much more than i hate the yankees.

 

john

 

I definitely love the Red Sox more than the Yankees. But this is an unwritten rule, and I'm surprised you're not affected by it.

 

And I'm not talking about co-workers here. I'm talking about the fans. I have no idea what goes on in a NY locker room (well, I could guess...gross. Sorry, couldn't resist) but the Boston fans who loved the s*** out of this guy are hostile, relentless motherf***ers. Is it worth that extra couple million a year (most HUMANS live off about 50K, god forbid you get TWO MILLION less when you're already being paid as you are)? If you think that what the Red Sox offered him won't last him the rest of his life, you are very much mistaken. His idiot is showing, and it's going to bite him in the ass.