Ninja Cash Strikes Again, Yanks Sign Russell Branyan

As much as I despise the Bill Hall signing, low-risk as it may be, I absolutely LOVE today's signing of Russell Branyan to a MiL contract, presumably to compete for the lefty DH role that still remains vacant.

Branyan sucked pretty hard last season (.197/.295/.370, .300 wOBA in 146 PA), but he's only 1 year removed from posting a .350 wOBA in 3 times as many PA, only 2 years removed from a .368 wOBA in almost 4 times as many PA, and he absolutely demolishes right-handed pitching.  Branyan also has a career BB rate of 11.9%, and has 8 career HR in just 47 AB at the new Yankee Stadium, so on paper he fits the mold for what the Yankees would be looking for out of a lefty platoon DH.

His major drop off in production last year is a legitimate concern given the fact that he's 36 years old, but that risk is eliminated by the deal being non-guaranteed.  While we're all sitting around debating the pros and cons of guys like Ibanez and Damon and Chavez, Cash went out and brought in a guy who could be better than all of them for next to nothing.  Total fucking ninja move.

(Ninja Cash strikes again!)