MATT'S THAT
Yanks sign Holliday for 1 year, $13M
The compensatory draft pick it would have cost them to sign Edwin Encarnacion to a multi-year deal for big money didn’t appeal to the Yankees. Signing Carlos Beltran, 40 in April, didn’t light a fire for the Yankees, even if the switch hitter had a good half-season in The Bronx before being dealt to the Rangers at last season’s trade deadline.
With Beltran inking a one-year deal worth $16 million with the Astros on Saturday and Encarnacion likely to land four to five years in the area of $18 million per, the Yankees kicked off the winter meetings Sunday by agreeing with Matt Holliday on a oneyear contract for $13 million for him to be the DH.
The deal is contingent on Holliday, who turns 37 next month, passing a physical.
Prior to the news leaking out, general manager Brian Cashman discussed how important the 2017 draft pick was to him.
“Our preference is to retain a draft pick if we can. We have a certain amount of money we want to allocate to allow us to do a number of different things,’’ Cashman said at the Heights & Lights charity event in Stamford, Conn. where he rappelled down a building. “Trying to get a bat, an arm and maybe more.”
Holliday isn’t Encarnacion, who has averaged 39 homers, 110 RBIs and a .921 OPS for the last five seasons for the Blue Jays. But Holliday for one year was likely more appealing than a long-term deal for the money Encarnacion (34 next month) is looking for.
Of course, the price on Encarnacion might come down, but the draft pick (17th) likely trumped the middle-of-the-order-muscle Encarnacion would have provided to a lineup that could use it.
Limited to 183 games in the past two seasons due to a strained right groin and fractured right thumb, scouts like the Yankees’ move for Holliday.
“I think he has got a lot left, especially in the American League,” an NL scout said of the former Cardinals left fielder, who hit 20 homers and drove in 62 runs last year in 110 games. “He came back from a thumb injury and hit a home run. Holliday will be a presence in the lineup. He is a good enough athlete to play first base.”
Out from Aug. 12-Sept. 30 last year, Holliday returned from the injury to play in three games. He homered in one and drove in two runs.
While the Yankees might not get vintage Holliday, a seven-time All Star, there is enough left to help according to another NL scout.
“He has slowed down a little bit, but he has enough bat,” the scout said of the 6-foot-4, 240pound Holliday. “He has power and is a Yankee Stadium-type player.”
Having played just 10 big league games at first base — all last year — Holliday can’t be expected to sparkle defensively. However, he might be able to take a tough lefty off the lefthanded-hitting Greg Bird, who enters spring training as the favorite to be the everyday first baseman after missing last season following shoulder surgery.
Holliday is a career .303 hitter with 295 homers and 1,153 RBIs in 13 big league seasons.
Cashman talked to representatives for other DH candidates before signing Holliday.
“You name a hitter and I’ve talked to him. Whether it’s [Mike] Napoli, Encarnacion, [Jose] Bautista, whether it’s Holliday, whether it’s Brandon Moss,” Cashman said. “It’s a number of guys. Talked to [Chris] Carter’s agent after he got non-tendered.”