Poised to improve their up-and-down club, the Yankees are looking to upgrade their outfield alignment and have expressed an interest in the 32-year-old Cameron (above), who would move into center field and make a full-time left fielder out of Hideki Matsui when his twisted right ankle allows him to play the outfield again.
According to a person familiar with the Mets’ thinking, the Yankees, Orioles and Padres have interest in Cameron, who has missed the past four games due to a knee problem.
How the Yankees would accommodate the Mets for Cameron wasn’t known, but the Mets have made it clear they don’t want Tony Womack in return. The Padres may have an interest in Womack to play second.
The Yankees may have to part with Robinson Cano or Chien-Ming Wang, something GM Brian Cashman really doesn’t want to do.
Because the Orioles are in the hunt for Cameron, the Yankees may have to overpay for him simply to keep the O’s from running away with the AL East. Baltimore, which lost to Colorado 2-1 last night, is five games up on the Yankees.
From the moment the Mets signed Carlos Beltran this offseason, Cameron has been expendable. He moved to right field but is out of position there, and the Mets have Victor Diaz to replace him.
OK, let’s take a deep breath.
Victor Diaz (0 for 4 last night, currently hitting .248) has done admirably his first time through the league, but there’s nothing to indicate that he could match Cameron’s performance, in the field or at the plate, over the course of a full campaign. Since returning to the lineup, all Cameron has done is punish NL pitching and make the evening highlight reels with his play in RF. The Mets, who were shut out twice this week, once by Hall Of Famer Joe Blanton, last night by 110 year old Jamie Moyer, are apparenty such an offensive powerhouse that Cameron is “expendable”.