03/17: Grading the Yanks Offseason
Posted by: James
Ben Jacobs over at The Hardball Times posted the final third of his Offseason Rankings and the Yankees come in second (the Dodgers were first). That's pretty high praise coming from a die-hard Red Sox fan (you may remember Ben from the Rivals in Exile pieces that he did with Larry Mahnken last season). Here's a quick excerpt and head over over to read the rest.
Really, the Yankees just didn't do anything wrong this offseason. They may have overspent in a couple places, but they can afford it. And every player they added can help them.
The big move was obviously the signing of Johnny Damon for $52 million over four years. That's a lot of money, and it will carry him through his age 35 season, which is always a risk, but it will be worth it for at least the first two years. Last year, the Yankees got a .629 OPS and terrible defense at center field. Even if Damon declines both offensively and defensively, he will be a huge upgrade for the Yankees.
The big move was obviously the signing of Johnny Damon for $52 million over four years. That's a lot of money, and it will carry him through his age 35 season, which is always a risk, but it will be worth it for at least the first two years. Last year, the Yankees got a .629 OPS and terrible defense at center field. Even if Damon declines both offensively and defensively, he will be a huge upgrade for the Yankees.
Stas wrote:
Let me see. The bullpen sucked last year, but Farnsworth sucked ever more in the post season.
Damon? I'll take Crisp at this point in time because of age and cost. We've seen a very different Johnny Damon the past three months.
I keep saying this, and I'll say it again to anyone who's listening.
The Yankees did not have trouble scoring runs last year. They're pitching was awful...almost as bad as the Red Sox' pitching.
So, if you ask me:
a.) Damon and Farnsworth
b.) Beckett and Crisp
Beckett and Crisp. Thank you very much.