So now we have Randy Winn as our 4th outfielder.  Defensively he is very good.  Offensively he is a career .286 hitter who was afwul last year, but still had very good line drive rates and statistically flukely BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) suggesting that he was somewhat unlucky.  Cashman took a shot on Swisher who had a bad batting average prior to coming to the Yankees, so maybe this works out.  The good thing about the deal is it is 1 year and allows flexibility so the Yankees can be in on Crawford next year and it gives Gardner a chance to see if he can be an everyday player.

As for Boras, as soon as the Yankees reportedly agreed to terms with Winn, Scott had the old spin machine at full speed. “The Yankees never even made an offer to me regarding Johnny Damon during the entire process,” Boras reportedly said. 

However, Cashman was out to quickly put that to bed and to further cement the Yankees position that, unless we really want you, we are not going to be held hostage by your dumb agent and pay more money than we want.

“On Dec 17, we were told not to make an offer for a penny less than $13 million a year for two years. We believed him. “

Source.  Cashman further said….

“Boras told me I wouldn’t find a No. 2 hitter for less than $13 million,” Cashman continued. “I found one for half that (Nick Johnson).”

Source.  It’s clear that Cashman has had enough of dealing with Boras and takes delight in getting the word out that Boras is full of crap.  I think the reasoning behind this is to move the Yankees towards the Red Sox negotiating style, namely don’t overpay, keep the contracts shorter, allow for flexibility.

Is Winn better than Damon? No.  But are Granderson ($5.5M), Johnson ($5.5M), Winn($2M), Gardner ($500K) and Vasquez ($11.5M) better in terms of wins than Damon ($13M) and Matsui ($13M)?  I’d say probably.