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Big Unit agrees to one-year deal with the Giants
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Johnson, 45, needs just five wins to reach 300. He's also chasing 5,000 strikeouts, entering the season with 4,789.
A 21-year big league veteran who spent the past two seasons with the Diamondbacks, Johnson was born in Walnut Creek, Calif., about 30 minutes from the Giants waterfront ballpark.
"This will give him a chance to reconnect with some of his old friends," Johnson's agent, Barry Meister, said in a telephone interview with AP.
After an injury-plagued 2007, Johnson bounced back last season to throw 184 innings with a 3.91 ERA for the Diamondbacks.
Johnson joins a San Francisco rotation that already includes 2008 Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Barry Zito, who won the Cy Young in 2002 while with the Oakland A's. San Francisco becomes the first team with three Cy Young Award recipients since the 2002 Atlanta Braves with Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz.
The Giants offered several things on Johnson's wish list: Spring training in the Phoenix area, and a chance to stay on the West Coast and in the National League West division so he can pitch near his current home in Arizona.
"All of those things kind of fell into place with the Giants," Meister, said.
The Oakland Athletics were among the teams interested in Johnson, a 10-time All-Star who filed for free agency last month. He and the Diamondbacks had serious discussions about a new deal that could have kept him in Arizona, but the sides failed to reach an agreement.
During the winter meetings this month in Las Vegas, Giants general manager Brian Sabean didn't hide the fact that he was seeking a veteran starting pitcher for a short-term deal and that Johnson would be a great fit. Left-hander Noah Lowry is a question mark after undergoing two operations this year that sidelined him all season, one for a nerve problem in his forearm and then an arthroscopic procedure after the season on the back of his pitching elbow to remove bone spurs.
"Randy continues to be one of the most intimidating and competitive pitchers in baseball today," Sabean said in a statement. "He commands respect and will have a dramatic influence on the way the 2009 team conducts business."
The Giants turned to a youth movement this year and finished fourth in the NL West at 72-90. They haven't reached the playoffs since 2003.
Johnson certainly will help attract fans as he chases career win No. 300. The Giants went 37-44 at home for their fourth straight losing campaign in San Francisco. They also failed to reach 3 million fans for the first time in the 9-year-old ballpark's history, certainly in part because home run king Barry Bonds was gone.
Sabean has been busy all offseason. He also has added shortstop Edgar Renteria and relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Member Comments
This guy is poison to any team that takes him. Good luck giants, I hope you have the antedote.
ktb88881/2/2009 15:17:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
The only way the Giants can compete with the offense they have is if their pitching staff can throw 162 shut-outs.
jerry2412/31/2008 20:07:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
15 wins? So Randy's get 1/4 of the Giants total wins for the year. Really now? Does he really have that many shutouts and one run decisions lef in him? Nah, not a chance.
MRMACGOO12/31/2008 11:18:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Can't say I like the self-absorbed unit but it is a good risk for the Giants.
Liquid_Peace12/30/2008 15:11:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Randy would you please just get to 300 wins so we don't have to see your old behind anymore... Just fart and turn to dust already!
warrenb1712/30/2008 8:02:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
johnson good for 15 wins.<br />i think he will do it and get 300
rrdeuce12/29/2008 22:46:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
make no mistake about it .the big unit can still pitch.pencil him in for 15 wins.
joeytrez12/29/2008 14:43:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
What an F'n joke. $8 mil more?! Jeremy Affeldt & now Randy Johnson. He won't even get to 300 in his illustrious Giant career. When is Sabean finally going to go away already?
MRMACGOO12/29/2008 8:13:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Would have been nice to see him playing for a contender so he'd have a chance for more wins..I'd like to see him finish the year and his career with around 310
mdsplash7212/28/2008 17:12:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
I personally think he's better than 46yr. old Jamie Moyer, sure don't hear anybody telling him to retire.
tuniss3712/28/2008 12:29:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Not sure why all of you are saying he is done. His 2008 numbers don't support that. They guy almost pitched 200 innings, and had a 2.41 ERA the LAST half of the season. That was an ERA even better than Lincecum's. This is a good pick up for the Giants. It gives them a #2 or 3 starter to fill the back end of a monster rotation. The only weak link is Zito.
SFG4Ever12/28/2008 12:03:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Great career... <br />Would have been cheaper to sign him as a pitching coach and wouldn't cost them games either. It will be good for Lincicum sit next to Randy in the dugout, years of baseball knowledge passed on. <br />He wants to play... what have the Giants got to lose? NADA. They will still finish last with or without him.
baseballismylife12/27/2008 23:41:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Randy's been fighting Father Time for years. While he's no longer the pitcher he was with Seattle or even Arizona the first time around, at least he's not like Evander Holyfield.
DeepThought12/27/2008 22:14:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
The unit is done. Why won't teams finally admit to that and stop signing him? Give it up! <br /><br />www.mvpbaseballstore.com/
McCain_is_toast12/27/2008 22:07:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
mister- g it 2008 u can't play 4 ever he through please randy retire
fat_rat12/27/2008 20:56:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
It is becasue Johnson is a left-hander. MLB has always been ga-ga over left-handed pitching. Randy Jones couldn't throw a 70 mph fast-ball. If he had been a right-hander no body would have given him a second look. They signed that 50 year old school teacher because he was a left-handed pitcher. One of those guys from India they signed to a contract is a left-handed pitcher. If your grandmother could roll a ball up to the plate left-handed MLB would give her a 2 million dollar contract.
sageofshenandoah12/27/2008 18:02:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
this might be good or bad the bad is the gave him eight million randy is not weret eight million plus he is injury prone. GO YANKEES!!
the_big_w12/27/2008 15:38:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
I for one am very happy that RJ signed with the Giants. Go Dodgers!
DodgerMike12/27/2008 15:15:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Any wonder why baseball and it's screwed up when it comes to spending money? Sign another washed up over the hill scrub, for a outrageous sum, you think that these people who sign these "hacks" knew how NOT th throw money away. What next, how bout bringing back Fernando Valenzuela for a one year $7 million contract for a middle reliever?
shoes6212/27/2008 15:01:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
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