http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/art...s-damon-not-willing-take-pay-cut-stay-yankees
Sources: Damon not willing to take a pay cut to stay with Yankees
Monday, Nov. 23, 2009 - 8:50 a.m. ET
Free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon says he's in no hurry to get a deal done with the <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_0_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">Yankees
</NOBR>, though he has said his preference is to stay with the team.
Damon told the New York Daily News that several teams have expressed interest in his services, but no offers have been made.
"It seems like it's been pretty informal," Damon told the newspaper. "With Thanksgiving coming up, I think it's going to be slow until next week at least. These things usually take until the winter meetings at least; I've been through this before, so I'm just relaxing."
Sources told the newspaper that Damon isn't willing to give the Yankees a big discount. He might be willing to take a shorter deal with New York than elsewhere, as he has told friends he would do, but he might want more money per year in that situation.
All Damon would say Sunday is, "I want to continue to be on a team that can win and to play in front of great fans - and we know that the Yankees fill both of those. I think everyone knows my desire to come back. Still, every time I've been a free agent, I've ended up switching teams. It's the nature of the <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_4_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">beast
</NOBR>. If people are interested, I'm going to listen.
FOXSports.com reports that agent Scott <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_5_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">Boras
</NOBR> will use Bobby Abreu's new contract as a baseline in talks involving Damon. Abreu recently agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal to stay with the Los Angeles Angels.
Damon, 36, compiled an .854 OPS in 143 games with the New York Yankees last season. He also tied a career high with 24 home runs and had 82 RBIs in the final season of a four-year, $52 million contract.
Sources: Damon not willing to take a pay cut to stay with Yankees
Monday, Nov. 23, 2009 - 8:50 a.m. ET
Free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon says he's in no hurry to get a deal done with the <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_0_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">Yankees
</NOBR>, though he has said his preference is to stay with the team.Damon told the New York Daily News that several teams have expressed interest in his services, but no offers have been made.
"It seems like it's been pretty informal," Damon told the newspaper. "With Thanksgiving coming up, I think it's going to be slow until next week at least. These things usually take until the winter meetings at least; I've been through this before, so I'm just relaxing."
Sources told the newspaper that Damon isn't willing to give the Yankees a big discount. He might be willing to take a shorter deal with New York than elsewhere, as he has told friends he would do, but he might want more money per year in that situation.
All Damon would say Sunday is, "I want to continue to be on a team that can win and to play in front of great fans - and we know that the Yankees fill both of those. I think everyone knows my desire to come back. Still, every time I've been a free agent, I've ended up switching teams. It's the nature of the <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_4_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">beast
</NOBR>. If people are interested, I'm going to listen.FOXSports.com reports that agent Scott <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_5_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">Boras
</NOBR> will use Bobby Abreu's new contract as a baseline in talks involving Damon. Abreu recently agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal to stay with the Los Angeles Angels.Damon, 36, compiled an .854 OPS in 143 games with the New York Yankees last season. He also tied a career high with 24 home runs and had 82 RBIs in the final season of a four-year, $52 million contract.
