The news about Johnny Damon broke late Wednesday night: the veteran outfielder, sitting on more than 2700 career hits but without a job this spring, was close to hooking up with the Cleveland Indians.

No word from the Indians yet, but we do have this:

Damon has confirmed his agreement with the Indians while we were taping an interview with him for INSIDE PITCH @mlbnetworkradio XM 89

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) April 12, 2012

Does this count as official official confirmation? Semi-official confirmation? Quasi-official?

I don't know. But it sure seems like Johnny Damon will soon make the Indians his seventh team.

And the Indians can probably use him. While Damon's got little defensive value and his recent numbers are hardly eye-popping, he did post a 110 OPS+ last season, and the Indians have been playing right-handed-hitting Shelley Duncan and Aaron Cunningham in left field. With Duncan off to a fast start, Cunningham's probably ticketed for the waiver wire or the minors (or both), with Damon and Duncan forming a reasonably productive platoon in left.

Of course, this assumes the deal eventually does become official official, and that nothing strange happens while Damon spends two or three weeks getting into game shape.