Braves still not actively pursuing Damon
Well it looks like National Signing Day will conclude without Johnny Damon knowing where he's going to be playing this year. But it still certainly appears that Atlanta isn't in his immediate future.
Instead of taking the negligent route of saying there is absolutely no way the Braves eventually sign Damon, I will acknowledge that this landscape could be quickly altered if one of Atlanta's outfielders were to suffer an injury during the early days or weeks of camp.
Or maybe there will come a time when Damon would be willing to accept the $1-2 million the Braves might be willing to offer. But this seems doubtful given the likelihood that the Blue Jays or Tigers would seemingly be willing to provide something greater.
After a brief exchange with a team source again this morning, it was evident that the Braves still aren't actively pursuing Damon.
Placed in the same situation two years ago, when the 36-year-old Damon still had the youthful legs that provided him great range in center and the ability to sweep bags with regularity, the Braves might have shown some interest.
Of course the price tag wouldn't have been the same either.
At the end of the day, the only reason the Braves would have interest in Damon is to allow him to serve as the leadoff hitter that they lack. But while hitting .284 with a .349 on-base percentage and .446 slugging percentage on the road last year, did he really provide the confidence that he will be productive in this role.
Another alarming stat comes from the fact that he attempted to steal just 12 bases last year. Over the course of ...read more
Instead of taking the negligent route of saying there is absolutely no way the Braves eventually sign Damon, I will acknowledge that this landscape could be quickly altered if one of Atlanta's outfielders were to suffer an injury during the early days or weeks of camp.
Or maybe there will come a time when Damon would be willing to accept the $1-2 million the Braves might be willing to offer. But this seems doubtful given the likelihood that the Blue Jays or Tigers would seemingly be willing to provide something greater.
After a brief exchange with a team source again this morning, it was evident that the Braves still aren't actively pursuing Damon.
Placed in the same situation two years ago, when the 36-year-old Damon still had the youthful legs that provided him great range in center and the ability to sweep bags with regularity, the Braves might have shown some interest.
Of course the price tag wouldn't have been the same either.
At the end of the day, the only reason the Braves would have interest in Damon is to allow him to serve as the leadoff hitter that they lack. But while hitting .284 with a .349 on-base percentage and .446 slugging percentage on the road last year, did he really provide the confidence that he will be productive in this role.
Another alarming stat comes from the fact that he attempted to steal just 12 bases last year. Over the course of ...read more
Posted by: Bowman's Blog.