Cleveland Sports Forum

So, you would rather they do nothing ! Whine, whine, whine.

kenm wrote:This is like when the tribe signed keith Hernandez or when the Cavs go Walt Frazier. Just another washed up old timer to steal some money on their way back to a broadcast job back in NYC.

The difference is that those 2 guys came directly from New York to Cleveland. Damon started out in Kansas City, and has been in the Kenny Lofton nomad phase of his career for a couple of years now. I don't think he's going to be sulking.

He was still a pretty effective offensive player last year away from Tampa.

I doubt he is sulking but hope he isnt sucking.

He won't help the win loss much but hopefully he will play well enough that we can trade him to a contender in a few months.

Indians To Sign Johnny Damon
By Mike Axisa [April 12 at 7:45am CST]
THURSDAY: There's no agreement in place at this point, Rosenthal tweets. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio also report that there's no firm agreement yet (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY: The Indians will sign Johnny Damon, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (all Twitter links). The deal would include a full no-trade clause and allow Damon to opt-out on a specified date after Grady Sizemore returns. Sizemore is expected to miss 8-12 weeks due to back surgery. Financial terms of the deal are unknown. We heard that the Scott Boras client would sign by May earlier this month.

Damon, 38, figures to step into Cleveland's left field situation as soon as he's ready to join the team. Shelley Duncan has started all five of the Indians' games in left, but he's best deployed as the right-handed half of a platoon. A fit between the Tribe and Damon seemed natural for most of the offseason.

Just 277 hits away from 3,000 for his career, Damon hit .261/.326/.418 with 16 homers and 19 steals for the Rays last season. He has played fewer than 400 total innings in the outfield over the last two years, but he has appeared in at least 140 games in each of the past 16 years.

The Indians tried to acquire Bobby Abreu a few weeks ago, presumably for the same role Damon will fill.

rusty2 wrote:So, you would rather they do nothing ! Whine, whine, whine.

I will stop whining when this so called professional organization goes into the off season with a real plan and successfully executes it so we dont have to hear a bunch of excuses. The only good thing is when such major players as the Oakland A's or the Kansas City Royals are able to do it we dont have to hear the constant and silly comparisons from the brain trust between their payroll and that of the Yankees. To have give Johnny Damon a contract in April 2012 because you have no one else to play the outfield is horrendous. 2002 I could have understood. It speaks to the fact that there is no plan. Morevoer this opt out that they put in the so called contract is hilarious. Never heard of that kind of thing. (is there really a contract? Have heard conflicting data about that) I am glad I buried this club on opening day. Totally appropriate. Antonetti and Shapiro are just stealing the little money that Dolan puts into this club.

No trade clause?

I wouldn't have bothered then.

Good post Ken!

Luke (kenm) , this is your fatttttthhhhhher !!!!!!!!

Darth Whiner ! (Joe Z)

Some things never changed over the years - Rusty or this organization - You guys are as snug as bugs in a rug

Why would Damon need a no-trade clause? The only way he'd get traded is if we're not contending and a contender wants him, in which case you'd assume he'd be glad to leave.

Some things never changed over the years - Rusty or this organization - You guys are as snug as bugs in a rug

Wish I could just bitch like you and Ken but I just follow the team for fun.

I don't have a need to play GM every day. Then again I don't have a reason to hide when the team does well either like you did most of last year.

Why the no trade clause ?

Assume that he is only going to the Indians as a last resort. Anywhere but a contender and he was going to ask for that clause.

According to WTAM 1100's Nick Camino, a physical is the only thing standing between the Indians and a contract agreement with veteran free agent Johnny Damon.
A deal should be announced by Friday morning. Damon is a very poor defender but is likely to get regular playing time in left field for Cleveland nonetheless. The 38-year-old batted .261/.326/.418 with 16 home runs, 73 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 150 games last season for the Rays.

Related: Indians
Source: Nick Camino on Twitter Apr 12 - 12:27 PM

allow Damon to opt-out on a specified date after Grady Sizemore returns. Sizemore is expected to miss 8-12 weeks due to back surgery

That sounds like a unique provision. Not too meaningful however since Grady is highly unlikely to actually return sometime this season.

Here's the latest from Progressive Field...

Johnny Damon discussed his contract agreement with the Indians in an interview with Jim Bowden and Casey Stern of Inside Pitch on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (the Cleveland Plain Dealer has a partial transcript). "I know what Cleveland really wanted," Damon said. "They wanted somebody with a winning mentality and someone who has been there and done that and obviously I’ve been around for a long time."
Damon's contract reportedly includes a clause that will allow him to opt out of the deal once Grady Sizemore returns, and the signing isn't yet official since that clause has to be approved by the Commissioner's Office, reports Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Feinsand expects the deal to be finalized on Friday.
The Indians' success in the 1990s stemmed from their team policy of quickly signing their young stars to contract extensions, and MLB.com's Jordan Bastian looks at how the modern-day Tribe are trying to do the same, as shown as their recent deals with Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera.
The extensions also should quiet rumors that the Dolans were looking to sell the team, writes Mike Brandyberry for Cleveland.com. “The idea we’re selling the team is silliness," said Tribe CEO Paul Dolan.