John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus posted an enticing segment about the Yankees plans for the future outfield dilemma in his latest weekly roundup (h/t RAB).
The Yankees would prefer to re-sign Johnny Damon to a one-year contract for 2010 and allow outfield prospect Austin Jackson a second year to develop at Triple-A, meanwhile pursuing such big-name free-agent outfielders as Matt Holliday and Jason Bay in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Damon reiterated his preference to stay in pinstripes to the NY Post.
If Perrotto’s information is from a trustworthy Yankees source, it seems highly probable that Damon will be able to work something out with the Yankees.
I’ve been saying it would be a good idea to keep Damon because of his love for the new Yankee Stadium. Plus, the top four in the lineup seem to mesh really well together, and I would hate to split that up after just one season.
As for the other info from Perrotto, Jackson is having a decent year in Triple-A, just below my expectations. He is striking out way too much (118) for someone with only five homers on the season. A .294 BA is respectable, but not for a top prospect. I’ve been starting to lose some hope in A-Jax, but he is still only 22 years old.
Perrotto mentioned Holliday and Bay as the possible free agents the Yankees will be after this offseason. I would choose Holliday because he has proven with the Cardinals he can hit in a ballpark besides Coors Field. Holliday would be the best No. 5 hitter in the majors if he and Damon signed.
Remember, this is just speculation for the offseason. The Yankees still have a World Series to win this year!
