Q: Jim, can you honestly go into next season thinking that Dmitri and Nick Johnson will be the guys [at first base]?Did this man learn nothing from the Cordero experience? Will he ever just shut up? Has there ever been a GM so willing to play games with his team just to draw attention to himself?
Oh, I don't think so. You hope that players come back from injury, and certainly we believe based on all the medical and doctors' reports on both players that there is good reason to be optimistic that both of them will be ready to be healthy next year; certainly they're both due to be healthy next year and have a full season. But, certainly you can never count on any one player ever being back. ... We always look at opportunities to get better.
Look, I don't object to what he said on the substance, but if you were Nick Johnson, wouldn't you feel disrespected? He's under contract through next year, so there's really no short-term fall-out, but why does he have to say this? And let's say Nick has a great year next year and we want to resign him? If you're Nick, you don't remember this? Maybe not. Maybe Nick's just easy that way. But a lot of guys are thin-skinned and would remember. There's no reason to say this, even if all you care about is personal respect for a man and a professional. Bowden simply has no filter between his brain and his mouth.
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I don't know I don't think this is the same as the Cordero situation for a couple reasons. One its not as though he's saying he is going to cut either Young or Johnson like he more or less did with Cordero. Two this is not the first time concerns have been made by Bowden and others about the 1B situation for next year and even long term. Even if Bowden hadn't contacted Johnson or his agent before doing this interview I don't think he really had to. Did he contact Johnson and ask if it was ok to sign Young for the exact same 2 year period that Johnson was signed for?
I don't think there is anything wrong with Bowden being honest to the media...most of the time he isn't. I mean the Yankees were talking about adding an outfielder before trading for Nady and I just don't see that as any slight to Matsui or Damon who are their corner outfielders.
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