Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has an in-depth look at the Randy Johnson situation. The legendary 45 year-old lefty was effective this year in 30 starts. It seems highly unlikely that he’ll retire just five wins from 300. There are concerns he would remain committed after winning those five games.
Piecoro says D’Backs GM Josh Byrnes hinted that he is not willing to go as high as $10MM for Johnson in 2009. The team seemingly doesn’t have much more than that to spend in total, and they have other needs. Also, the Diamondbacks are against incentive-based contracts. Still, Piecoro wonders if ownership could step in and mandate re-signing Johnson.
Johnson is right on the borderline for Type B status, but the D’Backs stand to pick up many draft picks for other players so they may not risk offering arbitration. Would Johnson pitch elsewhere? Piecoro feels that he favors the West Coast, making the Dodgers and Angels intriguing possibilities.
