Until yesterday no one wanted Johnny Damon on their team, including the Yankees.  Reason being is he wanted $10 million per season at the age of 36 AND a multi-year deal which would be him at age 37, at the least.  All of a sudden Damon is now getting offers from the Braves (1-year, $4 million) and the Tigers (1-year, $4.5 million) and I’ve even heard rumors of the Rays being interested.

Johnny Damon is a prime example of players demanding too much money.  Obviously this happens year after year, we all know that.  But just last week Orlando Hudson was this close to signing with the Nationals until he wanted $10 million a year and the Nats countered with $3, then out of nowhere the Twins snag him for $5 million.

Basically the point of my post is an outcry to veterans who’ve already made their money.  Just lower your price range and you can go from a near-National to signing with a contender, and in Damon’s case that’s the Braves or Tigers.  You reach a point in your career when money doesn’t mean as much and it’s more about the World Series, or so I thought.  Damon has almost earned $100,000,000 in his 15 year career.  Why not take that discount and sign with a contender and retire on top.

I would love to see Damon just come out and say that he wants to play for the Rays for $5 million and see what they say.  It would be a slap in the face to the Yankees and Red Sox who slapped him in the face and he will have the chance to bring the Rays back to postseason glory.  I’m not just calling out Johnny Damon here, but I am focusing on him right now.

Damon’s average season over a 162 game span is 113 runs scored, 184 hits, 34 doubles, 16 HRs, 76 RBI, .288 BA and a .355 OBP.  What contender needing an OF wouldn’t take a veteran guy like that for $5-7 million a year?  The answer is none.