Larry Mahnken and SG's

Replacement Level Yankees Weblog

"Hey, it's free!"


The Replacement Level Yankees Weblog has moved!  Our new home is:
http://www.replacementlevel.com

Featuring:
Larry Mahnken
SG
sjohnny
TVerik
Sean McNally
Fabian McNally
John Brattain


This is an awesome FREE site, where you can win money and gift certificates with no skill involved! If you're bored, I HIGHLY recommend checking it out!



Web
yankeefan.blogspot.com

Disclaimer: If you think this is the official website of the New York Yankees, you're an idiot. Go away.


December 30, 2004


ESPN.com - MLB - Sources: D-Backs, Yanks agree on Big Unit deal
by SG

Although it's not final, and these stories have been jumping the gun all off-season, it looks like the trade has been agreed upon.

The Diamondbacks and Yankees have agreed on a deal that would send Randy Johnson to New York for Javier Vazquez, prospects and cash, major league sources told ESPN.

The paperwork has not yet been submitted to the baseball commissioner's office, but that is the next step for the deal to be finalized.

The Diamondbacks also will get left-handed pitcher Brad Halsey, catching prospect Dioner Navarro and $8 million to $9 million in exchange for the 41-year-old lefty, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports.

According to Peter Gammons' sources, Arizona will not immediately deal Vazquez to another team, but will continue to talk to interested teams, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit and Texas.


I'm not surprised that the deal has happened and it's been hashed over to death so I won't say much more on it. I do think this helps the 2005 Yankees, but I worry about the future of this team more and more. I think Vazquez will be a better pitcher next year than any non-Johnson Yankee starter, and wish him well wherever he winds up. I really think Arizona would be smart to try and convince him to stay there, but I think he will end up traded.

How about getting a CF now Mr. Steinbrenner? And a 2B?

In other news, Tino Martinez passed a physical and is expected to be back with the Yankees soon. The latest on Giambi is that he will end up remaining on the team, so if Tino is signed as a backup and defensive replacement I don't have a problem with it. If Giambi can't play, Tino as a starter would be a bad, bad thing. I think it would have been nice to give Andy Phillips a shot, plus he has the added cachet of being able to play all around the infield, but that's just not the Yankees modus operandi.

And Happy New Year to all of Larry's readers. Even you Red Sox fans.