Johnny Damon Has Pondered Retiring

It seems that reality is finally starting to set in for Johnny Damon. The Yankees won the World Series over two months ago, and we're a month away from the beginning of spring training, and Johnny is still sitting at home waiting for somebody to offer him a contract. He had told Yankees general manager Brian Cashman that unless he was prepared to make Damon a $13 million offer for 2010, don't even bother making the call.

Well, it seems that other general managers got the message too, and none of them are picking up the phone.

So Damon's options are limited, and when the Giants announced they had signed Bengie Molina on Monday, it took away one of them. That leaves the Braves and Yankees as Damon's most likely landing places, provided he eases up on his salary demand. His only other option is retirement, and apparently he's kicked that idea around in his head.

Option 2, practically unthinkable after the World Series, would be retirement. A friend of Damon's recently said, "Johnny is completely in the family mode right now" and has considered that option. It's still hard to believe that, in the wake of a 24-home run campaign in 2009, and hitting .364 against the Phillies in the Series, Damon actually would quit.

Give him credit for not panicking. In a text message to the New York Times on Tuesday, Damon wrote: "I'm sure things will work out somewhere." Chances are, however, he never thought he'd be in this kind of predicament so late in the off-season.

It's hard to blame a man for trying to get as much money as possible, but at this point it's time for Damon to swallow his pride and realize that while he's been a very productive player throughout his career, he's just not worth the type of money he wants to anyone. I really don't think the Yankees would have a problem bringing Damon back to play left field next season if he came back at a pretty nice discount.

So the question Damon has to start asking himself now is not "How much can I get" but rather "How badly do I want to play?" I mean, a couple million dollars and a chance at another World Series title isn't exactly a horrible way to spend a summer.