Boras finds a way to get it done for Damon in Detroit

Much has been made of the drawn-out negotiations for the services of Johnny Damon this off-season, in particular the belief that he and his agent, Scott Boras, misread the market and left money on the table.  Word is that the Yankees offered the free agent left fielder $14 million for two years, which was at least nine million less than he was looking for.

Fine. He didn’t get the full $14 million, let alone $23 million.  But, with maybe one or two other suitors left, neither sounding particularly motivated to sign Damon, Boras was able to extricate $8 million from the Tigers for one year.  Boras is a master at creating a market where there may not be one (does anyone really believe that Damon’s wife preferring Chicago was going to keep him from signing for more money with Detroit?)  We’ll have to wait until next off-season and his 2011 contract to see if Damon ended up leaving money on the table, but if he puts up decent numbers for the Tigers, he’ll be in position to match or exceed that number next year.

Looking at it from a baseball standpoint, the deal makes great sense for the Tigers.  Damon fills the hole at the leadoff spot in the lineup, while also offering a defensive improvement over the Tigers’ other options in left field, Carlos Guillen and Ryan Raburn.

The Damon signing also signals to the Tigers and their fans that, despite unloading Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson in the off-season, getting several major-league-ready prospects from the Yankees and Diamonbacks in return, the team is still committed to winning this year.  Damon’s leadership will also help the other newcomers fit in with veterans Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge.