Damon settles for one-year, $8M deal with Tigers

TAMPA, Fla. - Johnny Damon's long, strange trip through free agency has just about reached its conclusion. The former Yankee and the Tigers have agreed on a one-year, $8- million deal, pending a physical.

Damon, 36, likely will hit leadoff for the Tigers, who appealed to him partly because they train in Lakeland, Fla., close to his Orlando home.

Of course, they also appealed to him because at this juncture, they offered the most guaranteed money. The White Sox bowed out of the race Friday, and it is believed their offer was for one year at about $5 million.

The Yankees were interested in bringing back Damon for 2010 and beyond, as long as he was amenable to a pay cut from the $13 million the Yankees paid him each of the last four seasons.

Damon and agent Scott Boras, however, held firm on not taking less money per season. By the time Damon bent - offering to come back for two years and $20 million - the Yankees already had agreed to terms with Nick Johnson on a one-year, $5.5-million deal. Damon turned down a two-year, $14-million offer from the Yankees. The Yankees later floated a one-year, $6-million proposal (half deferred). Damon didn't respond.

For the past week, Damon and Boras have been trying to get Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski to follow through on owner Mike Ilitch's approval of a two-year, $14-million package. Dombrowski didn't bend, however, and with spring training already having begun, Damon relented. Coming off a career season with the Yankees in which he tied his high of 24 homers, Damon will make about 62 percent of what he earned last year.