This Qualifies As a Rumor?

Written by Greg Fertel | 22 April 2010

ESPN Rumor Central with the above genius headline. I'm sure there are people that read this on ESPN and believe that it is actually a possibility. The short little blurb says, "Nick Johnson hasn't been a huge asset thus far, despite his .407 on-base percentage."

They note that Johnson's batting average is just .146 and wonder if the Yankees might need to consider another option. They note that one possibility to replace Johnson is top prospect Jesus Montero, who is off to a nice start in Triple-A.

Really? The Yankees signed Johnson to get on base and DH for them, but they're going to bench him after just 59 plate appearances? The fact is that even despite Johnson's .146 average and .200 BABIP, he has still been an above-average(104 wRC+) hitter. That is just remarkable. Johnson figures to be one of the Yankees' best hitters and fits perfectly in the number two hole. The idea that the Yankees are going to call someone up to take his spot is just outrageous.