Report: Yankees to sign Johnson
The Red Sox were already braced for the likelihood that Randy Johnson would wind up in pinstripes, a coup the Yankees were on the verge of pulling off last night in a three-team deal with the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, according to a report in Newsday.
The Sox had hoped to respond with a bold move of their own, acquiring A's ace Tim Hudson. But instead, Hudson is headed to Atlanta, as Oakland accepted a package of two young pitchers, Juan Cruz and Dan Meyer, plus outfielder Charles Thomas from the Braves.
The Yankees, according to Newsday, 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. 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 would both have to waive no-trade clauses. The other issues still to be worked out 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.
The Yankees are expected to give Johnson a contract extension once the deal goes through.
The A's wanted to get a pitcher who will compete immediately for a spot in the rotation, and Oakland general manager Billy Beane believes Meyer is capable of stepping right in.
"Meyer has pitched at every level successfully," Beane said. "He has a sterling track record up to this point, and he's a guy we've always liked."
Meyer was 0-0 in two games with the Braves after going 9-6 with a 2.49 ERA in Atlanta's farm system at Double A Greenville and Triple A Richmond.
Thomas batted .288 with seven homers and 31 RBIs in his major league debut last season. Cruz was 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 50 relief outings.
The best package the Red Sox could have offered would have included pitcher Bronson Arroyo, third baseman Kevin Youkilis, and top prospect Hanley Ramirez. Whether they were included in the Sox' final proposal was unknown.
With Hudson gone, the Florida Marlins were leaning toward taking another prized righthander off the market, A.J. Burnett, whose career record (37-38) belies the widespread opinion that with a 98-mile-per-hour fastball, Burnett has one of the best arms in the National League. The Marlins are in the same position this winter with Burnett, who is a year from free agency, as they were last winter with Carl Pavano, who won 18 games last season, rejected a three-year, $21 million offer from the Marlins, and is putting the final touches on a new deal with the Yankees that reportedly guarantees him close to $39.95 million over the next four years, with an option for a fifth year.
But a National League source with direct knowledge of the Burnett talks said that the Marlins, who would have included Burnett in a deal for Hudson, are likely to hold onto the righthander, as they did Pavano last season.
Other options remain for the Sox, who today expect word on whether free agent righthander Matt Clement had accepted their offer over ones from the Angels, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Indians, Diamondbacks, and White Sox. It is expected that Clement will command at least $8 million a year for three years from the winning suitor, and Clement's agent, Barry Axelrod, said yesterday afternoon Clement had not made a decision.
The Sox also have been in contact with the agent for Eric Milton, the lefthander who went 14-6 last season for the Phillies, but had a 4.75 ERA pitching in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, the new bandbox that was responsible in part for Milton leading the NL in home runs allowed with 43.
A fly ball pitcher, Milton wouldn't appear to be an ideal fit for the Sox, but he was a consistent winner for the Twins (his best season was 2001, when he went 15-7), and would give the Sox rotation depth.
Milton's agent, Casey Close, said the Sox had not made an offer as of last night, but he had spoken with club officials earlier in the week and said the Sox are one of six teams in the running for Milton, who reportedly had been on the verge of signing with the Yankees until they brought in Pavano and Jaret Wright, and now Johnson. Besides the Red Sox, the teams in the mix for Milton include the Cardinals, Dodgers, Indians, Angels, and Marlins.
