Even though Mark Bowman said earlier today that he believed the Braves don't have interest in Johnny Damon, that doesn't mean that an Atlanta front office official has ruled it out. That, however, is the case for the Tigers, the other team with rumored interest in Damon:
Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said this afternoon through a club spokesperson, "We have not expressed interest in Johnny Damon."
A GM doesn't usually make a statement like that, even by proxy, unless they are absolutely uninterested in a player. That leaves the Braves as the only team who seems to still have interest. Of course, one must always consider the Yankees a front runner in this sweepstakes. If they are still in it, then Brian Cashman has done a great job of waiting for Damon's price to drop. But with so many well paid stars on the Yankees, would Damon really eat his pride and return there for half as much as he was making last year? That's where an opening for the Braves could appear, as Damon may take less money, but only with another team -- call it somewhat of a face saving maneuver.
I wouldn't be surprised if this saga drags out for a few more weeks, as Boras sits back and hopes that teams reassess their needs and realize that Damon fits. The Braves, I believe, will continue to play the waiting game in hopes that they can pick up an outfield upgrade for pennies on the dollar.