Dodgers back out of 3-way deal

According to ESPNews, the three-team Randy Johnson trade is dead as currently contructed.
The Dodgers reportedly have pulled out of the deal. Perhaps they could be enticed to get back involved. If not, then the Yankees will have to work out another arrangement to get Johnson. It's still likely that the Big Unit will begin 2005 in pinstripes. Dec. 21 - 7:37 pm et

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playernews.asp?sport=MLB

If this is indeed true that just made my night! I really don't like the MLB but I REALLY don't like what the Yankees did to MLB.

I doubt its dead. Why in the hell would they have just submitted paperwork to the league a few hours ago?? Not to dis on you, I just dis your source. If sportsline or espn puts it up, then maybe. I want this trade to go through. Penny, Brazeban, and Green would fill 3 holes for the price of 1.

ESPN... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1951207

The source used ESPNews, and it is the top story on ESPN.com.

Rotoworld is getting their information from ESPNEWS. Is that not good enough for you? They just had Kurkjian and Buster Olney on talking about the deal being dead. If it is going to happen, the Yanks and D-Backs are going to need a third team involved. It could still be the Dodgers, but they would have to get a better package than before.

I would have to agree. I think of the three teams it looked like the yanks were coming away with the most and the Dogers were getting the shaft. The Dodgers would of gotten one starter..an aveage one at that. They were giving up their best batter and two BETTER pitches than what they were too receive. THe Dodgers need to hold out until it suits them. George will pay an unlimited amount of money and they need to take advantage of his riduculous spending.

This particular deal is dead, but I'd be willing to bet that Johnson ends up in pinstripes anyway. They'll find a new third party to swing it.

From what I read, it was Javier Vasquez that screwed the deal.

fucking cry baby... eric williams didnt wanna leave NJ Nets but he sucked it up.... bitches now adays.... i mean vazquez played for the expos the dodgers cant be that much worse..... or maybe they can be

Alright wheres my crow?? I just saw Rotoworld link and didnt think that was too credible but just saw it on sportsline. That friggin sucks!!!
Hopefully we can get Burnitz and Estes.

1. Johnson
2. Ortiz
3. Estes
4. Webb
5. ???

Thats a pretty stacked rotation.

The yankees are probably going to get the white sox to be the third party in the trade with some sort of Vazquez deal

White Sox get:
Javier Vasquez

Yankees get:
Randy Johnson

Diamondbacks get:
Jon Garland
Paul Konerko
The Yankees minor leaguers that were included on the deal
Cash

I could see the Sox stepping in. If you remember previous columns stated there were several other spin offs to this deal, so I'm sure the Yankees were smart enough to not put all their eggs in one basket. One thing to keep in mind, people may hate the Yankees, but owners love the Yankees & all the money they throw around. I still see Johnson coming to NY, even if the Yankees have to cough up the house to get Johnson.

Ken Williams already stated this won't happen

He isn't going to trade away Konerko and Garland for Vazquez. He has already stated this because Konerko is the only bopper left from last year. He said the only way he trades away Konerko is if the Sox get Johnson, and that isn't going to happen.

HAHA trade didn't go through because of Vazquez

Vazquez didn't want to go to LA for a physical and the Dodgers cite that as the main reason for not doing the deal. It is in the LA Times. Well, you can only blame the Yankees for not forcing Vazquez to go to LA. They screwed themselves over.

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~28541~2612530,00.html

Dodgers balk at trade

GM nixes deal due to worries over Vazquez

By Matt McHale, Staff Writer

After staring at the ramifications of a monster three-team, 10-player deal for more than a week, Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta pulled out Tuesday night and angered the New York Yankees for balking over the health and attitude of right-hander Javier Vazquez.
In addition, the Bergen County (N.J.) Record is reporting in today's editions that the Dodgers have agreed in principle on a five-year, $55 million deal with free-agent right fielder J.D. Drew. Signing Drew was thought to be the final hurdle to the Dodgers' participation in the would-be three-team trade, but his apparent signing by the club would seem to indicate otherwise.

If the report is true, it probably means Shawn Green will return to first base for the Dodgers in 2005 if he isn't traded.

Yankees president Randy Levine said the Dodgers "reneged" on the trade that would have sent Green to Arizona and five-time Cy Young award winner Randy Johnson to New York.

Green was prepared to accept a trade and Johnson was scheduled to fly today to the Yankees' spring training base in Tampa, Fla., to undergo a physical. Both were expected to receive contract extensions from their new clubs.

But Vazquez, who struggled in the second half last season amid whispers of arm problems, prompted DePodesta to withdraw from the trade after the pitcher made it clear he did not want to play in Los Angeles.

"The Dodgers reneged on the deal that was agreed to last Friday, unequivocally and with no contingencies except for a window for contract extensions and physicals," Levine told the Associated Press on Tuesday night. "For some reason, the Dodgers over the weekend started to backpedal. Why they would break their word is only something they can answer. It sure is disappointing, and we'll have to think long and hard before ever doing business with the Dodgers again."

Because he is in the middle of a multiyear contract (three years, $34.5 million), Vazquez could have demanded a trade at the end of next season. If the trade request was not granted or withdrawn, he would have been eligible for free agency.

"As we sit here right now, the deal is no more," DePodesta said Tuesday during a late-afternoon conference call. "I've been saying all along that we weren't going to do the deal unless it made sense for this club in 2005, and that was not the case."

New York Newsday reported Tuesday night on its Web site that Vazquez refused to go to Los Angeles for a physical after his agent said the trade was completed. Vazquez was cleared of any arm problems during a season-ending physical with the Yankees.

Early Tuesday, the three teams were expected to send a signed agreement to commissioner Bud Selig's office for approval. Instead, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt informed Levine and Arizona executive Jeff Moorad in separate telephone calls that he wanted out of the trade.

DePodesta refused to name Vazquez as the reason the Dodgers withdrew but said he was worried about the health of one of the players the club was expected to get in the deal. In addition to Vazquez, the Dodgers were to receive top prospects Eric Duncan and Dioner Navarro from the Yankees and pitcher Mike Koplove from Arizona.

Arizona would have received Green and pitchers Brad Penny, Yhency Brazoban and Brandon Weeden from the Dodgers. Along with Johnson, the Yankees would have gotten pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii from Los Angeles.

The Yankees are expected to continue their pursuit of Johnson. They are hoping to negotiate directly with the Diamondbacks. but talks between the teams has been unsuccessful since last summer. The Chicago White Sox could jump into the Dodgers spot, offering right-hander Jon Garland and first baseman Paul Konerko.

Baseball sources said Friday that the Dodgers figure to intensify negotiations with free agent right-handers Derek Lowe and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. Lowe pitched for the Red Sox last season. Hernandez was in his second tour with the Yankees.

If the trade had been completed, the Dodgers would have gained $12 million in payroll flexibility. They would have dropped Green, Ishii and Penny and picked up Vazquez, who will make $11 million in 2005.

Right now, the Dodgers are committed to 11 players for roughly $55 million for the upcoming season.

DePodesta said he has not spoken to Green during the trade discussions. But DePodesta added he doesn't expect a problem keeping Green with the club.

Last Thursday, Green attended a Christmas party at Dodger Stadium.

"I'm looking forward to making a call to some of the guys and telling them to settle down and not be concerned with being traded," he said.

Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick, however, said Tuesday he intends to resolve Johnson's situation by the end of the month.

"We don't think it's a healthy thing for us or for him for the uncertainty of his situation to continue into next year," Kendrick said.