Randy to the Yankees
12/1/2004
ESPN reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are ready to finally trade veteran pitcher Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees.
A team source tells ESPN's Peter Gammons that a deal could happen sometime next week and that the Yankees are set to offer starter Javier Vazquez, reliever Tom Gordon, third base prospect Eric Duncan and about $4 million of Vazquez's contract.
The Diamondbacks also reportedly want the Yankees to acquire a starting pitcher outside of the organization to include in a deal.
The news comes on the same day that reports emerged out of Boston that the Red Sox were discussing a trade sending pitcher Bronson Arroyo and two prospects to Arizona for Johnson.
Vazquez, 28, has three years and $34.5 million left on his contract, while Johnson, 41, will make $16 million this coming season.
The Diamondbacks have been listening to offers for the Big Unit since the middle of the 2004 season. The Yankees head the list of teams with interest, but the Red Sox, Anaheim Angels and Chicago White Sox have also been touted as possibilities. Johnson has the right to veto any trade.
Coming off knee surgery, Johnson was 16-14, but the team scored three or fewer runs for him in all but one of those losses. He was 13-2 when the Diamondbacks scored more than two runs. Johnson was second in the majors with a 2.60 ERA and led the majors in strikeouts at 290. Along the way, he pitched a perfect game, passed 4,000 strikeouts and passed Steve Carlton to become the most prolific left-handed strikeout pitcher in baseball history. He ranks No. 3 on the strikeout list behind Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens.
Johnson won Cy Young Awards in his first four seasons with Arizona and was second to Clemens in Cy Young voting this year, even though Johnson was on a club that lost 111 games, tied for 10th-most in baseball history.