Johnny Damon said yesterday that he’d like the Yankees to give him a call as a short-term replacement for the injured Curtis Granderson. Brian Cashman said almost immediately that it wasn’t in the plans and today the general manager followed up by ruling it out completely:
I love Johnny Damon, he was an awesome Yankee when we had him. But that was a while ago. It’s not something we’re going to pursue.
Oh well.
Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen would have opened the regular season on the injured list if it had started on time. Now, with the start of the season pushed back at least a few months due to coronavirus (COVID-19), the veteran five-time All-Star says he will be “ready to go” whenever the season begins, he told NBC Sports Philadelphia.
McCutchen, 33, tore his ACL in early June, ending his 2019 campaign. To that point, he had been quite productive for the Phillies, batting .256/.378/.457 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI over 262 plate appearances. If and when the 2020 season does begin, he will likely reprise his role as the leadoff hitter, this time under new manager Joe Girardi.
2020 marks the second year of McCutchen’s three-year, $50 million contract initially signed with the Phillies in December 2018. The Phillies also hold a $15 million club option for the 2022 season with a $3 million buyout.