ESPN: Randy Johnson to D-Backs

"The AP reports that the Yankees and Diamondbacks have reached a tentative trade agreement, sending the Big Unit to Arizona for Luis Vizcaino and two minor-leaguers."

Oh, yeah, a link would help.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2720413

 

If AP's reporting it, then why credit ESPN in the subject header. Just saying.

No worries about news photographers in Phoenix, huh?

 

So the Yankees get a 7th-inning guy joining his fourth team in four years, a back-end pitching prospect and one or two middling maybes ... I guess those predictions of the Yankees raiding the Arizona farm system for half its pitching talent in exchange for a 43-year-old with a bad back were not so accurate. Unless the Yankees have some sort of decoder-ring message from Clemens saying he's definitely coming back to the Bronx, it looks like Cashman got handcuffed by the no-trade ... I'd have to think they'd rather have Linebrink and whatever San Diego could throw together.

 

Much like the Sheffield deal, it's a win for the Yankees. Three prospects for a guy you'd let walk after the year and you save 14 million to spend somewhere else. Baseball America's top 10 list for the Diamondbacks won't be out until Feb. 12 but I don't think any of them will be on it.

But the pitchers don't look that bad. Even though he was 24, one had a 2.65 ERA in 24 starts at Double-A. The other was 25 and had a 3.28 ERA at Double A and a 1.29 ERA in a brief stint at Triple-A.

Not as good as the three in the Sheffield deal, but certainly usuable chips in the next year or two — something Johnson certainly wasn't going to be.

 

USA Today had this either Tuesday morning or Wednesday morning as a done deal.

Yanks may be stockpiling prospects to make a run at Johan in the future.

 

A major league middle reliever, two 24-year-old pitchers, and a good glove, no-hit 23-year-old SS for a surly 43-year-old pitcher with a bad back who did not like NYC ... and you shed $14 mill in salary.

That can't be anything but a good deal for the Yankees.

 

The question, though, is where do they spend the money right now -- which is all that matters in Yankeeland, right? So they now go: Wang (and his tricky shoulder), Mussina, Pettitte (and his tricky elbow) ... and pray for Igawa to be something, Pavano to be tradeable and one of the kids to step up. There is definitely some addition by subtraction in terms of losing Unit's jerk personality, but 30 starts, 200 innings and 170-something Ks don't fall out of the sky. This makes me think Cashman feels good about Clemens.

 

Cashman's theory, supposedly, is to cut payroll and stockpile young pitchers.
And don't forget, after his brother died last month, Johnson told Cahsman he'd welcome a trade to a team in the West.

I don't believe the Clemens stuff at all.

 

Kind of how I looked at it. And now if they want Clemens for a one-year deal to help that rotation, they hey, they're that much better than they were before.

 

I'm with you -- skeptical of the Clemens stuff. I'd think NY would be his third choice behind home with the kids in Houston and writing the poetic ending in Boston.

I saw the payroll-cutting move angle with Sheffield because they had a surplus of bats to deal with Abreu on board. I guess they don't have much faith in Johnson's ability to rebound from the surgery ... otherwise, they really don't have enough starting pitching or confidence in the health of who they do have to feel comfortable dealing a No. 3 guy.

 

1. Clemens won't be there for the first two or three months.
2. Yankees always have been about RIGHT NOW. What is out there on the market that is better than Johnson? Is three months of Clemens better than six months of Johnson?
3. Yankees can afford to sign every top-line scout in this country and get some good young arms that way. Again, they're about right now.

I'm not opposed to moving Johnson, mind you. And given his personality, maybe it is addition by subtraction.

 

Damn it I thought he would stay and win one world championship with Yankees.