So the Yankees decided to do something different than trying to resign Johnny Damon at a discount or throwing their self-proposed budget to the waste side and signing a Matt Holliday. They made a very sensible trade.
Now they have Curtis Granderson to play the outfield and he comes with a price tag of just 5.5 million in 2010, 8.2 million in 2011, 10 million in 2012 and a club option for 13 million with a 2 million buyout in 2013. In other words, the Yankees have Granderson from age 29-31 with a club option for age 32 all for a price lower than Johnny Damon.
My gut feeling is New York is out of the Halladay sweepstakes (which they were out of to me before they were actually ever in them), out of the Matsui camp and will probably not pursue Johnny Damon unless he can be had for a bargain basement price. Keeping in mind the figures we laid out yesterday, New York now has a payroll of 171.5 million dollars for next season. If they sign someone like Reed Johnson, who can hit lefties as well as Curtis Granderson can hit righties, it would be another wise move at a decent price.
Johnson made 3 million in 2009 and if the Yankees sent four million or so his way he would be as good as signed. This would mean for 9.5 million, New York could have Granderson in center, Melky Cabrera or Reed Johnson in left, Brett Gardner expendable in a trade (perhaps for a reliever or another role player) and they would become more athletic with outfield depth, form a solid platoon, and become younger in age (Johnson is just 32 and like Gardner, he can play all three outfield positions fairly well, which means Eric Hinske would no longer be necessary.) What’s even more interesting is Johnson played for the Cubs last year, and they are the same team who have shown interest in Melky Cabrera. If Gardner and Johnson formed a platoon in left, and Cabrera were traded to the Cubs, it would not surprise me either.
New York would lose some pop in offense with Johnson and Granderson instead of Matsui and Damon, but they would become faster, more athletic and more versatile offensively instead. This would also free up the DH position for numerous aging players like Jeter, A-Rod and Posada if they needed to have a day off in the field. This would put the Yankees at 175.5 million and they could use that money to get another bench player (Gardner, Pena, Cervelli and then an open spot) and sign Andy Pettitte plus another starter. If they spent another 1.5 million or so on a bench guy and then signed Pettitte for 11 more, that would put them at just 184 million, leaving enough money for a Rich Harden or Ben Sheets and still being able to cut payroll just the same.
Regardless of if New York is still dissatisfied with the offense; the team is showing a rare combination of smart spending, solid trading and continuous shrinking of payroll. Brian Cashman could once again field a more athletic, younger, team with just as much upside, and trim 20-25 million more off of the budget. Signing Curtis Granderson was a solid first step.
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