Yankees, Nick Johnson and Hideki Matsui
Nick Johnson may be returning to the Bronx. Johnson came up through the Yankees’ system and played for the team from 2001-2003 before being traded to the Expos in a package for pitcher Javier Vazquez in 2003.
Johnson hit .291 in 2008 with the Nationals and Marlins combined with eight home runs and 62 RBIs in 133 games. He also walked 99 times and had an OBP of .426.
Johnson would replace Hideki Matsui as the Yankees DH. Earlier this week Matsui signed a one-year deal with the Angels. Matsui hit .274 in 2009. He also hit 28 home runs and had 90 RBIs. Nick Johnson has never reached either of those marks in his career. Johnson’s best season was 2006 when he batted .290, hit 23 home runs and drove in 77 RBIs. He also scored 100 runs and walked 110 times that season. Matsui has hit 23 or more home runs four times since 2003 and had 90 or more RBIs five times since 2003.
If you’ve been reading my articles, you’d know that I have been in favor of the Yankees re-signing Hideki Matsui since day one. I have said Matsui should have been the Yankees’ priority ahead of Damon. This made even more sense when the Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson because Granderson adds depth to the outfield and in turn makes Damon expendable, especially since the Yankees and Damon are way off in terms of salary and years. Not too many people agree with me about this. People said the Yankees didn’t want to bring back Matsui because he’s slow, has bad knees, can’t play the field, and the DH spot needs to be open for aging stars like Posada and Jeter. My answer to this was simple; Matsui can flat out hit. That’s all the Yankees need from their DH. Matsui can also sit out one or two games a week to let Posada DH. The Bombers don’t need a DH that can run, steal bases or play the field. They need a hitter to bat 5th of 6th in their lineup. Matsui also did a great job protecting A-Rod which he wasn’t given much credit for.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; The Yankees made a mistake by not re-signing Matsui for one more season. Now, the Yankees are looking to fill the DH spot with Nick Johnson.
I repeat – Nick Johnson. Not exactly the power-hitting prototypical DH the Yankees need. The Yankees thinking must be Granderson replaces Matsui in the lineup and Johnson replaces Damon. I’d support Granderson and a power hitting DH but Johnson will be a nice number two hitter.
Johnson may walk and get on base more than Matsui, but he doesn’t have the power or the ability to bat in the middle of the Yankees lineup like Matsui. Johnson will most likely be the second hitter in the lineup. Even with the addition of Granderson, who has shown some pop in his bat, the absence of Matsui weakens the lineup. Unless the Yankees plan to sign Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, they have one less middle of the lineup bat. Matsui’s bat made the lineup deeper. Nick Johnson is not an upgrade over Matsui, but he is a good signing nonetheless.
Money doesn’t seem to be a factor in this decision since Matsui accepted a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Angels. Nick Johnson made $5.5 million last year and the figure won’t change much this year. Matsui would have accepted a one-year, $6.5 million offer if the Yankees had reached out to him. From the beginning they put Matsui on the back burner. They focused on Damon, who hasn’t backed down from wanting a three of four year deal worth over $12 million a year. The Yankees missed they chance to re-sign Matsui.
If you had told me the Yankees would choose not to retain Matsui because they were looking to sign a big bat then I would have felt better. But Nick Johnson? Really? If I told you a month ago that Nick Johnson is going to be the Yankees DH in 2010 and he would be at most $2 million dollars a year cheaper than Matsui, you would respond, “Give me Matsui, the Yankees can afford the $2 mill.”
Who can honestly say they’d rather have Nick Johnson as the DH over Matsui? Even with Johnson’s ability to play defense and get on base, I’d rather have Matsui because the Yankees need a DH with power, not a guy that is penciled in as a number two hitter.
I think the Yankees misplayed this. I think either Cashman thought Matsui was going to wait it out in hopes the Yankees would make him an offer after they took care of some other things or he thought he was going to be able to sign someone that would be an upgrade over Matsui. I say this because if two weeks ago, you laid Matsui and Johnson side by side on the table, the Yankees would have chosen Matsui.
If you think Matsui’s health concerned the Yankees, note that Nick Johnson doesn’t have a clean bill of health himself. Johnson has missed an extended period of time in his career due to several different injuries. He missed the entire 2007 season due to injury.
Hideki Matsui will be missed. He’ll be missed more than Damon will be missed. He’ll be missed more than several former Yankees were missed over the last few years because the Yankees are not making an upgrade. They should have re-signed Matsui for one more season and dove into next year’s free agent class, which has better hitters and is deeper than this year’s class. Matsui may not be missed in December, but he’ll be missed in September.
*This post wasn’t intended to be negative toward Nick Johnson, but more positive toward Matsui. Johnson will be a good addition and number two hitter for the Yankees. He has a great OBP and will set the tone for the middle of the order to drive him in.
Post By Rich Santonocito
Tags: Hideki Matsui, Nick Johnson
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Hear hear! I agree, my man. This is crazy. They lose major pop in the 5 spot without Matsui. Nick will get us .285/.410/.480 – 21hr – 70 rbi hitting in the 2 spot but our depth in the 5-8 spots just took a hit. Matsui is a perfect #5 Posada’s a perfect #6. I’m not liking this
For $1 million more the Yankees could have signed Matsui for the one year. The Yankees will miss Matsui. Thanks for the comment!
You’re an idiot. Johnson and Matsui are the same hitter. Look at the sabers for their careers. Johnson played in Florida which is a terrible ballpark. He will hit nearly as many homers in Yankee stadium as Matsui and he will get on base more. He is more dangerous than Matsui. Hell, he is even faster than Matsui who could barely move at the end of the season. The Yankee lineup 1-4 will now have every guy with an over .400 OBP.
Matsui had his knees drained 4 times this year. The Yankees think the guy is just about finished. No question Johnson is also a big injury risk, but that’s why you are getting him for one year at that cost. Otherwise a guy with a .426 OBP would be getting what Figgins got.
Hey thanks for the comment.
You should read my article about the “Disrespectful Sports Fan” who adds personal attacks to their comments. http://empiresportsnow.com/2009/12/10/the-disrespectful-sports-fan-and-biased-blogger/
And I assure you, Johnson and Matsui ARE NOT the same hitter.
Here are some responses I received after I told people on twitter that you said Johnson and Matsui are the same hitter:
@nyyct Not even close
@NYBD they aren’t the same but if healthy Johnson can be as productive in his own way
@FranksFranks resounding NO!
@CruscoSports Can’t possibly agree less.
They’re not the same hitter. Johnson’s a better one. And he’s four years younger. No-brainer for the Yankees.
Matsui is more of a prototypical DH and a better power hitter than Johnson. The Yanks will miss him but Johnson’s a good choice to replace him.
Johnson’s hits for better average and has a better OBP but Matsui is a better power hitter. The age difference isn’t the issue when it comes to a one-year deal, it’s health and they have both had their share of injuries. Johnson is going to be great as the # 2 hitter tho and he’ll score a lot of runs and it looks like the Yankees prefer that over a power hitting DH. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the comment.
Hey dave they are not the same hitter at all. Look up some stats. I think johnson is more prone to injury than matsui but the DH won’t get hurt so why is it an issue for either guy? I would have liked to see matsui stay. Johnson is ok. Good article. Looks like damon isn’t coming back now.
This move makes it increasingly unlikely Damon comes back. It basically a forgone conclusion he won’t be back since the Yankees would have an over abundance of # 2 type hitters with Damon. Again, Johnson is going to be really good in that # 2 hole but he isn’t the power hitter that Matsui is and the Yankees lineup loses some of its flare. He will help the Yankees, no question. And hopefully Johnson can stay healthy. Thanks for the comment.
Of course the age difference is the issue on a one-year deal, because it affects how they’re likely to perform in that one year.
Don’t mean to be so glib. I’ve got a post going up on my blog tomorrow morning that responds to this (sort of) in more detail. I just don’t see how this could be viewed as anything other than a huge win for the Yankees (yet again, dangit).
Being four years younger doesn’t mean Johnson will perform better than Matsui. I am confident that next December we’ll look at Matsui’s stats from 2010 and he’ll have over 20 home runs and around 90 RBIs. These two guys are different hitter so maybe I’m comparing apples to oranges here. My point of the post was the Yankees lost a power hitter and I believe it will hurt them. Not to say Johnson is garbage. Matsui 35, turning 36 during the season and that’s not really that “old”. I agree the Johnson signing is a good one for the Yankees but they lose some power in their lineup. They do gain an great OBP guy. Posada isn’t exactly a young chicken anymore either. Who knows what kind of power production the Yankees will get out of him. 1-4 they are solid but protecting A-Rod will be an issue. I’m excited to read your post, send it my way when it’s done.
It doesn’t mean Johnson WILL perform better, it just means that he’s likely to, since they’ve had careers of similar quality (Johnson a bit better to begin with) and he’s four years younger.
Anyway, here’s the post:
http://thedailysomething.com/2009-articles/december/matsui-out-johnson-in-yanks-better.html
Bill I think you should look at the statistics of these two players more closely. Other than the amount of walks and OBP, Matsui is a better career hitter than Johnson in almost every other aspect. Put aside age and tell me who has had a better career up to this point? What makes you think Johnson’s career is of a “bit better” quality than Matsui’s?
Since when did the mighty Yankees decide they wanted a DH that’s a slow number # 2 hitter, not to mention a guy that’s made of glass and more prone to injury than Matsui? I guess a change in philosophy. Who’s going to step up and drive in runs after Posada?
Hey check out my next post about what the Yankees lineup will look with Johnson in it. They gain a great OBP guy but lose some pop in the middle of the order. I didn’t expect a Yankees DH to be an OBP guy that hits 2nd but the Yankees lineup calls for it. The Yankees don’t trust Granderson to be the # 2 hitter.
You are 100% correct. The only thing you left out is what an AMAZING pinch hitter Matsui was in the playoffs. Not many people can excel in that role, and it is SO very important in the playoffs and in clutch situations throughout the season. There is no one I would rather have coming off the bench to bat in a tense spot. As usual, Brian Cashman takes things for granted and is burned. Of course, they will spin it as if they intended to do this all along, but it was a terrible mistake. I just hope it doesn’t come back to burn them when they face the Angels in the playoffs.
“Other than the amount of walks and OBP, Matsui is a better career hitter than Johnson in almost every other aspect.”
Rich, that’s like me saying “other than being completely tone-deaf, I’m a great singer.” There’s more to singing than actually being able to hit the pitches, but it’s a vitally important part. Similarly, getting on base at a good clip is the single most important thing for any hitter to do. The other things matter, but when you add it all up (as the stats I looked at in my post do quite nicely), Johnson comes out ahead.
I don’t see how it matters who had the better career up to this point (especially putting aside age), but I think it’s a toss-up. Matsui has played more, by about a season’s worth of PA, but Johnson has hit a little better and was once a really good defensive first baseman, while Matsui was always a terrible defensive outfielder. I might still say Matsui because of the postseason and stuff. But all that is basically irrelevant when you’re talking about 2010, when Johnson is very, very likely to be the more productive player.
Thanks for the comment Jim. He was the World Series MVP for a reason. Matsui’s World Series totals –> 8-13, .615 BA, 3 HR, 3 R, 8 RBI, BB = MVP.
Anybody think Nick Johnson would put up those numbers when Teixeira and Cano had an awful series?
“since they’ve had careers of similar quality”… you brought up the career thing in the first place. Matsui has a better lifetime average than Johnson. Am I missing something? Your entire argument is based on OBP. You aren’t considered average, home runs, RBIs, postseason experience, total bases, strikeouts, and hits (Matsui is better in all of these categories on a 162 game average).
Johnson is a .273 lifetime hitter while Matsui is a .291 lifetime hitter
I’m not saying Matsui can sustain this for much longer but I think he could have been productive for one more season as the Yankees DH.
Did I mention Matsui has a better career slugging %, and OPS?