New York Yankees Not Likely to Sign Vladimir Guerrero to Be Their DH
Vladimir Guerrero will go down as one of the most feared hitters and dynamic offensive threats of our generation. Even after his days of flirting with the 40-40 plateau came to an end in Montreal, Vladimir Guerrero was more than capable of carrying a lineup. The toughest thing about facing him was that he was nearly impossible to pitch to. He didn’t strike out, he didn’t walk and he’d swing at – and hit (with authority) – just about anything. Despite the past tense, much of that still applies today – unfortunately for him it’s more of the former than the latter. This is why I do not see the New York Yankees making a strong push to bring Vladimir Guerrero to the Bronx.
I don’t necessarily think that Vlad would be a poor decision for the Yankees, but at this stage, I don’t think he is the best decision. The main concern is that Vlad’s numbers have declined significantly over the past three seasons (a monster first half carried his overall numbers in 2010). Secondly, if the Yankees are hell bent on going down the “aging vet” route to address their DH opening, they are probably better off at least going with a lefty that can take advantage of the short porch in right field.
At the same time, let’s not dismiss Vlad outright simply because he bats right-handed. That does not necessarily mean that there is no spot for him on the team. At this point in time, Andruw Jones appears penciled in as the right-handed platoon partner, but signing Vlad would allow him to fulfill the fourth outfielder role that he was originally re-signed for. I do like the idea of Jones being freed up for fourth outfield duty because that allows the Yankees to sit Brett Gardner against tough lefties.
The fact that Vlad reached out to the Yankees might slightly improve his chances of obtaining the DH spot – assuming, of course, that he’s willing to take less money than a Raul Ibanez or Johnny Damon type. I still don’t see the two sides matching up though. It is hard not to get excited about the idea Vladimir Guerrero in pinstripes – even though he’s only a shell of his former self – but I think the New York Yankees (aka The Boss) passed up their best shot at him during the 2003-2004 offseason.
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