Yesterday for the East Valley Tribune, Jack Magruder indicated that the Yankees want a trio of young arms from the Diamondbacks in return for Randy Johnson. They want one reliever in the group.
Brandon Medders, a 27 year-old right-handed reliever, is said to be a target. Medders posted a solid 3.64 ERA in 71 innings in 2006, though his 1.68 K/BB ratio is cause for concern. Magruder indicates that Arizona wants to substitute the pricier Luis Vizcaino instead of Medders.
The other pitchers would come out of this group: Edgar Gonzalez, Enrique Gonzalez, Dustin Nippert, Ross Ohlendorf, and Micah Owings. What, no Juan Cruz? Baseball Prospectus’s Kevin Goldstein lists Nippert as a "good prospect" and Owings as an "average prospect." The others aren’t in the team’s top 10. That might be a testament to all the young talent in the organization though.
Magruder doesn’t expect the D’Backs to meet this Yankee demand, but perhaps the teams can meet in the middle.
