Damon Debacle

This situation with Johnny Damon has gripped by focus the last two weeks. How could it not? The headlines are slowing, as spring is inching ever-closer (thank goodness).

The super-agent Scott Boras sits behind--scratch that, more like front and center--of the whole scene. He has been casting Damon's name out there to teams that previously did not (publicly) express interest in his client, and saying how multiple teams are the number one on his list.

Now, to some this may not seem to be a strange way of handling a player's contract negotiations. But think about it, generally, the player is approached by the ballclub. Unless he is approaching his present/last year's team, that is the general SOP.

The absurdity of how this is working is that one day he is all for the Tigers, who then at the least acknowledge interest by not denying it. They now offered him a 2-year deal worth a rumored $14 million. BUT, it took the Braves offering Damon a deal for one-year at $7 million--a day after Damon says how much he would love to play in Atlanta.

Then I see that Chipper Jones did not comment on whether or not the Braves had him get in touch with Damon, which is their classic pitch to free agents.

This whole situation parallels the Memphis Grizzlies' O.J. Mayo to a certain extent. Mayo--having college scholarship offers to all major schools in the nation--called former-USC coach Tim Floyd to say he would be coming there to play basketball. USC had not even recruited Mayo because Floyd felt the Trojans would not pull such a talent to their school.

Damon, through Boras, is now taking a similar approach. He is pursuing a team, not the other way around.

Now Damon is not the only player to be doing this. Earlier in the winter, Jim Edmonds approached Tony LaRussa about coming back to play for the Cardinals after not playing last season.

Having no contract offers last offseason, Edmonds sat out the year but now decided to try to come back and play again. He ended up signing with the Brewers.

So maybe this approach is not all wrong, but it sure does seem to be a different one. Ultimately, Damon will play ball somewhere this summer. The questions just remains where--and how soon we will find out where.

NOTE: My guess says he signs with the Tigers before the weekend is over.