Randy Johnson to the Yankees

[TBird41]

Well, it looks like the Yankees got what they wanted: Randy Johnson. The deal isn't finalized yet, but it's just a matter of the Yankees doing what they do best: paying out money.

First off, clearly I was wrong about the deal never happening-turns out the DBacks are dumb enough to trade Johnson for Vazquez, Ca$h and garbage (the prospects).

Secondly, this means that after the Yankees sign Beltran, they're going to have somewhere around $220 million payroll. This makes me think that the people running baseball are missing their frontal lobes. Will someone explain to me how, as a non Sox, Cards, Braves or Yanks fan I'm supposed to get excited about the upcoming season? Yeah, the Twins have a pretty solid club, but even w/ Johan and Radke there isn't a lot of hope for them beating the Yankees in the playoffs. Basically, there isn't much of a chance of anyone beating the Yankees unless some serious injuries start happening.

I absolutely hate baseball's offseason.

[hoyarooter]

Don't be too harsh on the D-Backs. Remember that RJ could walk after next year, anyway. Also, they are probably going to trade some of the garbage to the Dodgers for Shawn Green, although given the reaction here in LA to the Dodgers' original inclusion in the three-way, DePodesta may be risking lynching if he doesn't get some real players in return.

[TBird41]

The key to that deal was the $8-9 million in Ca$h that the DBacks are getting. I don't see the Dodgers trading Green for the prospects, for a couple of reasons. First, they need to get real players back, as they are a postseason team-they aren't rebuilding, they're trying to win it all. Secondly, the Yankees prospects aren't worth much, let alone an established player like Green. Remember, the Yankees have stripmined their farm system over the last decade or so-there really isn't a lot left.

[DanMcQ]

The REAL story behind the RJ trade talks

thebrushback.com/randyjohnson_full.htm

[Hank Scorpio]

TBird

as a Yanks fan, i can't possibly empathize, but i do sympathize. that said, the Twins plight was addressed in an espn insider chat today. here are the relevant excerpts:

David (Syracuse, NY): Why can't MLB be viable in Kansas City while the Twins can dominate the A.L. Central in a similar market?

Rob Neyer: We have a winner, folks: Misconception of the Day, that is. Kansas City is the No. XX market in the U.S., smaller than Sacramento, Portland, and Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury. Meanwhile, Minneapolis-St. Paul is No. 15, bigger than Cleveland, St. Louis, San Diego, and Denver. All that crap about the Twins being a "small-market club" is crap.

AND

Jordan Wahba (Massapequa Park, NY): Rob, with what you've said about Minnesota not being a small market club, let expose the Twins for what they really are, a good ballclub with a cheap owner (who is richer than Steinbrenner) who isn't a true fan. Isn't this true?

Rob Neyer: To some extent. Carl Pohlad is immensely wealthy, and doesn't like to plow his own money into the club. That said, the Twins do play in a home ballpark that doesn't help their bottom line much. And because there's not a whole lot of money in the Twin Cities, you have to keep ticket prices relatively low. I'm not saying it's a great market. But it's not a bad one, and it's significantly better than Kansas City.

Again, Steinbrenner bought the Yankees for 10 million dollars so he is playing with house money for the rest of his days, so it isn't a fair comparison, but he is still putting less money in his pocket to put more talent on the field.

As far as the deal goes... I like Javy a lot, I think he will do very well wherever he ends up. It wouldn't shock me if he won 15-20 games in Baltimore and RJ ended up missing a lot of the season with back trouble. He was excellent 1st half last year, and if he recaptures that form somewhere else, he will live up to his contract. As for the prospects, Dioner Navarro is actually pretty well regarded, switch hitting catcher. The Admiral Brad Halsey could be a decent long reliever, but he isn't high impact. The 8 or 9 million is a lot, but given that Javy makes 34 over the next 3 and RJ only has 1 year left at 16, the Yanks actually save about 10 mill on the deal before the extension is factored in. If they give him a 1 year deal at 16 per, net gain is + 6 mill in salary over 3 years. 2 years that's 22 million over 3 [the duration of Vazquez's deal]...a bit steeper.

The Yankees get to keep a lot of their trade chips here TBird. All their highly thought of prospects play AA or A ball right now. If they hold tight for a year and those players continue to develop and excel in triple A, that farm system isn't as barren as you think. Their AAA club is lacking in major league ready talent, but they have a number of highly regarded prospects deeper down.

I don't see the Yankees signing Beltran, even though signing Tino instead of Delgado seems to make people think that they are positioning themselves for making a run at him. They may just keep Bernie in center for a year. Here are the contracts that come off the books after this season:

Brown -15M
Flaherty .8M
Gordon-3.75M
Karsay -5M (1.5M buyout)
Quantrill -3M (.4M buyout)
Rodriguez-3.05M
Stanton-4M
Sturtze-.85M (.15M buyout)
Williams-12M (3.5M buyout)

Total = 47.45M (5.55M in buyouts)

If they can do something with Giambi you can subtract 10 to 20 million depending on whether they buyout or void. Anyway, Matsui will need to be resigned after next season, eating into that, but I see them passing on Beltran now and making a run at Juan Pierre as a leadoff hitter.

And for the record, I think a 200 million dollar payroll is ridiculous. I also think a 130 million dollar payroll is ridiculous. As is a 110 million dollar payroll, etc etc, when the D-Rays are shelling out 24 million. I wish there was a salary floor and ceiling in baseball so that all the teams had defined parameters for a minimum amount to ensure competitiveness and a maximum amount to ensure competitive balance. The union would clearly never allow this. So the beat marches on. And since it isn't my money, I am going to let George spend his the way he sees fit and enjoy the ride.

have a safe and happy new year all.

- borat

PS - As for Dan McQ...Curt Schilling asked for a trade, too, and only considered the Yankees and Red Sox.

TBird41 said:

The key to that deal was the $8-9 million in Ca$h that the DBacks are getting. I don't see the Dodgers trading Green for the prospects, for a couple of reasons. First, they need to get real players back, as they are a postseason team-they aren't rebuilding, they're trying to win it all. Secondly, the Yankees prospects aren't worth much, let alone an established player like Green. Remember, the Yankees have stripmined their farm system over the last decade or so-there really isn't a lot left.

[DanMcQ]

Borat said:

PS - As for Dan McQ...Curt Schilling asked for a trade, too, and only considered the Yankees and Red Sox.

Hook set, big fish reeled in!


...of course you are correct, but if we used the truth as the only barometer that would be the end of excellent satire, wouldn't it?

[showcase]

Not a picture perfect start for Big Unit in NYC

The Big Unit put his long right arm up to block a camera from WCBS-TV on Monday after he left his Manhattan hotel. Johnson, who was accompanied by Yankees director of team security Jerry Laveroni, made contact with the camera, station spokeswoman Audrey Pass said.

"Get out of my face, that's all I ask," Johnson said, according to a video of what occurred, which was posted on the station's Web site.

"No cameras," Laveroni said.

"Don't get in my face," Johnson then said. "I don't care who you are. Don't get in my face."

"I'm just taking a picture," said the cameraman, identified by the station as Vinny Everett.

Responded Johnson: "Don't get in my face, and don't talk back to me, all right."

Seems like Johnson's taking to the Yankees like a fish to water.

sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1963886