Top > Sport > 2007 > January > 2007-01-13

Big Unit back in Arizona

Five-time Cy Young Award Winner Randy Johnson is moving back to Arizona. After two turbulent seasons with the New York Yankees, the 43 year old pitcher has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and once again wear the Diamondbacks uniform. Talk of trading Johnson has surfaced weeks ago, as New York was eyeing the top free agents in the market and needed to clear space in its payroll to pay the new players. Johnson has agreed to the trade, saying "I`m excited about being back here to finish my career, absolutely."

The young team that the Diamondbacks have put together, to which the veteran pitcher has returned, is quite different from the Yankees club. There, the pressure over not winning a World Series during the two years Johnson played for the team, was extraordinary. Johnson did win the World Series (and the Series MVP award) in 2001 with Arizona.

Arizona will not pay the full salary which Johnson was expected to receive this year. Instead of the $15 million per year salary, the diamondbacks will pay him $26 million over two years, to which the Yankees will add $2 million this year. In return, the Yankees received right-handed reliever Luis Vizcaino and three minor leaguers. Johnson won four of his five Cy Young Awards with Arizona, and needs 20 more wins to reach the 300 mark. Wearing the old familiar number 51, the Diamondbacks hope he will reach it as soon as next year.