What are our realistic chances to land Damon?

[sin city sox fan]

I've become obsessed with the thought of Johnny Damon wearing a White Sox uniform this summer. I really think he is the perfect complement to our existing roster and would elevate us from divisional contender to World Series favorite. However, the news seems to change from day to day (and even hour to hour).....one report will say our chances are good and the next will claim he's practically a Tiger. Whats everyone's gut feeling on whether or not he's playing Ozzie Ball in the next month or two?

[BigSqwert]

I voted 20%

[Brian]

0%. He will go to Detroit and hit .350 against us.

[daggins]

I voted 20% but I think its probably between 0 and 20. Maybe 15%.

[Balta1701]

I think it's in the 20% to 40% range. I think if anyone was still offering Damon $6 million a year, he'd have signed by now, and he had to beg the Yankees to get them to offer that the last time. If the higher amounts that are out there are true, then Boras has a team negotiating against itself again.

[chetkincaid]

I don't know, but I'll be glad when Damon makes a decision. On one hand, I'll be glad to have his left handed bat in the line up. But on the other hand... if Damon is signed, there goes the option of adding another bat at the trade deadline.

[ThunderBolt]

if Damon is signed, there goes the option of adding another bat at the trade deadline.

i disagree. Damon goes to LF, Pierre goes to the bench and you DFA Kotsay or Jones.

[Ranger]

i disagree. Damon goes to LF, Pierre goes to the bench and you DFA Kotsay or Jones.

 

Well, you'd likely still have to pay them, which would completely defeat the purpose of getting rid of them so you can create salary room. If no other team wants to pick them up off waivers, then the Sox would end up being responsible for their contracts. You can't just release a player or outright a guy without having to pay him. Again, unless somebody else wants to pick them up.

[hogan873]

i disagree. Damon goes to LF, Pierre goes to the bench and you DFA Kotsay or Jones.

Why would Pierre go to the bench? Wouldn't Damon be signed to take the DH spot?

[stove_williams]

Yes, he and Pierre would both play.

Edited February 16, 2010 by stevewilliams666

[SoxFan562004]

I think the chances are low, probably around the 15% someone mentioned earlier, however, the longer it drags out the chances inch higher, because that shows the market is coming back to where the Sox likely are, but again, I think by Friday Detroit inks him

[RockRaines]

Dont get your hopes up.

[ThunderBolt]

Well, you'd likely still have to pay them, which would completely defeat the purpose of getting rid of them so you can create salary room. If no other team wants to pick them up off waivers, then the Sox would end up being responsible for their contracts. You can't just release a player or outright a guy without having to pay him. Again, unless somebody else wants to pick them up.

I wasn't factoring in salary. Obviously, it's less than realistic, but hypothetically speaking i don't think Damon mitigates any other moves being made.

[macsandz]

I've become obsessed with the thought of Johnny Damon wearing a White Sox uniform this summer. I really think he is the perfect complement to our existing roster and would elevate us from divisional contender to World Series favorite. However, the news seems to change from day to day (and even hour to hour).....one report will say our chances are good and the next will claim he's practically a Tiger. Whats everyone's gut feeling on whether or not he's playing Ozzie Ball in the next month or two?

 

Damon is not gonna sign with the Sox. Sorry.

However, Kenny is not comfortable with this offense and he will be watching the spring and the first part of the season closely. He and JR didn't take on these contracts to finish 2nd.

Edited February 17, 2010 by bucket-of-suck

[SoxFan562004]

Damon is not gonna sign with the Sox. Sorry.

However, Kenny is not comfortable with this offense and he will be watching the spring and the part of the season closely. He and JR didn't take on these contracts to finish 2nd.

Here's my general feeling on the White Sox offseason. KW made his two major moves during the '09 season, I know some on the board want to totally discount them because they didn't happen between November and March, but I consider those "offseason" moves that were geared for the '10 season. Now, JR and another exec (bucket-of-Suck had the quote) basically came out and said the Sox have payroll flexibility to add a good player if they think it's necessary. I think KW knows they are still a bat short but with the rotation and what they have they can stick around with Det and Minny. KW didn't see a game changer available as a FA or via trade in the offseason so he will see what happens during the season and see if he can get a player he can slot in as a full time DH, ie Adam Dunn as a rent a player.

 

That may be a little optimistic, but I see it as a realistic scenario.

[elrockinMT]

Based on al that has been reported on by the so called experts I will say 0%

[ptatc]

I wasn't factoring in salary. Obviously, it's less than realistic, but hypothetically speaking i don't think Damon mitigates any other moves being made.

 

When a team is near their reported budget limit, the salary is the first thing you need to consider. Signing Damon would put them over their budget and would prevent anything else from happening. KW wants that flexibility so that after the team plays for awhile, he can fill whatever weaknesses pop up.

[LZPride08]

I put 0, i think he's a shell of his former self, and whatever Boras is asking for Damon is to high

[nitetrain8601]

I put 0% as well. I think he's just leveraging the White Sox.

[ThunderBolt]

I think they just improved dramatically if this Golf game story is true. I put it at 45%.

[witesoxfan]

I think they just improved dramatically if this Golf game story is true. I put it at 45%.

 

Actually, I agree. I don't think he'll sign but one might imagine he wants to be comfortable in the clubhouse. He seems like a guy that'd be able to fit in well rather anywhere, but if he's going to sign a short-term deal, I'd imagine he might want to sign somewhere where he'll be comfortable, and does have atleast one friend in AJ. Maybe he will, maybe he won't; I just want some baseball to happen.

[flavum]

A few hours ago, I would have said 20%. Now I'm at 60%. Either way, I hope it gets done this week so it doesn't drag on into spring training.

[Princess Dye]

If the goal for Damon is next year's FA market, Detroit is not the place to be for one year. We have that and the personal connections going for us.

 

 

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

f*** golf. Golf is stupid and it's not going to help anyway. The Sox shouldn't be wooing Damon, they should be wooing Damon's wife. Get one of Jerry's daughters to take the lady shopping. Get her a massage. Get her nails done. She's the one with the power here. Buy her a f***ing puppy if you have to. Just get this s*** done.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

If the goal for Damon is next year's FA market, Detroit is not the place to be for one year. We have that and the personal connections going for us.

And Damon will also be one year older and one year closer to retirement. And if Damon has a down year in '10 then he'll be where Dye and Thome are this offseason. If Detroit has 2/$14M on the table then Damon would be a fool to pass that up. I hope that offer isn't true.