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damon is the best dh option left out there. signing ibanez b/c he can 'play the field' is ridicolous, hes old

this signing will be similar to that of randy winn of a few years ago.

all of the options suck

Damon sucks in the outfield, it's a fact.
Damon is more concerned with 3000 and is going to be a headcase if he isn't getting playing time to get to 3000.
It's easier for the Yankees to waive Ibanez if he sucks than to waive Damon if he sucks.
Ibanez and Damon should put up similar numbers while Damon wants more $

Vlad is the best option out there

People seriously think Ibanez can field? What?

He was one of the worst defensive outfielders in the league when the Phillies signed him. That was 3 years ago.

Ibanez is being signed to DH and only to DH - He and Andruw Jones will alternate for rightys and leftys, and if someone is needed to play outfield, Jones is the one getting the gig. We'd have to have two outfielders go down and nobody else to bring in before we even thought about using Ibanez in the outfield more than a single game against a bad team here or there.

I can't believe that the talk about Vlad, though, is that he isn't a lefty and the Yanks want a lefty... Since when has Vlad had trouble getting hits against ANYONE? Plus, he never strikes out, which is a boon for a team that has a reputation for swinging for the fences. The Yanks don't need a lefty to take advantage of the short right field - Our DH is going to bat between 7th and 9th in the lineup regardless of who it is, and there's plenty of power hitting ahead of him.

I'd prefer Vlad to Ibanez, but Ibanez doesn't suck, and I can get behind that move. I'm not sure I'd prefer Damon to Ibanez for any reason other than sentiment, and with a guy being signed cheap to give us another lefty, you don't want sentiment involved. If we manage to swing a trade or pick up a guy who gets released, we want to be able to cut the guy if we need to. I'd imagine the organisation wouldn't want to have to do that to Damon.

Yanks missed that perfect balance in '09 when they could go righty/lefty back and forth up and down the order.

They're kind of right...I've seen them situational areas where they could have used a lefty bat because it helps in how defenses shift that work you in terms of giving the runner more of a lead off the bag. It also forces the pitcher to think more and that can help or hurt you.

vinnie_vegas69 wrote:Ibanez is being signed to DH and only to DH - He and Andruw Jones will alternate for rightys and leftys, and if someone is needed to play outfield, Jones is the one getting the gig. We'd have to have two outfielders go down and nobody else to bring in before we even thought about using Ibanez in the outfield more than a single game against a bad team here or there.

I can't believe that the talk about Vlad, though, is that he isn't a lefty and the Yanks want a lefty... Since when has Vlad had trouble getting hits against ANYONE? Plus, he never strikes out, which is a boon for a team that has a reputation for swinging for the fences. The Yanks don't need a lefty to take advantage of the short right field - Our DH is going to bat between 7th and 9th in the lineup regardless of who it is, and there's plenty of power hitting ahead of him.

I'd prefer Vlad to Ibanez, but Ibanez doesn't suck, and I can get behind that move. I'm not sure I'd prefer Damon to Ibanez for any reason other than sentiment, and with a guy being signed cheap to give us another lefty, you don't want sentiment involved. If we manage to swing a trade or pick up a guy who gets released, we want to be able to cut the guy if we need to. I'd imagine the organisation wouldn't want to have to do that to Damon.

check cash interview today

he said he wants a guy who can field if needed

ibanez is awful, hit like 240 last year or something and is really old

If you're talking a lesser of two evils scenario in the field, than Damon is better than Ibanez, but I really think that we could probably get by without Ibanez ever NEEDING to field.

If Cashman really thinks Ibanez is up to fielding for the Yankees... I don't know what to think - It might be a sign that he's losing it, because he'll be one of the worst defensive players the Yankees have ever fielded.

im a bit worried too

i wonder if his personal life is affecting his job

ibanez is awful, he'll be DFAed by june

It's rumoured to only be a $1m deal, which isn't big enough that it would force Girardi to play him or anything, so if he stinks, they can cut him, and it's no big deal. Signing a left hand bat is a perfunctory move because we *CAN* - We'll be fine without signing him.

Chavez and Jones could both DH, and they can play infield/outfield and let ARod/Tex/Granderson/Swisher take days as the DH by playing for them defensively. Ibanez would be a luxury, not an all-or-nothing gamble, so if he didn't pan out, it's no big deal.

If Cashman signs him without Girardi's say-so, then Girardi won't use him in the field if he sucks. If Girardi is pushing for him, and plays him in the outfield, then he should be fired. But if they both honestly think that, based on the last few years, Ibanez could be an regular, occasional outfielder (i.e. more than "once a month, in a pinch") then they're both **** crazy.

He's a DH and nothing else at this point in his career. However, there's no point flipping out about him possibly fielding when it hasn't happened yet. And who knows? Right field at Yankee stadium is a pretty small area, so maybe he can handle it... I wouldn't expect it, but it's possible, I suppose.

I'm indifferent with signing Ibanez.

Cashman keeps saying its to fill the DH need. I say, BS. I say A-Rod/Jeter/Granderson/Tex are the DH..and the Yanks are looking for experienced players to plug in when that happens.

Ibanez can play LF where he'll give Gardner a rest. Last season, you saw how hard Gardner was run in the field. His offense suffered greatly in the second half.

Hey, let's stay positive...Yanks HAVE more depth than ever.

Im pumped for the team

just bit disappointed they let damon and guerrero go for a old guy with a terrible stats

It was the lesser of evils IMO.

He's the easiest to cut. None of them are going to be outstanding, Damon would be both more difficult to deal with and would take more to cut because of the history. Vlad would have been interesting especially since I have a soft spot for former Expos but he could be finished any minute now. Ibanez is a low risk, low maintenance move.

I'm hoping Ibanez has something left as a DH. If he can provide some timely hitting in the clutch then he will work out fine.

I'd much rather have had Vlad. Don't see the need to have Ibanez for his "fielding" when you can throw Andruw Jones out there as the 4th OF as needed.

I am VERY worried about the Yanks' power outage. Last season in the playoffs, Detroit just pitched around Cano and BEGGED A-Rod and Tex to slug them. Paid off.

Dr. Detfink wrote:I am VERY worried about the Yanks' power outage. Last season in the playoffs, Detroit just pitched around Cano and BEGGED A-Rod and Tex to slug them. Paid off.

and montero is gone too

i like guys like vlad, slap hitters that arent looking soley for HRs

I like Vlad...I don't like the O's paid 7.6M for numbers that Jeter nearly duplicated. Now if Vlad was asking for 3M with incentive, fair enough but that's not him.

Ibanez has done more than

Cano, Doucheira and Arod combined so far.

Christophersp10 wrote:Ibanez has done more than

Cano, Doucheira and Arod combined so far.

He is a streaky guy. PHI fans will tell you that when he is on. He is going to hit and sometimes crush the ball. but when he is down, he will struggle to bat .200.

all they need him to do is DH, he should be a fine hitter for NY this season