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ducks
12-16-2004, 11:01 PM
Almost done: Johnson to Yankees, Green to Arizona, Vazquez to Dodgers
By BEN WALKER, AP Deputy Sports Editor
December 16, 2004

NEW YORK (AP) -- Randy Johnson was on the verge of joining the New York Yankees in a three-team, megadeal that also includes Shawn Green and Javier Vazquez, sources told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

Green would go from Los Angeles to Arizona while Vazquez would move from the Yankees to the Dodgers in the trade that would put the Arizona ace in Yankee pinstripes.

``It is going to happen,'' two sources familiar with the negotiations said on the condition of anonymity.

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Newsday and Fox Sports reported on their Web sites that the other players involved in the deal were Dodgers pitchers Brad Penny and Yhency Brazoban, and Yankees prospects Eric Duncan and Dioner Navarro.

There was no confirmation from any of the teams that a deal had been finalized. And one source said it still could fall apart at the last moment because of the number of players and teams involved.

``We're still in conversations with a lot of different clubs about a lot of different possibilities,'' Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta said earlier in the day. ``We have talked about some three-way deals and some four-way deals. I don't know if it's going to happen or not.''

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has long coveted Johnson, still one of baseball's most dominating pitchers at 41. New York was not able to pry the Big Unit from the Diamondbacks last summer and called off trade talks with them two weeks ago, saying the price was too high.

But the Yankees and Arizona reopened discussions this week, and the five-time Cy Young winner was now set to move.

Johnson has a no-trade clause, but had said he would accept a deal to the Yankees. New York already has added free agent Carl Pavano to its rotation this offseason, aiming to improve a team that blew a 3-0 lead against Boston in the AL championship series.

Green also has a no-trade clause. The outfielder would go with Penny and Brazoban to Arizona while Navarro, a catcher, and Duncan, a third baseman, would go to the Dodgers.

Johnson had his best years with the Diamondbacks, winning the NL Cy Young Award his first four seasons with them. When Curt Schilling was traded to Arizona from Philadelphia, he and Johnson formed perhaps the most imposing righty-lefty combination the game has known.

Schilling and Johnson were co-MVPs of the 2001 World Series, when Arizona beat the Yankees in seven thrilling games.

Johnson underwent knee surgery during the 2003 season, but came back for what might have been his best year with Arizona in 2004. On a team that lost 111 games, Johnson was second in the majors with a 2.60 ERA. He led the majors in strikeouts (290) for the ninth time and sixth time in the last seven years.

Johnson was 16-14, but 13-2 when the anemic Arizona offense scored more than two runs for him. Along the way, he pitched a perfect game against Atlanta.

Green, 31, has a .282 career average, but dipped to .266 last season with 28 home and 86 RBIs.

Penny, 26, was traded from Florida to the Dodgers last July 30, but saw limited action for Los Angeles because of a problem in his right arm. He was 9-10 with a 3.15 ERA for both clubs.

Penny was selected in the fifth round of Arizona's initial free agent draft in 1996 but never pitched for the Diamondbacks in the majors. He, right-hander Vladimir Nunez and outfielder Abraham Nunez (as a player to be named) were traded to Florida for closer Matt Mantei in July 1999.

Associated Press writers Bob Baum in Phoenix, Josh Dubow in San Francisco and John Nadel in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Duff McCartney
12-16-2004, 11:03 PM
Yankess have definitely improved their chances to get the title back. Brilliant. I think if the Yankees sign Carlos Beltran...then they are definitely gonna be the favorites.