A leadoff hitter with a .284 career batting average and .352 lifetime on-base percentage is available and eager to play in the Major Leagues. His name is Johnny Damon.
Damon, who has played 18 seasons in the Majors, is looking for an opportunity to play again. After sitting out the entire 2013 season, the 40-year-old is hoping to make a return.
"When you feel you can still outhit at least half the league and you don't get that call, it's rough," Damon told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "The biggest reason to play is to have a chance to win. Obviously, 3,000 hits would be great but winning is the reason I started playing this game. I'm going to continue to stay in shape and I'll be ready."
Damon has amassed 2,769 hits. He notched the 200-hit mark once, with 214 in 2000 as a member of the Kansas City Royals.
He has swiped 408 bases in his career and driven in 1,139 runs.
Damon is best remembered for his stint with the Boston Red Sox. He spent four seasons in Beantown; he was an integral part of the 2004 team, which ended the franchise’s 86-year championship drought.
He then joined Boston’s archrival, the New York Yankees after the 2005 season. In his four years in the Bronx, the Yankees went to the postseason three times and captured the 2009 World Series Championship.
Since then, he has spent one season with each of the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians.
Damon began his career with the Royals. In 2000, he recorded career-highs in hits (214), runs scored (136), doubles (42) and steals (46). The following year, he had a one-year stint with the Oakland A’s, according to baseball-reference.com .
Damon believes that he can use his veteran experience to help a team down the stretch in the regular season and make a push for the playoffs.