Yankees and Phillies Shake the Glove Tree

The Yankees are reported to have just reached a deal with former Giant right-fielder Randy Winn on a one-year $2 million contract.  It’s a huge drop from Winn’s three-year $23.25 million contract just ended.

Fangraphs rates Randy’s right field defense among the very best in baseball, but the puny contract he just signed suggests that major league teams still aren’t going to shell out for good-field-no-hit players.

Still, it’s a good move for the Yankees.  The price is right, and Randy could have a better year with the bat in 2010 than he had in 2009.  He is, after all, a guy who hit .300 or better three times in the last five seasons.

Also, signing Winn to play right field means that the Yankees can move Nick Swisher to left, which should give the Yankees good all-around outfield defense.  The Yankees already have hitting to spare, so a move that improves their defense at a modest price makes sense.

Meanwhile, former Giant Brian Bocock was just claimed off waivers by the Phillies.  As you may remember, Bocock was waived by the Giants and claimed by the Blue Jays about three weeks ago.  However, the Jays just waived him, and he fell all the way down to the Phillies.

If my understanding is correct, once the Jays waived him, Bocock would have been made available first to AL teams and then to NL teams, with teams getting to claim him in inverse order of their won-loss record last year.  If so, then 29 teams passed on Bocock before the Phillies, as NL pennant winners, claimed him.

No word on why the Jays decided to waive him so soon after claiming him from the Giants.  Maybe they looked at his career batting numbers (.614 career minor league OPS, and well below .500 at the AA level or higher)

I have a soft spot for Bocock, but at age 25 in 2010, the reality is that there’s little chance his hitting will ever improve enough for him to be a major league player again.