Yankees Looking At Jones Over Damon

As if last winter wasn't insulting enough to Johnny Damon, this winter might be the final straw in his relationship with the New York Yankees.

Recent reports from ESPN's Buster Olney show that the Yankees are the leading candidate to land free agent outfielder Andruw Jones, rather than offering a contract to Johnny Damon so he can come back to the Bronx. Damon was one of the key players in the Yankees' title run from 2009, but the career .287 hitter did just turn 37 back in November.

The 33-year-old Jones hit .230 with 19 home runs and 48 RBI's with the Chicago White Sox last season, serving as both a back-up outfielder and a designated hitter. However, the 5-time All-Star has not served as a regularly used player since back in 2007 with the Atlanta Braves.

The one thing serving as a saving grace for Jones in this situation is that he is a right-handed hitter, differing from lefties Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson, along with switch-hitting Nick Swisher. Hey Brian Cashman, 1999 called: they want their perennial All-Star back.