Five Numbers That Sum Up The Season
OPS+ |
GP |
GP in OF |
WAR |
K:BB |
106 |
145 |
37 |
1.6 |
90:69 |
What It All Means
Johnny Damon was signed just as spring training was kicking off to be the quote-unquote professional hitter that the team was looking for to help solidify the lineup, and Damon did largely that. Getting most of his at-bats at designated hitter, he was effective with respectable numbers across the board, slightly above average total production, and a strong strikeout to walk ratio. Basically, he did exactly what the Tigers expected him to do. The only problem is that for a most days DH, the Tigers likely could have gotten more production at a much cheaper price than the $8 million the Tigers paid him in 2010.
What Does the Future Hold
The last line of the above leads into the future message, being that the Tigers won’t be bringing Damon back in 2011. It’s not necessarily that he did anything wrong, it’s more that for what the Tigers need in this particular role, they can likely get much more production. For example, the Tigers could bring back Magglio Ordonez to fill a similar role (at a similar cost), only with an OPS+ around 25 points higher than what Damon provided. So, Damon did exactly what the Tigers wanted and needed in 2010, but in 2011, they’ll need something more.