The New York Yankees were sure anxious to trade the 'Big Unit'. He wasn't much a factor in last season's quest for yet another World title. The collapse in the playoffs against Detroit wasn't only due to the veteran southpaw's pitching. New York expected to gain more wins and innings out of Johnson, but it didn't happen because let's face it, he's 43 and worn down from throwing all those thunderous fastballs and hard sliders. The Yankees received pitcher, Luis Viscaino and three future minor leaguers.
I think Arizona will be glad to have Johnson, where is most likely will finish his career. They reclaim a veteran starter pitcher who owns 280 career wins and 4544 strikeouts. Few star pitchers in the game today can match those numbers or even come close. The Diamondbacks won't get 15-20 wins in the 2007 season, but they'll have a guy with playoff experience, leadership, and baseball smarts. He can teach the younger players, hopefully rubbing some good luck off on them.
All the grumbling and bickering behind closed doors is over now. Steinbreiner and Torre should be more concerned about what they're $100 million men, Jeter and Rodriguez will produce in the new season. The franchise will have even stiffer competition from their rivals in the East as they too appear to be creating their own Evil Empire. There will always be heated tension between the two clubs and now Randy can have a sense of relief since he's now out of the picture.
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