This is not about Barry Zito. This is not about Roger Clemens.
The Yankees are robustly pursuing trade possibilities for Randy Johnson to continue heeding GM Brian Cashman’s mission statement: Get less expensive, get younger, get more roster flexibility and get a deeper prospect base.
That is it. If the Yanks can lop Johnson’s $16 million 2007 salary while adding a few targeted prospects, they will trade the 43-year-old independent of any other move.
A host of West Coast teams have spoken to the Yankees, with Arizona the probable front-runner followed by San Diego. Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall confirmed to MLB.com that Arizona and the Yanks have had “significant talks.” Yankee officials yesterday refused to publicly discuss Johnson. However, several other officials involved directly or peripherally in discussions, provided insight into the Yankees’ thinking.
With or without Johnson, the Yanks’ attraction to Zito remains, at best, tepid. As of early yesterday, Cashman had not discussed the lefty with agent Scott Boras since the Winter Meetings early this month. At that time, he told Boras the Yanks were not interested.
Boras would love to have the Yankees bidding for the best free agent available if, for nothing else, to try to move the price northward for others, including the Mets. However, sources say, the Yanks would only even consider Zito on a sweetheart deal.
Two offseasons ago, coincidentally, the Yanks made a financial decision that they could invest in either Johnson or another high-caliber Boras free agent, Carlos Beltran. In that situation, Beltran so badly wanted to be a Yankee that Boras offered a $20 million discount from what the Mets ultimately paid and the Yanks did not budge, picking Johnson though they loved Beltran’s talent.
They are not as sold on Zito’s skill, and there also is no indication he is willing to drop his demands in dollars or years to go to a specific team. Zito was quoted in the Dec. 21 San Francisco Chronicle saying, “everyone wants to buy low and sell high. But all we want is market value, and that’s been set the past six to eight weeks. When you look at value, what’s more valuable – keeping $20 million in the bank when you already have hundreds of millions of dollars, or getting a player of value?” The Mets and possibly the Rangers, Giants, Mariners and Angels have indicated a willingness to go at least five years and $75 million for Zito, with Boras wanting to push the total beyond $100 million. The Yanks have been unwilling to even consider this general area.
As for Clemens, the Yanks expect him to pitch in 2007 and to have a strong chance to land him, especially after luring his friend Andy Pettitte. However, they do not know when Clemens will make a decision, at what point of the schedule he would begin pitching, and whether he could be persuaded to return to the Astros or Red Sox instead.
So dealing Johnson is a separate matter. The Yanks are telling teams that if they do not get what they want they are comfortable going to camp with Johnson, who had back surgery after the playoffs. However, there is momentum to complete a deal and end Johnson’s tense two-year stint in The Bronx.
An executive involved in talks put the chances of a trade at “60-40” and another said, “I do think he will be traded.” Cashman inquired earlier in the offseason about whether Jason Giambi or Alex Rodriguez would forego their notrade clause. Both said no, so he never worked on deals. But once he was informed that Johnson, who also has a no-trade provision, would prefer being closer to his Arizona home, Cashman perceived another avenue to adhere to his blueprint, specifically in stockpiling pitching prospects, in part, to have them as collateral for any other trade discussions.
The Yanks and Arizona have been engaged in serious talks for a week. Hall said the Diamondbacks had rejected the Yanks’ initial request for top pitching prospects, and Arizona has made it clear that such positional targets as Conor Jackson, Alberto Callaspo, Chad Tracy and their best outfielders are off limits.
The Padres are believed to be offering reliever Scott Linebrink and two prospects, possibly including Kevin Kouzmanoff, whom the Yanks pursued earlier in the offseason as a rightyhitting first base alternative (the signing of Shea Hillenbrand with the Angels yesterday removed one Yankee target).
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Shipping or handling
After two short years in The Bronx, the Yankees are exploring possible trades involving Randy Johnson, but will only deal him under the right circumstances. Here’s a look at how the Big Unit has fared at each of his stops:
YEARS TEAM W-L ERA
’88-89 Expos 3-4 4.68
’89-98 Mariners 130-74 3.42
’98 Astros 10-1 1.28
’99-04 D’backs 103-49 2.65
’05-06 Yankees 34-19 4.37
Career 208-147 3.22