Hot Stove Coal: Jerry Hairston Insinuates Yankees Are Waiting For Damon

On SIRIUS XM's MLB Home Plate Channel last night, former Yankee Jerry Hairston, Jr. had an interesting view of the Yankees left field search:

Host/Jim Bowden: “I have to ask you this, and it’s a two part question: Did the Yankees make you an offer and the second part, did you sign with San Diego after [your brother] Scott was traded and was that part of the reason?”

Jerry Hairston Jr.: “You know what, to answer your first question, the Yankees didn’t officially make an offer. We’d been talking with them for about a month or two months and, um, they were kinda, I guess, waiting for a certain left fielder’s price to come down. That’s what I was gathering. (Laughs) I know Brian [Cashman]’s going to really love me for saying that. But that’s the sense I had and more power to ‘em. You know, obviously Brian has a job to do and Johnny Damon’s an incredible ballplayer. But obviously at that time I said, ‘You know what? I need to do what’s best for me.’ And the best fit for me was in San Diego. 

Now Hairston could have just been wrong about that. Maybe the Yankees were waiting for all left fielder's prices to go down. Hairston got $2 million from the Padres and I'm guessing the Yankees were more than willing to wait to see if his price tag went down from there. Maybe they knew with so many left fielders out on the market, that the price of one would go down eventually and they could scoop up one for under $2 million. Maybe the Yankees just weren't that enamored with the idea of Jerry Hairston, Jr. who is a good role player, but maybe not worth such a generous contract in this environment.

Or maybe Hairston is right and the Yankees are just waiting for Johnny Damon. If that's the case, then the Johnny Watch is back on in the Bronx. I've always said that I think the Yankees are fine going elsewhere but without any great options and with a perceived need to feel in left field, the Yankees seem to be hanging around, seeing if Damon's price will drop to the point they can bring him back for a bargain basement price. And no one seems to want Damon at this point so he seems to be out of options as well. Whether he'll be upset at signing for so low a price and will let it become a distraction remains to be seen. But the truth is that Damon is still the best player available and for the right price, he'd look mighty fine back in Pinstripes.

Update: Newsday's Ken Davidoff tweets: @KenDavidoff: Brian Cashman says it's "right" that he never made an offer to J. Hairston Jr., but "not right" that he is waiting for Damon's price to drop