Posted on 12/16/2004 6:54:55 PM PST by alydar
The Yankees have reached agreement on the principal players in a three-team blockbuster trade that would land them coveted lefthander Randy Johnson, Newsday has learned. A few details have yet to be worked out, but indications are they are not big enough obstacles to kill the deal. The Yankees would receive the 41-year-old Johnson in the deal while sending pitcher Javier Vazquez and two minor-league prospects, catcher Dioner Navarro and third baseman Eric Duncan, to the Dodgers, according to an Arizona source. The Dodgers would send pitchers Brad Penny and Yhency Brazoban and outfielder/first baseman Shawn Green to Arizona to complete the deal. Johnson and Green both have no-trade clauses. Johnson has been requesting a trade to the Yankees for quite a while, so he will surely give his OK. Green's former agent is Jeff Moorad, who currently runs the Diamondbacks, so there's a great likelihood he would also approve the deal. The other issues involve perks in Johnson's contract and how he would be reimbursed for the loss of them with a trade to the Yankees, such as his tickets to Phoenix Suns games, and physicals for the players involved.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
My Orioles are asleep at the wheel.
F new york
F the yankees.
If they had gotten Johnson when they could have this year, Boston would not be world champs and the Yankees would be. The Ynaks just had no pitching depth. A mistake they seem to be fixing as fast as they can.
It doesn't matter. The Hillary Curse will continue.
The Dodgers can't be that stupid, can they?
They've already lost Beltre and now this.I hope it doesn't happen
The only bright spot I could see would be a Johnson/Schilling match-up
When the Yankees claimed the deal was dead, the deal became a certainty. And, while RJ was a great pitcher, he is 41 and I really question how much longer he can go on. He also has a history of back problems and, at 41, a recurrence could end his season at anytime. The Yanks are taking a big risk, IMO.
I know rather little about Johnson other than what I pick up around the edges. Any idea what kind of middle relief or closer he might be if used in that role?
RJ was here in Seattle for years and is a great talent, but was somewhat of a head case. I do not believe that his fragile psyche could handle being made a reliever. He would pout for the remainder of the season.
The Yanks are having a pretty good winter. If this goes through, and they sign Carlos Beltran, they will have gone a long way to make up for their short-sightedness of last year. Johnson/Mussina/Pavano/Wright is a pretty good foursome. They have definitely gained ground on Boston so far, especially with Hudson now signed with Atlanta. But Theo Epstein is awfully crafty, and I am sure he is not finished by a long shot. The off-season has become as interesting as the actual games themselves.
I agree with you. The Mets were down right stupid for not only signing him, but for apparently waiving a serious physical. Pedro will be a huge bust in Queens.
I don't get it...how can Johnson leave the D'backs, who beat the Yankees in the 2001 World Series, for a team which has not won the World Series in this millennium? Granted, Arizona didn't have such a great year this year, but they did win some games.
No chance you'll see him as a middle reliever.Yanks starting pitching was pathetic last year.
You have RJ listed as their #1 starter and Moose #2. That is how I would look at it also. Moose is a good pitcher, but doesn't have what it takes to be the ace in NY. He is much better in the #2 slot.
Three months too late ping.
Definitely The Unit goes to the head of the class. Mussina is just not the horse Johnson is, and in fact with the Yanks he is more effective being a 2 or 3 guy like he was before last year. They still need a number five -- could bring back El Duque and were looking at Milton. And no first baseman as far as I can tell, unless they actually hope to rehabilitate Giambi, which I think is impossible. Why did they let Olerud go? I know Boston has its eye on A.J. Burnett, so the Yankees might want to shift their attention to him, if only to block the Red Sox.
You've got that right. The Yanks would have definitely taken it all had they been able to land Johnson last summer, but as I recall, Colangelo preferred paying out the bucks to making any deal that would help the Yankees. After he had already pretty much given away Schilling. He certainly should have been voted a World Series share by Boston.
Giambi is toast. I believe that Bonds will be able to handle the intense booing that he'll get on the road - jerks are usually impervious to it - but it will eat Giambi alive. He might want to consider Japan.
Thinkin' that too, bro.
Insert Johnson or Clemens (that b@stard) for that matter into Kevins Brown's spots in the ALCS and we run another WS flag along the Stadium facade.
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