BRISTOL, Connecticut, 1 January 2005 — The New York Yankees have finally done a deal to acquire five-time Cy Young Award-winner Randy Johnson from the Arizona Diamondbacks, ESPN sports television reported yesterday.
According to ESPN, the Yankees will get Johnson in exchange for pitcher Javier Vazquez, prospects and cash, but the deal won’t be final until the paperwork is submitted to the Major League commissioner’s office.
On December 17, the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers were working on a blockbuster three team trade that fell through when the Dodgers backed out.
Yankees president Randy Levine and Arizona’s incoming chief executive officer Jeff Moorad resumed trade talks after Christmas without involving a third party and apparently reached an agreement. The Yankees, who blew a three-games-to-none lead against Boston in the American League Championship Series, have been upgrading their starting rotation with the free agent signings of Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright.
But they coveted Johnson, and if his acquisition goes through it will make the Yankees the clear favorites to win the World Series for the first time since 2000.
