New York Yankees

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has the most unique job in professional sports. He possesses the ability to spend as much money as he wants without consequence.

The Yankees continue to trot out the most expensive team in baseball. Last year, their payroll was nearly $60 million more than its nearest competitor. Oakland, San Diego, Florida and Pittsburgh started the year with sub $60 million teams.

Why on earth do the New York Yankees want Nick Johnson? Being frustrated at talks with outfielder Johnny Damon is not a legitimate reason to sign an overpaid injury-plagued journeyman.

Johnson started his big league career with the Yankees in 2001, when he tipped the scales higher than his batting average of .194.

Let me start by saying that I'm one of the biggest Derek Jeter fans in the world.

I have followed Jeter since his first days in early 1996 and continue to be one of his strongest supporters, both on and off the field. This article is in no way a knock on Derek or an attempt to infer that he may be gay.

A lot of Derek Jeter haters like to insult him by saying that he "drinks wine coolers" or "sucks A-Rod" as the Red Sox Nation shirts would read. What if Derek Jeter was actually gay and all of his super model and celebrity girlfriends were a cover up!?

We are only a few weeks until it is the end of this decade, I was thinking and I decided that I would make the New York Baseball All-Decade Team.

This decade was great for the Yankees in winning two World Series but not great for the Mets in only making the playoffs a couple of times.

In fact, in the first World Series of the decade the two New York teams faced eachother in the Subway Series, The Yankees won the series in five games with Derek Jeter being named the MVP.

In this decade, both New York teams had players that will forever be a part of the franchises' history such as Piazza, Jet

There is much teeth-gnashing among Yankees fans as they mourn the departure of Hideki Matsui and probable loss of Johnny Damon .  Even here at the Bleacher Report, writers accuse management of penny-pinching at the expense of the team on the field .  These writers are wrong.  Brian Cashman's moves have made the 2010 Yankee

Nick Johnson has reportedly signed a 1-year/$5.5 million contract with the New York Yankees.

His signing clearly states that Johnny Damon's time as a Yankee is over.

Damon is 36 and saw his asking price of 2-years/$26 million from this morning drop to 2-years/$20 million as he tried to stay in pinstripes.

The move is not only curious considering he'd have cost only $4.5 million more a year than Johnson and Hideki Matsui only cost the Angels $6.5 million.

The Yankees signing of Nick Johnson basically means the end of Johnny Damon's tenure with the Yankees.

Especially since Damon's agent, Scott Boras, has not backed off his contract demands of at least three years and at least $13 million per season.

Unless Damon does what Alex Rodriguez did back in 2007 where he came personally to the Yankees to re-negotiate his contract and take less money, Damon won't be wearing pinstripes in 2010.

Newsday's Ken Davidoff is reporting that the Yankees have agreed to a one-year deal with Nick Johnson worth around $5.5 million.

The deal is pending a physical, but is pretty much done.

This is a great move for the Yankees. While Nick Johnson will be limited to a designated hitter role on this Yankees team, I see that as a good thing. There is no doubt that this will increase the odds that he can stay healthy for the entire season.