Scott Boras has had a couple of swings and misses over the past few years.

In the 2006-07 offseason, Jeff Weaver rejected a 3-year offer of about $25 million from the Cardinals, and took a 1-year, $9 million deal from the Mariners. He went on to post a 6.20 ERA in 2007, and then a 6.17 ERA in the minors in 2008. In hindsight, he left $16 million on the table and is clearly never going to earn that again.

He did the same thing with Kevin Millwood, although it turned out better. I believe the Phillies offered him 3 years/$30 million and he rejected it, signing a one-year deal with the Indians instead. Millwood wound up leading the AL in ERA that year, and parlayed that into a 5-year deal with the Rangers.

It’s hard to say with Damon. He’s probably too old to sign a one-year deal in hopes of testing next years market, and at this point his skills are unlikely to be valued higher in next year’s market anyway. Who knows though. As it stands today, Melky Cabrera is the team’s starting left fielder. Perhaps there still is room for Damon, on the Yankees terms.

After the Yankees non-tendered Chien-Ming Wang, we were all worried about where we’d get our thinly-veiled penis jokes from next year. Thankfully, with the signing of Johnson that won’t a concern anymore.

might come around. His asking price is in the clouds which is the Boras MO, but signing Johnson does not mean the Yankees have closed the door on Damon. If Damon accepts a 2 year 20 million deal, he automatically goes in as the everyday left fielder. Johnson becomes what he was signed to become, the DH. Melky and Brett become the 4th and 5th OF’s with one most likely becoming Trade Fodder. Which I would prefer to be Brett.

Carl Crawford is going to be 28 next year, and they could offer Lee (who would be just as old as Burnett when they signed him) a deal just north of what Halladay got (say 5 years, $110 million)…basically give him Andy’s money and find another $10 million somewhere. Crawford you could give Damon money ($15-18 million) for 6 years.

The real question: will Jeter & Rivera be “reasonable?” Jeter’s making $22 million next year…can you talk him down to 4-5 years of $15-18, with the knowledge that he might only be worth even that the next two?

OK…so the Yankees signed Nick Johnson for $5.5 million to be the everyday DH. Hideki Matsui recently signed with the Angels for about $6.5 million to be their everyday DH. So the Yankees saved a million bucks. Question: Was it worth it? I would rather have spent the extra million or two on a one-year deal and brought Matsui back. It seems a bit callous to let the World Series MVP walk to save $1 million when your payroll is approaching $200 million.

This means Damon is almost certainly gone. Scott Boras did not serve him well. The Yankees would probably have given him $10 million a year for two years. Nobody in their right mind will give him more than that this off-season, and he will not have as good of a chance to win a World Series anywhere else. So I don’t know how Damon was helped by his steadfast insistence on a $13M, three-year contract; he is a 36-year-old who is a really good hitter, but is, at this stage, either a DH or one of the worst outfielders in baseball. I don’t see the logic from his perspective, but I do understand why the Yankees walked away from the table.

The Yankees now need another starter. The best healthy starter on the free agent market is Jarrod Washburn. I would offer him $9.5 million per year for two years, make him the fourth starter, bring Gaudin back as the fifth starter, and leave both Chamberlain and Hughes in the bullpen. It is time for the Yankees to accept the clear reality that everybody else has seen, which is that the experiment of making Joba into a starter has failed.

i love the piece. i see granderson going to bat leadoff, & moving jeter to #2. he was once considered the best leadoff hitter in baseball a couple years ago. he returns to that hitter, with jeter behind him, jeter may actually end up with 100 rbis too. but, i see a hole at #5. as of right now, i see either posada or swisher batting there. i like swisher, but to me, hes a great guy to have coming off bench. theres a 22 year old lefty slugger with a swing made for yankee stadium kind of rotting in cincinnatti right now. his name is jay bruce. talk about trading for someone who will be a fixture for yankees! ill just throw 15 years out there, at least. now, people havent liked my suggestion of who to trade for him. i say trade joba straight up for him. lets face it, he’ll never be their ace. maybe a # 3 at best. i would just hope no one signs wang before they realize that mistake. how could you just let him walk? what would it have cost you, 5, 6 mil? yet, girardi’s always saying "you cant have enough pitching. i believe wang & cabrera arent exactly girardi guys, so to speak. in fact, throw gardner in with joba for bruce, so girardi doesnt have to think about screwing around with what works, cabrera. besides, when they go get crawford next winter, im sure cabrera will understand alot better than that hard headed gardner. another deal id love to see them go after, jeff johnson will not be resigning with marlins. you may have to take uggla with him, but theres another to trade for pitching. what will it cost? we have 3 very good catchers in farm. so, how about sanchez or romine. zach mccallister im sure fla would love. if gardner doesnt go in bruce deal, throw him in there also. remember, fla doesnt want salary. im sure that should be enough to get him. now, you have cc, burnett & johnson at top of rotation, with pettitte behind them. so, youd have to find a #5. shouldnt be that big a problem. but. to have 4 who pretty much should win no less than 15 each, pitching staff is done. if you like, next winter, go after 1 of those big 3, to replace pettitte, who i believe, if they win it all again, will retire. & whatever you do, please dont mess with hughes like you did joba. hes the heir apparent for mo when he retires. i believe their using sense in doing what theyre doing. they have to get younger. & they are, & will, yet continue to stay on top. ill miss matsui alot more than damon. any time he came up, with us needing a big hit, he most of the time came through. granderson will shine hitting in this lineup, just like he did when tigers lineup was so good. he is a .300+ hitter, who triples! he had that year with 20 or more doubles, triples, home runs & stolen bases! & plays a great cf. nick johnson, i remember him being a pretty good clutch hitter, or, unlike damon at times, rally killer. nick doesnt try to do more than he can. if a pitcher throws him something to drive, he drives it. if its something to slap into lf, he’ll do that too. or, he’ll just let him walk him. i like nick. & he wont be playing field, for all you who keep coming up with his injuries. i like what theyre doing. now, if skipper joe just takes it easy with over managing, we’ll be ok. youve got a great mix of veteran players here. let them do what they do. but oh, i salivated when i heard about granderson. make jay bruce happen, i may splurt from somewhere else!