Johnny Damon: "I definitely want to keep playing" - MLB

Last week general manager Dave Dombrowski said the Tigers will not attempt to re-sign impending free agent Johnny Damon, but yesterday the 36-year-old outfielder made it clear that he has no plans to retire:

I definitely want to keep playing, but it’s going to have to be somewhere else because Detroit has a lot of young outfielders who hopefully I helped groom. It seems like every year I’m up to the challenge so I believe whatever team that gets me, I’ll be an asset for next year.

Damon played reasonably well on a one-year, $8 million deal with the Tigers and as usual stayed remarkably healthy, hitting .271/.355/.401 with 49 extra-base hits, 11 steals, and 81 runs in 145 games. That production represented a 100-point dip in OPS compared to his numbers with the Yankees in 2008/2009, but some of that is due to no longer calling Yankee Stadium home and Damon was still solidly above average offensively.
He also became just the fifth player in MLB history to play 140 or more games in 15 straight seasons, joining Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson, Pete Rose, and Willie Mays. However, if he was only able to get a one-year, $8 million contract last winter coming off an .850 OPS season it’ll be interesting to see what the market is for Damon coming off a .750 OPS season.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for a torn ACL after injuring his left knee Thursday fielding a grounder in a spring training game and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.

The Phillies did not say when Hoskins would have the surgery or exactly how long the slugging first baseman might be sidelined.

Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBIs last season for the reigning National League champions.

He was backing up to play a chopper on Thursday when the ball popped out of his glove. Sooner after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.

Hoskins, a free agent at the end of the season who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The injury was another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.