When Damon Returns, Melky Or Gardner?

Johnny Damon is eligible come off the disabled list this Sunday and says he's hoping to be ready to go that day. That might be a little optimistic, but whenever he does return the Yankees will face a dilemma. The decision they are going to be forced to make is who exactly their starting center fielder will be, Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner? As the incumbent Cabrera has the advantage, but these are not the days of Joe Torre and his crony-ism so there certainly is a chance Gardner gets the nod as well. We've seen what Cabrera can do, but after two seasons of growth he has taken a step back and is looking like he's too small to hit for power and too big to be a speedy center fielder. Defensively he has a great arm, but has made quite a few blunders this season including one that led to an inside-the-park-homerun against the Boston Red Sox this season. After refusing to deal him in the off-season the Yankees had hoped he would have a breakout season and he made Brian Cashman look smart in April when he hit .299 with five homers and a .864 OPS. At that point he must have fallen in love with his newly found power because since then he's hit .220 with three home runs and has struck out twice as much as he's walked, 34 vs 16. At 23-years-old Melky can certainly turn things around and the best way for him to do that is by playing everyday. For a team that is going to have to scratch and claw their way into the playoffs can they carry him while he works through his struggles? Gardner meanwhile is an untested commodity. In limited time he has struggled a little, batting .167 while striking out nearly a third of the time (11 K's in 36 at bats). What he does is bring the speed. He's so quick that it becomes an asset. He can track down a ton of balls in the outfield, bunt for singles, and make defenses nervous. He doesn't have much or any power and might struggle at the plate while he adjusts to the majors, but he may be a better long term solution over Melky and the best way for him to learn to hit is by playing everyday. The Yankees would probably be better off with Gardner once the time comes to make this decision. Even if he doesn't hit much this season, it might not be that bad compared to Melky. He will also provide the team with a great defensive center fielder and a strong running threat which could make the difference in close games. At that point the best thing for the team may be to trade Cabrera. There isn't much of a point of having a pinch hitter who can't hit. He might be a decent late inning defensive replacement in right for Bobby Abreu, but you can't even count on him to bunt a runner over or pinch run. Verdict: Gardner over Cabrera then try to use Cabrera for trade bait.