Yankees Rumors: Ichiro Suzuki, Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner

It would be a mistake for the New York Yankees to re-sign veteran Ichiro Suzuki to replace free agent-to-be Nick Swisher as their everyday right fielder for 2013, according to Ken Davidoff of The New York Post:

Ichiro is too similar a player to Brett Gardner, whom the Yankees hope to have back at full health next year. You can’t have Ichiro and Gardner as your corner outfielders. You can get away fielding one corner outfielder who doesn't slug, especially when he counters that with exceptional defense. But you can't have Gardner and Gardner Lite (or, alternately, Ichiro and Ichiro Who Walks).

Besides the similarities between Gardner and Suzuki, Davidoff believes Ichiro’s age, he turns 39 in Oct., is a major detractor, as he says the Yankees "very much need to get younger next year."

Davidoff does believe Suzuki will prove one of the more intriguing free agents this offseason, mostly "because of Ichiro’s time as an icon in Seattle and his status as a Hall of Famer." He wouldn’t be surprised if the outfielder doesn’t end up signing until January because of all the factors in play.