BACK IN BRONX? The Yankees are hoping to sign Eric Chavez (above) and another left-handed DH. (Jason Szenes)
The Yankees claim they have just a small amount of money left to spend this offseason, but yet they retain big plans on how they want to use it.
The perception has been that the Yankees have less than $2 million to sign a lefty-swinging designated hitter with free agents Eric Chavez, Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui forming the field. Nevertheless, what the Yankees want to do most is sign Chavez and one of the DH types.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner already has expanded his budget once this offseason to allow the signing of Hiroki Kuroda. He has yet to say the Yankees can do so again in order to sign even one additional player, much less two. This is why the Yankees are quietly — but diligently — still working to trade A.J. Burnett.
They know no team will take all of Burnett’s remaining two years at $33 million. But if they could save, say, $4 million this year and next year, it would provide some wiggle room to finish off their roster heading into spring training.
Chavez would provide a capable third baseman for what is likely to be more regular uses of Alex Rodriguez as the DH
As for the DH role, Damon, Ibanez and Matsui all roughly fall into the parameters of what the Yankees seek: A lefty swinger who pulls the ball and regularly gets it in the air, all to capitalize on Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch.
In addition, the Yankees would hope whomever they sign can play the field on occasion. All three are considered below-average defenders. Ibanez had the best numbers against righties last year, and this job would mainly be to DH against right-handed pitching. All three are known as good guys and good teammates, and the Yankees know firsthand that Damon and Matsui can handle New York.
If the Yankees are able to sign Chavez and a lefty DH then — barring injury — there would be no 25-man roster spot for Billy Hall, who was signed yesterday to a minor league contract.
Hall is known as a good clubhouse presence and is particularly close with CC Sabathia. The Yankees have pursued him in the past, particularly because of his ability to play multiple positions in the infield and outfield plus hit lefty pitching well. But he failed to succeed against southpaws last year (.638 OPS).
Nevertheless, the Yankees figured with a no-risk, non-guaranteed contract, it would be worthwhile to see if Hall, still just 32, had something left or if last year was indicative of a player at the end.