BRONX, New York - One day after giving a New York
photographer a stiff arm, Randy Johnson embraced his new
pinstripes.
On Tuesday, the New York Yankees formally introduced the 6-10
Johnson, whom they acquired in a trade with the Arizona
Diamondbacks last week and subsequently signed to a two-year
contract extension worth $32 million.
The Yankees acquired the five-time Cy Young Award winner from
the Diamondbacks for pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey,
minor league catcher Dioner Navarro and $9 million last week in
a deal that was approved by commissioner Bud Selig on January 3.
His contract extension was agreed upon three days later.
The 41-year-old Johnson, who will wear uniform No. 41, is due to
make $16 million this season. The two-year extension matches
that annual salary.
On Monday, the "Big Unit" was greeted on the streets of New York
by a camera crew member, with whom he had a verbal
confrontation that was caught on tape.
"I felt terrible," Johnson said about the altercation. "I felt
embarrassed and unfortunately I feel like I do some good things
that I don't want attention to, and then when I do something
like that, obviously it's going to make news.
"Coming to one of the biggest media markets, one of the
winningest franchises in the history of any sport, and that's
the way I enter? I'm sorry."
On December 17, the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Los Angeles
Dodgers were working on a three-way deal which would have sent
Johnson and pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii to New York, outfielder Shawn
Green and pitcher Brad Penny to Arizona and Vazquez and
prospects to Los Angeles. However, the Dodgers backed out at
the last minute.
Yankees president Randy Levine and Arizona's incoming chief
executive officer Jeff Moorad resumed trade talks after
Christmas without involving a third party and reached an
agreement last week.
The Diamondbacks wanted money to offset the difference in
Johnson's $16 million salary and the $35.5 million owed to
Vazquez over the next three seasons.
The Diamondbacks then packaged Navarro along with three minor
league pitchers and $8 million to the Dodgers for outfielder
Shawn Green, who was signed to a three-year extension through
2007.
After blowing a three games to none lead to the Boston Red Sox
in the American League Championship Series, the Yankees have
focused nearly all of their energy into upgrading their starting
rotation.
But Johnson was the centerpiece of their plans all along, and
his addition makes the Yankees the clear favorite to win the
World Series for the first time since 2000.
Johnson, who went 16-14 with a 2.60 ERA last season as part of a
pitching staff that included youngsters Casey Daigle, Brandon
Webb, Andrew Good and Stephen Randolph, will headline a rotation
that includes Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina along with fellow
offseason acquisitions Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright.
"I think now I'm coming to a rotation that ... is the most
experienced team when it comes to a rotation that I've ever been
involved in," Johnson said. "Kevin Brown's a great competitor,
I've faced him in postseason before. Mike Mussina I've faced
several times when I was in Seattle and (he was with)
Baltimore.
"I've witness what Carl Pavano is capable of doing against the
Diamondbacks, and Jaret Wright I saw pitch this year when I was
with the Diamondbacks and he was with the Braves."
A 17-year veteran, Johnson has finished in the top three of the
Cy Young voting in nine of the last 12 years. He is a
workhorse, logging at least 240 innings in six of the last seven
seasons.
Third on the all-time strikeout list with 4,161, Johnson has a
career record of 246-128 with a 3.07 ERA. He has been a clutch
postseason pitcher, sharing Most Valuable Player honors in the
2001 Fall Classic, when the Diamondbacks bested New York in
seven games.