Trade rumours a-blazin’ about first the Yankees trading for Randy Johnson for a huge grabbag of players including Vazquez, and then pulling out. Dang.
At one point, according to a baseball man familiar with the discussions, Arizona asked for Vazquez, Tom Gordon, pitcher Brad Halsey, several prospects and the cash to pay the salaries of both Vazquez and Gordon. The Yankees said: No thanks. (Jayson Stark article)
That would have been a sweet deal. Sure, it would make the Yankees stronger in 2005, but it would be further piling on to the house of cards that is their aging rotation.
It really looks like the D-Backs hate the Yankees - first they let the Sox have Curt for a song when they wanted major players from the Yankees (Nick Johnson I think was one of their requests), now they just pile on crazy requests:
In addition to asking for Vazquez, money and prospects, they gave New York a list of 10 pitchers they would accept. It’s believed that list included Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, Scott Kazmir, Edwin Jackson, A.J. Burnett, Ted Lilly, Jason Jennings, Kenny Rogers and Shawn Chacon.
Yeah, those players are all similar. Right. I’ll put up a Hudson-Zito-Burnett-Rogers rotation against a Lilly-Jackson-Jennings-Chacon rotation anyday, and I think Lilly is a good pitcher.
Stark’s article also notes that the D-Backs have “talked to the Red Sox - but not about Johnson”. Really? Who else would the Sox want? Surely not Shea, especially after he bad-mouthed the organisation on his way out. Maybe we’ll give back Kim and get back Fossum, but I’d count that as a bad trade. So - if it’s not RJ, then it’s Brandon Webb or bust, really.