Position Analysis - Outfield

With Gary Sheffield sporting a new beard in Detroit, the New York outfield looks to be one of the most dependable and most productive units in baseball. Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu will patrol the outfield from left to right in 2007. Melky Cabrera will serve as the main reserve outfielder, and will probably see about one start a week as Torre will look to keep his regulars fresh with an occasional DH appearance.

Hideki Matsui broke his right wrist on May 1 last season and didn't return until September 12, but he did hit .396 with 3 homers and 10 RBIs after doing so. Always a professional hitter with good bat speed, Matsui continues to improve with each new season. He's a line drive with deceptive power and is one of the Yankees' big clutch hitters. He's an average fielder with a weaker arm but a quick release. He takes good routes to balls but struggles with balls hit directly over him.

Johnny Damon made the easiest transition to New York than any player in recent memory. He hit .285 with a career high 24 homers and swiped 25 bases, all while playing through a broken bone in his foot. He's an annoying hitter, fouling off good pitches until he gets something he can handle. He's got a very slashing swing which gets the backspin that produces carry. He's an exceptional baserunner and should run more with a healthy foot. He's an average fielder who takes good routes and covers more ground than most centerfielders, but has one of the weaker arms in the league. With a full season of Matsui, Abreu and Cano (and hopefully a return to form by Alex Rodriguez) Damon will focus more on getting on base. That should hopefully knock his power numbers down a touch, but a rise in his runs, on base percentage and average.

I lied. Bobby Abreu made one of the best transitions to New York in recent memory. The Yankees acquired the right-fielder on July 30 and all Abreu did was hit .330-7-42 in 58 games as a Yankee. He also stole 10 bases and drew 33 walks along with playing a very solid right field. Abreu was so impressive that he forced out feared slugger Gary Sheffield. He has a very smooth and efficient swing and hits the ball well to any field. Abreu can be overly selective which leads to a high total of strikeouts and walks. His power numbers have declined rapidly, but still has some pop, and won't be the focal point of the offense in New York. He's an above average right fielder with an above average range and arm. He appears tentative approaching the wall.

Melky Cabrera struggled in 19 at bats in 2005, then threw a coming out part of sorts in 2006. Given an extended look due to the injuries to Sheffield and Matsui, Cabrera led the American League in outfield assists and contributed with the bat. His power is still developing (being only 22) but he is a good gap-to-gap line drive hitter. He's a switch hitter that can drive the ball from both sides and has a good grasp of the strike zone. He led all rookies in OBP (.360), runs (75) and stolen bases (12) last year, but probably won't approach those numbers in 2007 as the Yankees fourth outfielder. He can play all three outfield positions, but is best in left. Plus arm, helps compensate for poor carom judgment.

Miguel Cairo is an emergency corner outfield option.