Report: Mike Ilitch OKs 2-year, $14M offer for Johnny Damon

Last Updated: February 11. 2010 4:32PM
Report: Mike Ilitch OKs 2-year, $14M offer for Johnny Damon
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

Detroit-- Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has authorized a two-year, $14 million offer for free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon, according to Fox Sports.

Fox also reported that the Braves have made an offer to Damon in the $4 million to $4.5 million range with "significant deferrals."

ESPN's Jayson Stark, citing industry sources, earlier Thursday wrote that the Tigers were the highest bidder for Damon. Speculation then was that their best offer was one year and $7 million.

Stark said Damon will decide which team he'll sign with by the end of the week. It's clear that he is getting close to choosing.

With the Tigers, Damon would be their leadoff hitter and left fielder. He said last week he could turn the Tigers "into a winner."

Damon, 36, tied a career-high with 24 homers for the Yankees in 2009.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100211/SPORTS0104/2110462/1129/sports0104/Report--Mike-Ilitch-OKs-2-year--$14M-offer-for-Johnny-Damon#ixzz0fH0nBO0O

this is garbage! He can't even throw anymore! To offer this much after his last offer was much lower...

Updated: February 11, 2010, 5:31 PM ET
Johnny Damon nearing decision
By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

The Johnny Damon Sweepstakes appeared to be nearing the finish line Thursday, as Damon tries to choose from several offers far less than the two-year, $20 million deal he and agent Scott Boras have been seeking.

Two sources told ESPN.com that the Detroit Tigers have made the largest offer, amid speculation around the industry that that bid is in the range of one year, $7 million.There were indications the sides were still discussing a possible two-year deal. But even the Tigers' one-year offer appears to be the biggest offer on the table.

The Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays have also remained in the bidding, with both teams talking about one-year contracts for fewer total dollars than the Tigers' offer. MLB.com reported that the Braves' offer was for less than $4 million. The Chicago White Sox also have expressed interest, as ESPNChicago.com reported late last month.

At this point, if Damon landed with any team other than the Tigers or Braves, it would be a surprise. He and Boras have been publicly expressing their admiration for both teams. And both, conveniently, hold spring training close to Damon's home in Orlando.

Officials of both the Tigers and Braves declined to characterize their offers or the state of their negotiations Thursday. However, speculation in the industry, from people who have spoken with various principals, is that Damon will make a decision by the end of the week.

Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

Tigers appear to be Damon's frontrunner
Outfielder continues to evaluate options as camp nears

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

02/11/10 5:47 PM EST

If it's going to take a two-year offer to land Johnny Damon, then the Tigers might be on the verge of acquiring the veteran outfielder.

FOXSports.com, citing Major League sources, reported Thursday that Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has authorized a two-year, $14 million contract offer to Damon.

It has been reported that the Tigers and the Braves are both pursuing Damon in these waning days before Spring Training camp opens. But up until this point, it appeared Damon would have to settle for a one-year deal, despite agent Scott Boras' hopes of landing him a two-year commitment.

Detroit reportedly made a one-year, $7 million offer to Damon, and Atlanta reportedly offered him a one-year deal worth between $4 million and $4.5 million, with a significant amount of deferred money.

The Tigers and Braves have not confirmed reports of their offers to Damon.

If Detroit has indeed upped the ante with a two-year offer to the 36-year-old Damon, it wouldn't be the first time Boras and the Tigers reached a late agreement for a star player.

In 2004, clubs were reluctant to negotiate a multiyear agreement with catcher Ivan Rodriguez, a Boras client, because of concerns that his aging body wouldn't hold up to the grind of catching. The Tigers came through with a four-year, $40 million contract (though only two years and $19 million were guaranteed to Pudge). He played four strong years for the Tigers, batting .298 with 67 home runs and 268 RBIs while playing in at least 129 games each season.

In 2005, Boras client Magglio Ordonez was the last prominent free agent available on the market, due to concerns about his surgically repaired right knee. The Tigers didn't just take a chance on him; they gave him a five-year, $75 million contract. He played just 82 games in 2005 but bounced back to play in an average of 147 games a season over the next four years. Ordonez topped 20 HRs and 100 RBIs each season from 2006-08 before dropping off last year, although he still hit well enough (.310 average) to vest his option for 2010.

Both the Rodriguez and Ordonez contracts came shortly before the opening of Spring Training camp, so the Damon deal, if consummated, would not be without precedent.

In fact, Boras' ties to the Tigers run deep, as he has also represented the likes of Kenny Rogers, Bobby Seay and Rick Porcello. And in Ilitch, Boras seems to have found a successful negotiating partner.

"The thing I like to say," Boras said last week, "is that Mike knows his investments. His businesses are successful."

It remains to be seen if the two sides will forge a successful agreement on Damon. Boras has attempted to sell Damon to the Tigers as the last piece they need to claim an AL Central title that has eluded them the last three years. He points to Damon's two World Series titles -- with the Red Sox in 2004 and the Yankees last fall -- as evidence that he is a winner.

"I don't recommend players," Boras said, "unless I feel they can go there and do well."

If the Tigers sign Damon, they could place him in their leadoff role, rather than handing that responsibility to youngster Austin Jackson.

Damon batted .282 with 24 homers, 36 doubles, 82 RBIs and an .854 OPS in 143 games for the Yankees last season.

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

It'd be good if we signed him. Our depth would be outrageous. And it would add another good bat. He's got wheels and can set up more runs by stealing bases. I don't think we go wrong in signing him if he agrees.

gdennis59 wrote:

It'd be good if we signed him. Our depth would be outrageous. And it would add another good bat. He's got wheels and can set up more runs by stealing bases. I don't think we go wrong in signing him if he agrees.

He would be crazy not to accept this offer. I just hope his fielding does not hurt us too much! (maybe DH him) But his bat will really help. Maybe this year we can get to the WS! We have the pieces, and I expect to see another trade now to help the infield. Maybe some time during Spring Training.

Damon would be an upgrade over Guillen in LF. And his bat would be an upgrade over 90% of the roster. Sign him.

bobrob2004 wrote:

Damon would be an upgrade over Guillen in LF. And his bat would be an upgrade over 90% of the roster. Sign him.

I agree, I just question the 2 years at $14 M.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

Damon would be an upgrade over Guillen in LF. And his bat would be an upgrade over 90% of the roster. Sign him.

I agree, I just question the 2 years at $14 M.

It does seem like a big jump from the Braves' offer. 1 year/$4 million to 2 years/$14 million?

Damon in no rush to sign deal
As suitors roll in, free agent vacationing in Hawaii

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

02/12/10 7:42 PM EST

Johnny Damon, at last check, was vacationing in Hawaii, among the palm trees and the beach bums. It's a place where a man can get some thinking done, and it appears several teams have given Damon plenty to think about.

The Damon signing soap opera, which has dragged out all winter, appears to be winding to a close here in the waning days before Spring Training camps open in Florida and Arizona. But while the activity on Damon heated up this past week, it doesn't appear as though he'll sign his name on the dotted line until next week.

What we know is that the Tigers, Braves and White Sox are all in on Damon, to some degree, but the extent of that courtship seems to differ from club to club.

The Tigers seem to be the favorites to land Damon, the 36-year-old left fielder who was last seen winning a World Series crown with the Yankees. The Tigers have their eyes on Damon as a potential leadoff hitter who would likely allow rookie center fielder Austin Jackson to move down the order. Damon would also bump Carlos Guillen into DH duties.

FOXSports.com, citing Major League sources, reported Thursday that Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has authorized a two-year, $14 million offer to Damon. The Tigers also reportedly offered Damon a one-year, $7 million deal.

If reports are accurate, either of those offers would be the best on the table to Damon.

The Braves, meanwhile, have reportedly made Damon a one-year offer to take over their leadoff duties. MLB.com, citing a Major League source, reported the contract's total value at less than $4 million, including deferred money.

The Tigers and Braves have not confirmed reports of their offers to Damon.

One draw the Braves possess is their proximity to Damon's Orlando home. Their training complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., is mere minutes from his house. Of course, the Tigers' Spring Training complex in Lakeland is a pretty short commute, as well. The White Sox, who train in Arizona, also have jumped into the Damon sweepstakes.

White Sox general manager Kenny Williams has mentioned to reporters several times that his team is essentially at its 2010 spending limit. MLB.com speculated that the club might have somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 million to spend on Damon.

Damon's agent, Scott Boras, was reportedly seeking a two-year, $20 million commitment for his client this winter. The Yankees, who were Damon's first choice, balked at such a figure, and the two sides parted ways after four years together in the Bronx.

Since then, the activity on Damon has been rather quiet, until this past week. Though he batted .282 with a career-high-tying 24 home runs for the world champs last year, Damon, a 15-year veteran, has found some clubs to be cool to the concept of bringing in an aging outfielder on a multiyear deal.

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Last Updated: February 17. 2010 2:32PM
Tigers don't like being used in Johnny Damon sweepstakes
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. -- Johnny Damon and agent Scott Boras want another, bigger bidder in their auction for a free-agent outfielder.

But the Tigers appear to remain in precisely the spot they have been for the past week: favorites to sign the former Yankees star who would likely become manager Jim Leyland's new left-fielder and leadoff batter, if he agrees to play for Detroit.

The Tigers have maintained their tightest-ever lid on negotiations with Boras, who has been shopping hard and publicly for any and all investors as he attempts to find a home for his 36-year-old client.

Boras has been trying mightily to persuade the Chicago White Sox to better Detroit's offer, which is likely for two years and money in the neighborhood of $7 million per season.

But the White Sox are sticking to a firm payroll that figures to be in the neighborhood of $104 million in 2010. And as much as they would like to sign Damon as a designated hitter and part-time outfielder, it is understood that White Sox general manager Ken Williams will not spend the extra $2-3 million required to pry Damon from the Tigers.

It is apparent that both sides are running out of time, and increasingly clear that the Tigers resent being used as a benchmark as Boras seeks a higher bidder.

But after missing out on a two-year contract that Boras and Damon wanted from the Yankees -- and that the Yankees say they offered, much to the dispute of Boras -- baseball's most heralded agent wants a premium package for a player who has been plainly hurt by a market that has gotten only softer as the off-season draws to a close.

The Tigers are waiting. And so is Boras. If no serious second bidder emerges, the Tigers remain the best bet to offer the most of what Boras and Damon are seeking: cold cash.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100217/SPORTS0104/2170405/1129/Tigers-don-t-like-being-used-in-Johnny-Damon-sweepstakes#ixzz0fpRIWV2E

As Tigers and other teams lobby for Johnny Damon, his wife likely will have final say
By Steve Kornacki
February 17, 2010, 5:45PM

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Phil Coke sat in front of his locker after Tuesday morning’s workout and shook his head thinking about Johnny Damon. His former teammate on the New York Yankees is mulling joining Coke and the rest of the Detroit Tigers.

“I wish I had his number,” Coke said. “I’d call and say, ‘Hurry up and sign and get over here. Quit messing around. Let’s go!’ “

Coke, a reliever for the Yankees who came to Detroit via trade, is unabashed in his admiration for the free-agent outfielder with two World Series rings and 2,425 hits.

“I love Johnny,” Coke said. “He’s an amazing person on and off the field. He’s a great player and clubhouse guy.”

So, he’d love to see Damon join the Tigers?

“Yeah, absolutely,” Coke said. “And he’d be a familiar face, man.”

Would he be the first to greet Damon?

“I’d go form tackle him,” Coke said, acting like a linebacker greeting a tailback. “But maybe I’d not want to do that. We’d want him to be healthy.”

Is Damon the missing link to a Central Division championship or simply a pipe dream for the Tigers?

If various reports are accurate, the $14 million for two years Detroit is dangling in front of Damon is triple the money and double the length of anything that has been offered by the Yankees or Atlanta Braves. And it’s thought to be more than what the Chicago White Sox or Tampa Bay Rays, also believed to be suitors, are proposing.

So, what gives?

Why has he not signed on the dotted line for easily the best deal?

It’s been mentioned that Damon’s wife, Michelle, wants a more cosmopolitan city to live in than Detroit and might prefer Chicago.

An executive for a major league team, requesting anonymity, put the situation in perspective:

“Johnny Damon has made $97 million in his career. Money is not the issue. It’s about where he wants to go and play with a contending club. If money is not an issue then this is about taking an opportunity that will please his wife -- which he should do -- and picking the place where he feels most comfortable playing for a contender.

“I know Detroit’s heavy on him, and four or five clubs have some form of interest. But if he’s turned down everything until now, it’s not just about doing the math. It’s about where he wants to play. That’s the bottom line.”

White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who was Damon’s teammate at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, and the television voice of the club, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, reportedly met Monday with Damon to lobby for their club during a round of golf.

Everybody seems to be planting a seed in Damon's mind, and his circle of options grows wider. But Damon remains a free agent. It makes you wonder if he isn’t waiting for the Yankees to reconsider. Although, it looks like former Detroit center fielder Curtis Granderson likely will replace Damon in left field for New York.

Tigers pitchers and catchers report Thursday and have their first formal workouts Friday. The other position players report Monday. But Damon doesn’t have to check in or lift a bat until he decides on his next team.

Everybody else might be in a hurry for Damon to make up his mind, but there’s no deadline for him unless teams begin pulling out.

Detroit ace Justin Verlander was asked what he makes of the Damon stories and rumors.

“I don’t really pay much attention to it until something happens,” Verlander said. “It does no good to play what-if games. I look at it a lot like midseason trade rumors.”

In other words, if Damon walks through the door and Coke tackles him, Verlander will know he has a new teammate. And according to Coke, he is an ultimate teammate.

“Johnny still moves really well,” Coke said. “But he struggles some in the outfield because he’s sacrificed himself for the game all these years.”

He plays the game the right way.

He plays the field just as well.

Give Coke and some of our players who live in the suburbs Damon's phone number. If they can't make he and his wife at ease living OUTSIDE OF DETROIT, in the suburbs, then give Damon a deadline to accept the contract! If he really is worried about living in the Detroit area and wants a more cosmopolitan city like Chicago, then good luck. Chicago is a very corrupt city and has lots of gang dangers itself!

I had no problem growing up in the Detroit suburbs, and the city of Detroit has a lot of culture to offer. Illitch has made great strides in bringing Detroit back to life, around Comerica Park. I felt very safe in the area and you can't beat the Fox Theater, the Book Cadillac is now high end.

I am pissed if Boras is just using the Tigers as a way of getting a higher salary for Damon some place else!!!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Give Coke and some of our players who live in the suburbs Damon's phone number. If they can't make he and his wife at ease living OUTSIDE OF DETROIT, in the suburbs, then give Damon a deadline to accept the contract! If he really is worried about living in the Detroit area and wants a more cosmopolitan city like Chicago, then good luck. Chicago is a very corrupt city and has lots of gang dangers itself!

I had no problem growing up in the Detroit suburbs, and the city of Detroit has a lot of culture to offer. Illitch has made great strides in bringing Detroit back to life, around Comerica Park. I felt very safe in the area and you can't beat the Fox Theater, the Book Cadillac is now high end.

I am pissed if Boras is just using the Tigers as a way of getting a higher salary for Damon some place else!!!

While I would never, ever live in the city of Detroit, the Detroit suburbs are actually quite safe.

I agree, the suburbs are a great place to live except for a few that are bad, but even the worst suburbs are better than Detroit.

Last Updated: February 18. 2010 7:02PM
Tigers, not White Sox, the better match for Johnny Damon
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. -- Ironically, it was Thursday's silence that suggested outfielder Johnny Damon and the Tigers might be moving closer to a deal that would bring Damon to Detroit.

The Tigers were maintaining their no-comment posture with respect to a 36-year-old free agent and left-hand batter who could easily become manager Jim Leyland's choice as the team's new left-fielder, and just as likely, their answer at leadoff.

Scott Boras, the agent for Damon, likewise was in solitude. He did not return a Detroit News phone call, which had been placed in an attempt to learn if Boras was having better luck discussing Damon's availability with the Chicago White Sox than with the Tigers.

Boras has been public and plentiful this month with his tributes to Damon and, in many cases, to Detroit, which he has said would be a perfect destination for a player who supposedly craves playing for the Tigers.

But the same sales pitch has been made to the White Sox. And there has been at least a perception that Damon and his wife might prefer life in the Windy City.

It remains unclear if the Tigers have made Damon an offer for one or two years, although it is known they have negotiated aggressively in an effort to land a player who last year batted .282 for the New York Yankees with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs.

It has also been obvious that Boras and Damon wanted badly for the White Sox to outbid the Tigers. And while the White Sox were at least open to discussions, it is believed money is more of a constraint for the White Sox than for the Tigers.

Damon's role is another issue that could work against him signing with manager Ozzie Guillen's team. The White Sox would likely be forced to rid themselves of either Mark Kotsay or Andruw Jones, two players added during the offseason and projected to perform as part of the rotating DH favored by Guillen.

Damon would likely be a more regular DH and a part-time outfielder for the White Sox. In any event, his place on the White Sox roster would appear to be a more awkward fit than it would ever be in Detroit, where Damon matches up with the Tigers' dual needs.

At least publicly, no deadline has been set by either party. The waiting game persisted Thursday, and so did the silence.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100218/SPORTS0104/2180505/1129/On-offense--Tigers-claim-glass-is-half-full/Tigers--not-White-Sox--the-better-match-for-Johnny-Damon#ixzz0fwQ5Gk6n

Alright, in all seriousness, forget the wife. Not like just leaver her behind forget her, but the forget her that says you're a grown man and you need to handle your own career. You're wearing the pants, you're CLEARLY making the money, and if she doesn't like that, she can deal with it. Freaal.

gdennis59 wrote:

Alright, in all seriousness, forget the wife. Not like just leaver her behind forget her, but the forget her that says you're a grown man and you need to handle your own career. You're wearing the pants, you're CLEARLY making the money, and if she doesn't like that, she can deal with it. Freaal.

My feeling is if she does not want to be in Detroit.... stay in Orlando. It is not like Orlando is really safe anymore either!

Damon has lost a whole bunch of his money... he should be thankful that the Tigers are offering him as much as they are. And considering the Chicago has pulled their offer off the table...... humm, I wonder how long it will be before Damon ends up in Lakeland. (see next article.)

Last Updated: February 19. 2010 4:44PM
Tigers confirm offer to Johnny Damon; White Sox out of picture
Lynn henning / The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. -- Dave Dombrowski pulled the veil off the Tigers' negotiations with Johnny Damon Friday when he revealed the Tigers had made an offer, and when he spoke specifically of what Damon would bring to the team's lineup.

"First of all, he's a good player, who would help us from an offensive standpoint," said Dombrowski, the Tigers' president and general manager. "He's another left-hand bat, and he's been a winner.

"He's been a good player."

Later Friday, Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams told ESPN that his team was pulling its offer for Damon. Chicago's offer was for a reported $6 for one year.

"It became clear to us in our recent negotiations that the money that we were offering was not going to be good enough for Johnny at this time," Williams told ESPN.

Dombrowski half-smiled when he said of his admission that the Tigers had made Damon an offer: "I don't think that's anything monumental."

It has been known for several weeks that the Tigers were talking with Damon's agent, Scott Boras, who initiated conversations with the Tigers and with owner Mike Ilitch, who clearly expanded the Tigers' 2010 payroll to allow for a Damon offer.

Damon, 36, would allow the Tigers to secure a full-time left fielder and likely leadoff batter for manager Jim Leyland's lineup. Damon has a career .288 batting average and a .355 on-base average. While playing for the world champion New York Yankees last year, he hit .282 with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs.

Dombrowski would not say how long of a contract package the Tigers might have offered, nor, in keeping with his policy, would he disclose any figures. But he acknowledged that a soft off-season market, with fewer teams able to bid for free agents, had opened the door for the Tigers to talk with Damon, a possibility that was beyond remote even a month ago.

"One of the things he being out there this time of year (allowed), is that we made some adjustments," Dombrowski said. "And Mike Ilitch was involved there.

"I'm surprised," Dombrowski said. "One of the differences that has changed, is that by the Christmas holidays most player personnel decisions were done.

"Now, because of the market, it goes longer."

Dombrowski said he had a time frame in mind for completing a possible deal with Damon, but he would not offer details.

The admission that Detroit had made an offer, and Dombrowski's effusive tributes to Damon, would suggest the Tigers and Boras are closing in on a deal.

But no formal announcement would likely be made for at least a couple of days. The Tigers steadfastly insist on an acquired player passing a physical before any information is released.

"We're not at that juncture," Dombrowski said, making it plain he and the Tigers won't be surprised to reach that point in the next few days.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100219/SPORTS0104/2190407#ixzz0g1WgXUFu

hurry up already!