Boras wants long-term deal for ageless Damon
Photo credit: Getty Images | Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees congratulates Johnny Damon #18 after Damon scored in a 2-run single by Hideki Matsui #55 in the bottom of the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the World Series. (November 4, 2009)
Galleries
Johnny Damon
CHICAGO - Johnny Damon turned 36 the day after the Yankees won the World Series, and that gives the Yankees cause for wanting to continue their relationship with the leftfielder on a short term.
Not surprisingly, Damon's agent Scott Boras doesn't see it that way. And if Boras sticks to such a stance in his negotiations with the Yankees, then Damon's New York stay will be over after four successful years.
Boras, speaking to reporters at the general managers' meetings Tuesday, indicated that he thought Damon was worthy of as much as a four-year deal.
"One thing I'll say about Johnny is, his durability is off the charts," Boras said. "You can't look at chronological age. It's kind of when I had [Greg] Maddux on the market at 37 and he got a [three]-year deal [from the Cubs]."
"Johnny Damon is at that point where he's played 12 years and 140-games plus, and put up this remarkable career. Then you're talking about Pete Rose, Willie Mays. You're talking about all of these players who went on to play until 40 at very high levels. So chronological age doesn't play any part in his genetics.
"Certainly, you have to look at the Yankees' history. What they've paid players at like age, and maybe did not have his genetics. In fairness, those are things I can discuss with teams when the time comes."
Two years ago, the Yankees committed four years to Jorge Posada, then 36, and three years to Mariano Rivera, then about to turn 38.
This is what Boras does, of course; four years ago, when Damon was a free agent, Boras publicly floated a seven-year deal, and Damon had to settle for four years from the Yankees. But it's certainly possible that a team could offer Damon two years and the Yankees stick with one year and, if Damon signs elsewhere, go more aggressively after free agent Hideki Matsui.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he didn't plan to meet formally with either Boras or Arn Tellem, Matsui's representative, before today's conclusion of the meetings.
Alan Nero, the agent for Yankees injured righthander Chien-Ming Wang, said that his client met with noted orthopedist James Andrews on Monday, and that Andrews said Wang could begin throwing Dec. 1 and might be ready for major-league action by April 15.
That seems to be an optimistic projection, however, and the Yankees are still most likely to non-tender Wang.
