The Yankees surprised everybody when they won the posting for Japanese infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima nearly a month ago, but the Yankees saw him as a solid bench piece that could fill in for the aging Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter when needed.
The deadline to sign Nakajima is on Tuesday, but according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sport, the two sides are far apart in contract negotiations. Although, Heyman points out that there is still time to make a deal.
The Yankees can afford to be frugal here. Nakajima reportedly is desperate to come to America and they can always fall back on Eduardo Nunez, who has experience playing short, second, and third. They can also turn to Eric Chavez if Nakajima doesn’t sign.
Nakajima’s agent has suggested a sign and trade in the past, but it is unlikely he would be worth a lot on the open market considering the Yankees won the bidding with a mere $2 million bid. That bid is actually the smallest winning bid ever for players of Nakajima’s ...
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