Damon Says No To Sawx

Johnny Damon, going against the conventional wisdom of the American tourist, motorist and resident, has decided that Detroit is an awesome place! The Red Sox put in a waiver claim for Damon yesterday, who contractually could only be sent to 8 teams without his consent. Unfortunately for Boston, they were not one of the 8 teams Damon had listed, giving him veto power over the waiver claim, which he decided to exercise.

The Red Sox are in desperate need of a spark. They currently sit 5 and a half games out of first in the AL East, in third place behind Tampa and New York. Their season has been mired by devastating injuries and uninspired performances from some of their top line pitchers (most notably Beckett, Lackey and Papelbon, who have performed well for some stretches and have been ineffective for others.) All told, the Sox could have used Damon, even though his performance this season wouldn't classify him as a game-changer. Damon's line--.272/.355/.410-- profiles him as a useful piece that can still get on base reasonably well. His .410 slugging percentage is down 79 points from last season, which is more a function of his leaving a good hitters park for a good pitchers park in Detroit. As a fielder, Damon continues to play an average outfield, posting a 0.4 UZR.

Would Damon have given the Sox more than Daniel Nava or Darnell McDonald? Statistically all 3 have performed similarly, but neither Nava nor McDonald have the track record Damon has, and obviously neither would bring the spark Damon brings. But alas, it was not to be. Apparently Damon was quoted as saying, "I love Detroit" after he determined he wouldn't leave, proving that you don't need to remain in Boston to still be an idiot.