According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Boras has dismissed the idea that Damon would take a hometown discount to stay in the Bronx and is seeking a three- or four-year deal.
Boras claims that Damon proved invaluable as a No. 2 hitter in 2009, allowing Derek Jeter to thrive while serving as a catalyst for the entire order. He also claimed that Damon's numbers over the past three seasons are comparable to Jeter's, so he deserves similar contract considerations. Here's a look:
Damon: .813 OPS, 53 home runs, 68 steals
Jeter: .829 OPS, 41 homers, 56 steals
Many expected that the 36-year-old Damon would be seeking a one- or two-year deal for less than the $13 million per year he earned for the past four seasons in New York. The Yankees are unlikely to overpay an aging outfielder, and they are even more unlikely to overpay an aging outfielder for more than one to two years — even if Boras claims he has "the body of a 30-year-old."
Basically, unless Damon and Boras gets realistic about their demands, his days in pinstripes are over.
"We agree that Johnny is a tremendous player," Yankees GM Brian Cashman told the Post. "He's had a huge impact on our offense. Where we go moving forward is still to be seen."
