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The Unit back to the D-BACKS???

It will be interesting to hear who the D-backs send to the Yankees if such a deal goes down?? Tracy to play 1B?? Or some pitching prospects?

Yankees: Talking with Diamondbacks about Johnson deal
Monday, December 25, 2006
BY ED PRICE
Star-Ledger Staff
The Yankees are in discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks about sending Randy Johnson back to the team for which he starred in 1999-2004, according to a baseball official.

The official, who works for a third team but has spoken to people involved in negotiations, asked not to be identified because of the confidential nature of his discussions.

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"They're talking," the official said.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did not return a call seeking comment.

"I wouldn't know anything about it," Diamondbacks general partner Ken Kendrick said.

"If in fact that's the case," said Alan Nero, one of Johnson's agents, "we're not aware of it."

Johnson, who won four Cy Young Awards in Arizona, has a full no-trade clause, which he waived to come to the Yankees in January 2005. But he still makes his primary home in the Phoenix area and has never seemed fully comfortable in the glare of New York.

In two seasons with the Yankees, Johnson has gone 34-19 but with a 4.37 ERA; he was 17-11 with a 5.00 ERA this year. He has one year left on his contract ($16 million, $1.5 million of which is deferred without interest) and has 280 career victories.

The 43-year-old Johnson underwent surgery soon after last season to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, and the Yankees have said they are not counting on him to be ready for the opening of the regular season.

But the Diamondbacks, all but out of the competition to sign free-agent left-hander Mark Mulder, are in need of another starter -- and some goodwill after a messy divorce with popular left fielder Luis Gonzalez.

While the baseball official said Johnson had made overtures to the Yankees about a return to the Diamondbacks, a person close to Johnson -- who asked not to be identified because he could not confirm the trade talks -- said Johnson did not request a trade.

The baseball official said the Yankees do not want to pay any of Johnson's salary as part of a deal. The Diamondbacks are considered to have one of the deeper farm systems, so the Yankees could continue their trend that started when they moved Gary Sheffield and Jaret Wright for players to restock their system.