Yanks Sign Randy Winn, No More Johnny Damon Nonsense!

Written by Greg Fertel | 27 January 2010

Joel Sherman broke the news that the Yankees have agreed to a one year deal with outfielder Randy Winn. It is a bit of a surprising move considering the Yankees outfield needs. Winn is a switch hitter who has shown no discernible platoon split over the course of his career.

It was widely believed that the Yankees were looking to add an outfielder who performs especially well against left handed pitching because of the woes of Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner against southpaws.

There's no way around this: Randy Winn put together a very poor offensive season in 2009, hitting .262/.317/.353. Given the fact that Winn will be 35 at the start of 2010, that is a bit troubling. However, it's important to note that Winn's offense was very strong in both 2007 and 2008. This makes it fair to assume a bit of a rebound. How much is up for debate, though. CHONE doesn't think he'll improve and predicts that Winn will put up a well below average .259/.317/.364 line in 2010.

While there are certainly questions surrounding Winn's bat, there is no debate regarding his defense. He has played more games in center field than any other position throughout his career and has always been regarded as a good fielder. Playing the corner outfield, Winn has been superb. His UZRs since 2005 have been 5.3, 0.9, 17.0, and 13.8 respectively. Weighing Jeff Zimmerman's UZR projections for right and left field, I project Winn to post a UZR/150 of around 10 runs above average in 2010 on the corners.

Winn doesn't stand out, but he figures to be slightly below league average, which is what you'd expect from a fourth outfielder. He doesn't offer the strong platoon splits of an Eric Byrnes or Reed Johnson, but adds decent depth to the Yankees' bench.

Another thing this means for the Yankees is that their saga with Johnny Damon has come to an end(about time). After hearing rumors and pleas regarding Johnny Damon on an almost daily basis, it appears to be quite definitive that he will not be returning to the Yankees.

The options are dwindling for Damon, and it remains to be seen where he'll end up, and for how much money. Depending on the price, he could be a very good addition for a team. He'll almost assuredly be signed for less than his market value, meaning that he could be easily moved at the trade deadline. If the team that signs him stays in contention, he could be a Type A free agent at the end of the season and net his team two draft picks.

It appears that the Yankees budget is real, and that they are sticking to it. This Yankees team appears to be set for 2010, and all we can do at this point is wait until pitchers and catchers report.