Randy Johnson isn’t going anywhere. That’s good news for most contending teams, especially those in the National League. It could be a nightmare for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After disrupting the core of his first-place team, seemingly to accommodate Johnson’s salary, first-year general manager Paul DePodesta could not close a deal for Johnson before Saturday’s deadline for non-waiver trades.
DePodesta did add center fielder Steve Finley as a consolation prize, keeping him away from San Diego, but it’s hard to understand how that justifies trading 20 percent of a team that had been one of the most pleasant surprises in the major leagues.
The Yankees also came up short in efforts to get Johnson. They broke off talks with Arizona on Thursday and turned their attention elsewhere, landing the White Sox’s Esteban Loaiza to bolster a starting rotation that has put up a 4.96 earned-run average.
Manager Joe Torre had shown his appreciation for Loaiza by selecting him over Mark Buehrle and Paul Konerko to represent the Sox in the All-Star Game. But lately, Loaiza has not pitched as well as Jason Johnson, let alone Randy Johnson.
If a 7.34 ERA in his last seven starts is any indication, Loaiza has a chance to fall on his face in New York.
Like Loaiza, DePodesta will be under the microscope.
Brad Penny, a right-hander who won twice for Florida in the 2003 World Series but was only 8-8 this season, and Finley are the only pieces of consequence Los Angeles added while subtracting All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca, the team’s leader, along with right-hander Guillermo Mota and lefty Tom Martin, who were key members of an outstanding bullpen.
After sending Juan Encarnacion, Lo Duca and Mota to Florida on Friday, DePodesta declined to meet Arizona’s asking price for Johnson–believed to be Penny and top pitching prospect Edwin Jackson, who beat Johnson in his big-league debut last season. He did make three deals Saturday.
The Dodgers got Finley and catcher Brett Mayne from Arizona for three prospects: catcher Koyie Hill, outfielder Reggie Abercrombie and pitcher Bill Murphy. They then sent backup center fielder Dave Roberts to Boston for minor-league outfielder Henri Stanley. Earlier they had traded Martin to Atlanta for 21-year-old left-hander Matt Merricks.
DePodesta’s credibility with owner Frank McCourt could be on the line over the next two months as Los Angeles tries to hold off San Diego and San Francisco in the National League West and the improved Cubs in the wild-card race. The Padres and Giants made only minor moves, the Padres adding third baseman/pitch-hitter Dave Hansen and the Giants getting outfielder Ricky Ledee.
San Francisco had been searching for a closer to replace Matt Herges, who is 23 for 30 in save situations. But neither of the top closers who were being pursued, Detroit’s Ugueth Urbina and Pittsburgh’s Jose Mesa, was traded. The Giants apparently hope for addition by subtraction, sending veteran setup man Felix Rodriguez to Philadelphia for Ledee.
The biggest trade at the deadline was the Cubs-engineered deal for Nomar Garciaparra. This four-team deal came together when Cubs GM Jim Hendry was able to get shortstop Orlando Cabrera and pass him on to Boston as a replacement for Garciaparra.
The Expos, who are going nowhere, added parts that should help in infielder Brendan Harris, who was hitting .311 at Triple-A Iowa, and right-hander Francis Beltran, who has appeared allergic to ivy. He was named most valuable player of the Caribbean Series in February, helping the Dominican Republic win the title, but has a 5.36 ERA in 45 career appearances for the Cubs.
The Twins, who lead the White Sox in the American League Central, are taking a risk by dumping Doug Mientkiewicz, who had lost the first-base job to rookie Justin Morneau. They cleared Mientkiewicz’s salary of $3.5 million off the 2005 books but left their 25-man roster thinner.
Farsighted Twins GM Terry Ryan did get some value in 19-year-old lefty Justin Jones, who was rated as the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect entering the season. He stands 6 feet 4 inches and throws in the low 90s but has had problems staying healthy.
