Damon likely to sign with Tigers shortly

Johnny Damon's long journey through free agency, full of unexpected turns, appears close to completion - in Detroit.

Damon, a Yankee for the last four seasons, likely will sign with the Tigers as soon as today, a person familiar with the situation confirmed. The 36-year-old is expected to sign a two-year deal for about $14 million.

The Yankees offered Damon a two-year, $14-million contract Dec. 17 but he turned it down, countering at first with a two-year, $26-million package and then two years for $20 million. The Yankees instead signed Nick Johnson to take Damon's No. 2 spot in the lineup.

Damon and agent Scott Boras have drawn a mountain of criticism for their mishandling of Damon's free agency, as the Yankees very much desired to bring back the leftfielder-designated hitter and probably would've committed that two-year, $20-million package to land him had negotiations gone more smoothly from the outset.

When Boras and Damon insisted, both publicly and privately, that he didn't deserve a pay cut from his $13-million salary, the Yankees moved on to Johnson. Damon's counter-offer came too late in the process, and when the Yankees offered Damon a one-year, $6-million deal last month, with $3 million deferred, Damon didn't even respond.

With the Tigers, Damon will look to help a club that just missed out on reaching the postseason in 2009, blowing a large American League Central lead to the Twins and losing to Minnesota in a one-game playoff. Detroit was in cost-cutting mode earlier this winter, dealing centerfielder Curtis Granderson to the Yankees and pitcher Edwin Jackson to Arizona in one three-way deal.

The Tigers train in Lakeland, Fla., so Damon will spend spring training close to his Orlando-area home.