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Diamondbacks officially acquire LHP Johnson from Yankees

PHOENIX -- Randy Johnson is headed back to the
desert.

The Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday acquired the five-time Cy
Young winner and cash considerations from the New York Yankees
for righthanded reliever Luis Vizcaino and a trio of minor
leaguers.

The deal became official when the 43-year-old Johnson passed his
physical with the Diamondbacks, who also signed the 6-10
lefthander to a contract extension for 2008 reportedly worth $10
million. He underwent back surgery in October.

Johnson is entering the final season of a deal that will pay him
$16 million in 2007. The Yankees acquired the fireballing
lefthander from the Diamondbacks in 2005 and gave him a
two-year, $32 million extension.

A 10-time All-Star, Johnson went 17-11 with a 5.00 ERA in 33
starts with New York last season. The often surly superstar
never seemed comfortable in New York, beginning his stay with a
midtown Manhattan confrontation with a cameraman and posting a
4.37 ERA despite a 34-19 mark in two seasons with the Yankees.

Johnson's most notable shortcomings with the Yankees occurred in
the postseason, where he went 0-1 with a 6.92 ERA in three
outings, including two starts.

Now the future Hall of Famer will return to Arizona, where he
won four Cy Young Awards from 1999-2004. He also was named
co-MVP of the 2001 World Series, when the Diamondbacks beat the
Yankees in seven games.

Johnson joins a revamped rotation in Arizona which includes
reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, righthander Livan
Hernandez and lefthander Doug Davis, who was acquired in an
offseason trade with Milwaukee.

"We are ecstatic to bring Randy Johnson back home to Arizona,"
Diamondbacks senior vice president and general manager Josh
Byrnes said. "Adding Randy to a rotation that already includes
last year's Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and veterans Livan
Hernandez and Doug Davis makes us even more competitive."

Vizcaino, 32, went 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 70 relief appearances
with the Diamondbacks last season. He figures to compete with
righthanders Kyle Farnsworth and Scott Proctor for a setup role
in the Yankees' bullpen.

A member of the 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox,
Vizcaino is 25-23 with a 4.24 ERA in parts of eight seasons with
Arizona, Chicago, Milwaukee and Oakland.

The Yankees also acquired righthanders Ross Ohlendorf and Steven
Jackson and shortstop Alberto Gonzalez as a part of the deal.

Ohlendorf, 24, spent last season with Class AA Tennessee and
Class AAA Tucson, going 10-8 with a 3.25 ERA in 28 starts.

Jackson, 24, went 8-11 with a 2.65 ERA in 24 starts with
Tennessee. The 23-year-old Gonzalez also spent last season with
Tennessee, batting .290 with six home runs and 50 RBIs in 129
games.

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