Bleacher Report asks if Eric Byrnes is an option for the Twins. Why Byrnes if you could sign Johnny Damon for well below his value?
Bleacher Report asks if Eric Byrnes is an option for the Twins. Why Byrnes if you could sign Johnny Damon for well below his value?
Since I wrote the aforementioned article, I think I’ll comment.
I think Byrnes makes more sense because the Twins are committed to Delmon Young in left field and there appears to be no indications that Johnny Damon is willing to become a fourth outfielder and/or take any sort of significant discount.
Additionally, Damon appears to still be stuck on a multi-year agreement. I can’t see the Twins wanting to lock up an aging, decline-phase Johnny Damon when the system is loaded with top outfielders like Ben Revere, Aaron Hicks, Angel Morales and Max Kepler.
Additionally, the Twins lineup is already chock-full of lefties. Adding Damon would clog up the top of the lineup that already includes lefties Span, Mauer, Morneau and Kubel.
Finally, Damon’s ability to play CF is pretty much evaporated at this point and was questionable even in his prime. Byrnes may have lost some range, but is only a few years removed from being a top defensive CF.
In the end, I figure that Byrnes, at roughly $400,000, versus Damon, at $5-10 million, is a much better deal for a fourth outfielder.
Why doesn’t Damon go play in Japan? How realistic is that option?
@Ed: He may not have thought about it yet. I bet he would be very popular there.
please god no! we already went thru the washburn scare. hey jeremiah, dont be giving bill smith any stupid ideas. ill send virgil after ya
@MDS:
…so you’d rather go into the season with Pridie as the fourth outfielder?!
Pridie earned $400K last year and figures to gain at least a moderate raise. Byrnes, who has proven he can hit big league pitching in the past would probably be a cheaper and better alternative.
I’ve got some other alternatives: Rocco Baldelli, Randy Winn, etc…but at the price and given his clubhouse presence Byrnes makes sense.
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