Where is the Big Unit going?
 

Where will the Diamondbacks trade Randy? Will they even trade him at all?

Ok, everyone says that New York is the #1 team on the list. They are obviously a World Series contender, which is Randy's requirement. However, they don't really meet the Diamondbacks' requirement of being a team with prospects to trade away.

When I look at my team, the Dodgers, I see a perfect team for the Diamondbacks to do business with. With the best farm system in the league over the last several years, we have many prospects that Arizona may be interested in.

With the 3rd best record in baseball, we definately have a title contender. In fact, the only thing that's been disappointing for the Dodgers this year is our starting pitching. We need to get rid of Nomo and Ishii because for some reason, Japanese pitchers have no pride or ego, and you need that in the MLB. So, with the addition of Randy Johnson, our starting pitching gains a decided advantage. Couple that with the best bullpen in baseball...

Yeah!

The Angels are another guess, but Arte Moreno has all ready stated that The Big Unit is too expensive. He doesn't wanna give up all of his prospects for 2 years of production.

Who are the other contenders?

Prolly a 3 team deal including the Padres.

Randy to NY
Finley, Contreras, cash and a prospect from NY to San Diego
Cash and prospects from SanDiego to Diamond Backs

Anyhow that is my best guess from what I have been reading.

Only 2 team scenario I can think of would be.

Posada and prospects and cash to Arizona

Randy to NY

He already said no to the dodgers, didn't he?

I believe yankees are the only team he will accept being traded to.

I heard he was staying in Arizona.

Not sure though, Randy Johnson is getting older and would probably like to win another World Series before he retires. The best choice is Yankee's if he wants to win another championship now.

urgh.

I've been reading about this supposed trade all week on the sons of sam horn. I really don't think RJ is going anywhere at the trade deadline. I also think this is due in large part to Jerry Colangelo's rift with Steinbrenner, regarding the David Wells signing two years ago. Here's my take on the remaining teams in the RJ sweepstakes:

LA-
real nice fit for a trade with LA holding a plethora of long prospects, but the D-Backs will not trade someone of RJ's caliber inside the division.

MF-NYY-
aside from the Colangelo-Steinbrenner spat, the MFYs just don't have the tools, aside from money, to get this deal done. it's a nice feeling to say the MFYs can't do something.

Anaheim-
if anywhere, I could see him landing in Halo-land. The Angels have the talent and the money to get him, but the Halos' owner might be looking further down the road than this year. Why get a 40 year old for over $24 million and lose your minor league system, when you can sign someone like Nomar in the offseason and keep your prospects.

Red Sox-
ahhhhh, my beloved Red Sox. I would give me right nut to have RJ in a Red Sox uniform going against Sheff, A-Fraud, and Matsui in the bottom of 9th of game 7, but it ain't ever gonna happen. Schilling and RJ, like Steinbrenner and Colangelo, have some unspecified bad-blood between them and I seriously doubt RJ would want to come to Curt's team.

Expos-
if Montreal could put together a deal of Gary Carter, Tim Wallach, and Joe Hesketh for RJ, it would meet the Diamondbacks need for a starting catcher, a solid third baseman, and a promising young pitcher. plus, RJ might want to go back where he started his hall of fam..... wait, this isn't 1984, is it? my bad.

He is going nowhere. He wants to go to the Yankees only supposedly, and they have absolutely nothing to give up for him.

He's staying right here with us unless NY can put up something huge. NY has second rate fringe prospects at best. Classen was their last real prospect and he went in the Boone trade. I think the bad blood with Shill is overrated. They aren't pen pals but they don't hate each other. This stuff never came up while Schilling was here and our media loves to create drama. The Red Sox don't have anything to offer anyways.

Anaheim would have been the best. MacPherson, and Kotchman are amazing prospects and Mathias is a so-so prospect at catcher. But suppsosedly he didn't want to go there and Moreno didn't want to trade the #1 rated minor league 3B and the #2 rated minor leage 1B in all the minor leagues.

LA also would have been nice, but I didn't like the names I was hearing. I would have liked to steal Edwin Jackson from the Dodgers... Again he said no.

As a DBack fan, I'm a little upset with RJ. It doesn't bother me that he wants out. Who wouldn't? What pisses me off was how he was trying to play it off as how he wouldn't go unless it was good for him and the DBacks. Well LA and ANA could have made a good deal for us but he stopped it. He could have been honest and just said he want the Yanks.

We're fine keeping him. This year is a fluke. When the season ends, we clear over $30 million in payroll. We'll have the money to get Sexson resigned and go after either Penny, Pavano, Clement or some of the other big starters becoming free agents. We should at least be competitive down the stretch with a shot at winning the wildcard.

My attention has shifted to where Finley is going. Jason Stark at espn is throwing shit to the wall and seeing if it sticks right now, looking at a lot of 3 way deals with LA, AZ, and Fla. His latest is:

LA gets Penny, Finley, and Hee Sop Choi
FLA gets Lo Duca, Mota, and Encarnacion
AZ gets Werth and prospects from Fla

I like that. Penny would shine in LA, Fins is solid, and Choi is VERY good with lots of potential.
I don't see how Fla benefits that much. Lo Duca could be great but ususally fades in the second half. Mota is great but he's just a reliever. They dealt with the Encarnacion nightmare last year.
AZ makes out like bandits.

I doubt this will happen.

If it didn't happen by Wed. of this week, then it won't happen. He'll be staying a D'back this year.

NY has nothing to offer Arizona, and that's what they want.

Another reason why AZ should keep Johnson:

RJ has at least 1 win against every MLB team except for the DBacks, whom he has never faced.

He'll stay right where he is..for this year anyway.. The deal just seems way to weak and there's too many people involved for it to happen.. ..I think...

Well the Bums went with the Fla deal without Fins. They traded Lo Duca, Mota, and Encarnacion for Penny, Choi, and Murphy (AA LHP). That's a nice fucking trade for them. They also got Charles Johnson from the Rox.

The Mets picked up Zambrano from the DRays for Kazmir (a minor league pitcher with a lot of potential). They also got Benson in a deal with the Priates and the Royals. Wow!

My Braves would never be fortuante to get the unit :( he'll end up sticking around in AZ for a year than off to the highest bidder, he is getting old though, but then again look at clemens :D

*CRIES* PAUL!!!! MOTA!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!

The best farm system in baseball belongs to the Cubs. With that said, if the Yankee's deal for prospects, they will be dried up for a couple of years to come. However, with that said, Boston is making no active moves to deal Nomar. (They are trying but the Cubs have stated they will not trade Angel Guzman or Clement to Boston. Angel Guzman is probably the best pitching prospect in the majors.) Which leaves Pedro most likely in a Yankee uniform next year too (You may hate it, but really, if he wants a series, this is where he goes)

RJ will end up a Yankee, simply because no other team in baseball, except the Cubs, Dodgers, and Yankees can afford to give up what Arizona wants. It will happen, this year, or in the offseason. He will be a Yankee. Johnson, and Pedro is what the Yankee's want, and it's no secret.

Can you imagine next season, Pedro/Johnson/Brown/Hernandez/Mussina ... Well, I need to say no more.

Most likely Hernandez will end up in the deal for RJ, so Lieber I suppose could start. :P

If the main part of a Randy Johnson deal is Orlando Hernandez...I will personally lead a coup to overthrow Bud Selig, declare myself commissioner, just so I can invoke the "best interests of baseball" line as I void that deal.

The Yankees have NOTHING except money, and Arizona doesn't need the relief as much as they would need to get something big for RJ.

For the record, Jayson Stark said today that the Diamondbacks hadn't even talked to the Yankees at all, so that is the most telling thing in my mind.

I WOULD like to retract my earlier statment about him not going anywhere, though, as I now believe there's a good chance he'll be a Dodger by 4:00 P.M. today.

He should come over to the Cardinals. We are better than the Yankees anyway and we also have some young player to give up including an awesome defensive catcher Yadier Molina, and solid Pitcher Danny Haren.

We definitly don't need him though being the best team in the league.

The main part isn't Hernandez, he just will be involved in the trade - most likely. He's an ok starter, having gotten off to good starts. He's 2-0 with a 2.xx ERA. (2.30 or somthing)

The problem with dealing Johnson to the Cards is them being the best team in baseball, do they really need him? Is it viable giving up that kind of talent for him? IMO, I think the cards would benefit from the pitching. The starting 5 isn't THAT good. It's good enough to get good production out of, and solid enought o string some wins. Nothing more. BUT, the Card also said they coulden't afford him. The D-Backs won't take a high salary player, they want to unload the 16 million for next year. Cards have no chance at Randy.


Padres and Giants have no chance. I don't even know why they'd throw them in there. At least, I woulden't think they did. Stranger things have happend I suppose.

I could see RJ going to Philly IF he would go. They have that 1B minor leaguer that is killing the ball in AA and the Phils throw in Millwood or one of their so-so SP and I think it would be a go.

The Mets fucking surprised me with their trades. Not that Benson will help after this year but Zambrano is a young stud and in the NL his K's will rise and his ERA will fall like a rock. Zambrano is definately a big choice for next year's fantasy leagues.

Benson, will take the money and I have a funny feeling the money for Benson will be in Cincy next year, as JR will be wearing an Atlanta uniform. Just a guess.

The Giants have a couple of great pitching prospects.

Check this out

Penny, Werth, and Jackson for Fins and RJ. It would be great for both teams. Shit, I'd almost think the Dodgers are getting hosed. Penny is almost an ace, Jackson (only 20)is almost an ace and possibly could be (although he's injured right now). Werth has potential.

As a DBack fan I hope this is true and RJ waives his no-trade clause. This could totally make up for the Schilling debacle.

I don't wanna give up Werth... and I feel like I'd rather have Penny than Johnson. Jackson shows signs of becoming an ace, but he squanders it every other chance he gets.

Steve Finley does not knock my socks off at all. Johnson is solid and you can count on him to do the job every time he goes out there, but his price is too steep now that we've lost Lo Duca.

I agree. I don't think either trade is good for you guys long term.

Werth looks good however, in a playoff stretch would you rather have someone who's practically a rookie or someone who's played in 2 different World Series?

Finley's a Dodger.

Nomar is a Cub.

Derek Lowe is a Twin.

Clement, Cabrera, and Mientkiewicz are Red Sox.

Dave Roberts is a Red Sox.


Whoa.

I'm hoping that we got Werth and Murphy for Fins. If so, this can be very good for both teams. With the Dodgers in 1st they need to think short term. Finley is a second half player who goes on crazy streaks. When he's on one, there are few players better. He'll literally carry a team. Werth is entering his prime and has long term potential. Murphy was one of the Marlins's best pitching prospects.

It's too bad the RJ deal didn't go through but I'm also happy with letting him retire as a DBack. It should ensure that he wears a DBacks cap in the Hall.

check that Clement is still a Cub and Lowe is a Red Sox

ESPN is reporting: "The Dodgers sent minor league catcher Koyie Hill, outfielder Reggie Abercrombie and left-hander Bill Murphy to Arizona." (for Finley and Mayne). This is a good trade for the Dodgers, but yesterday's trade with Florida was horrible. The chemistry of the Dodgers is now in question, giving up LoDuca was stupid.

*cries... sad sad tears*

DePodesta!!! You are public enemy #1!!!

DePo did really well. Especially with the Finly-Mayne deal. I have mixed feelings about it but it was well known that the DBacks wanted Werth and we didn't get it. It's getting to be a well known fact that if you press hard enough you can bend Joe Garagiola Jr over.

Hill is a so-so catcher and he'll join the team immediately. Murphy is projected to be a #3 starter. Abercrombie is trash. It's not a bad deal for AZ but not very good either.

Would have been nice to see the REDS get someone and the Tribe to have traded for some relief pitching and a starter.

Lawton for Penny or Zambrano wouldn't have been bad trades.