Report: Yanks in contact with Hideki Matsui Per Roto Would love to bring our MVP back, kind of a weak option at DH but we need vets to fill in their and we only have about 2-3 mil to spend. Hed be a solid and cheap option. AND I can finally bring back my Godzilla Matsui shirt to the stadium!
Supposedly he will be splitting time with Andrew Jones at DH and then fill in vets when needed. Its an OK sign if it goes threw but honestly Id rather a utility man with power.
The Yankees do have a utility man...Nunez. I'm luke warm on this. Matsui was a great Yankee and I know he would contribute but not nearly at the level that won it for us.
The Kansas City newspapers are talking up a strong Billy Butler for Phil Hughes trade rumor..Don't know if the Yankees want to spend that much (8 mil) on a DH though. He does have good numbers just wish he batted from the left side.
If Cashman ever turned down Hughes for Butler straight up, he should be fired on the spot. The only places I've seen this is on fan sites, no legit sources are giving this any credibility, unfortunately.
I do think he'll amount to something. I still think he'll be a solid #3, or good setup man. But we're talking about Butler, a 26 year old middle of the order hitter who makes only $24M over the next 3 years. It would cost Hughes plus a Betances-level prospect at least.
True, but Butler's splits aren't great for what the team needs, and he's pretty much a DH-only player, especially on the Yanks. I mean, if this was the direction it was headed in, once you consider the cost (and maybe before), I think I'd rather last Friday's trade never have happened and have Montero and Hughes instead of Pineda and Butler... from a philosophical standpoint, the trades would more or less cancel each other out (young, cheap hitting for young, cheap pitching instead of even younger, cheaper pitching for even younger, cheaper hitting). I'd give Hughes one more season before writing him off as a setup man or #3 at best. I don't think the first half of 2010 was a fluke. That is, I don't know that he will ever repeat that level of performance... but I don't think it's some anomaly or statistical aberration. He's got the talent. But he's also been jerked around quite a bit and dealt with injuries. If it's between Hughes and Butler, I'd give Hughes one more season to put it together.
I'm philosophically against tying up the DH in one player, and I remain a big fan of Hughes, but there's great value for a young cost effective middle of the order hitter. Take him from a park that greatly suppresses power and put him in Yankee Stadium, working with Long, in a lineup with protection, that could be what he needs to become a premium power hitter. His home/road splits are interesting, although they seem to be skewed by an incredible aberration in 2009. It's also a matter of me tempering my expectations of Hughes. Having followed him since he was drafted and becoming one of his biggest fans, it's obviously frustrating. I wish I shared your optimism, but if given the opportunity, I'd have to make the deal.
If the Yankees can get a deal done, it's possible to see Matsui back as a member of the pinstripes. I wouldn't mind seeing Matsui back since I was (still am to a certain extent) a big fan of him when he first signed with the Yankees back in 2003. I was disappointed when Matsui and Damon left after the 2009 season. My wish is for both of them to come back, but in this day and age it's not going to happen. Whoever it is, whether it be Damon or Matsui, I'll be happy.
I'd love to see Damon sign with the Yanks he was one of my favorite Yankees. Will never forget his double steal in the 2009 World Series.
