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The One Who Got Away

	Nick Laham/Getty Images

Yankees fans, here's a time machine. Insert a quarter and it will allow you to reverse one of the Yankees' recent shortsighted moves that have contributed to their sub-.500 record this season. Here are a few examples: Not picking up Jon Lieber's extension and subsequently investing $21 million into Jaret Wright's scary medical history, trading Jose Contreras for Esteban Loaiza, allowing Orlando Hernandez to get away, including Yhency Brazoban in the Jeff Weaver-Kevin Brown deal ... yeah, those are all doozies. But none of those players deserve the title of "The One Who Got Away" as much as Nick Johnson, the Nationals first baseman who ranks in the top five in the NL in batting average (.333), OBP (.448) and OPS (.978).

Looking to revamp their pitching staff after the "retirement" of Roger Clemens and departure of Andy Pettitte in 2003, the Yankees dealt Johnson and two others to Montreal for Javier Vazquez. Did they Yankees know what they had in Johnson at that point? He had starred in their minor league system, posting a .448 OBP in 527 at-bats, and had improved his numbers across the board at the big league level from 2002-03. On the downside, Johnson had made three trips to the disabled list due to a variety of arm/wrist ailments. At age 25, Johnson's age when he was traded to Montreal, this is what his 10 most similar players list looked like:

1. Tino Martinez (981)
2. Eric Karros (971)
3. Dick Gernert (964)
4. Willie Aikens (960)
5. David Ortiz (960)
6. Earl Torgeson (959)
7. Sid Bream (955)
8. Ed Stevens (955)
9. Greg Colbrunn (952)
10. Steve Bilko (951)

Anybody else find it funny that the Yankees eventually replaced Johnson with Martinez when they may have had the next Martinez in hand all along?

-- Jacob Luft (3:30 p.m.)

I'm a lifelong Yankees fan currently living in the D.C. area. I was at RFK Stadium last night when Nick Johnson hit the two-run homer that cemented the Nats' victory over the A's and said to my friends, "Dumbest thing the Yankees have ever done was keep Jason Giambi and let Nick get away."
-- Steve, Manassas, Va. (4:32 p.m.)

As a lifelong Yankee fan, I hate to admit it, but we all know that your column on "The one(s) who got away" from the Yankees is right on the money. I was asking myself why they weren't keping Jon Lieber (a former 20-game winner with the Cubs), El Duque (their best pitcher by far in the second half), and Javy Vazquez (younger talent), but I had blind faith in Brian Cashman ... apparently the Yankee brass did, too. It's unfair to hang Cashman by his toes after all the success we've had in the past, but these moves, collectively, have a lot to do with why the Yankees look so pedestrian right now. I don't think Nick Johnson would be a savior for this offense, but letting young talents like Brazoban and Dioner Navarro go is questionable.
-- Anthony F., Las Vegas (4:34 p.m.)

When it comes to Johnson, hindsight is 20-20. Yankee fans knew he had potential but frequent DL trips kept killing any chance he had to play regularly. At the time, the trade was a good one. Vazquez was a potential ace.
-- Brian, New York (4:37 p.m.)

As a Yankees fan I was furious when the Yankees traded Johnson. He had already proven himself a major-league caliber player who was the type of player the Yankees have been built on: clutch hitter, solid defense and solid work ethic.
-- Will, Corinth, N.Y. (4: 42 p.m.)

You can add Kenny Lofton to that list too. He's hitting .402 at a time when the Yankees need a centerfielder, and the guy they traded him for (Felix Rodriguez) is on the DL.
-- Kevin, Philadelphia (4: 47 p.m.)

Johnson would've been the next Donnie Baseball had the Yankees not jumped on the Giambi Train. Johnson gets on base (and quite often), sprays doubles all over the field, will hit 20-25 homers, will bat over .300 and plays his position well. Had they given him the chance, especially with the short porch in right, No. 24 would have eventually been next to No. 23 in Monument Park. Plain and simple: This is the trade that defines the Yankees of this decade. And it's eerily similar to the Jack Clark, Rickey Henderson and Phil Niekro days of the '80s. Big names that don't win Big Games. During the '90s, the Yankees let players develop: Jeter, Rivera, Posada, and even Bernie Williams (who was an enigma for his first few years). Those Yankees won championships. Today's Yankees win All-Star Games.
-- Dvorak, Indiana, Pa. (4: 47 p.m.)

As a member of Red Sox Nation, nothing could be sweeter than the current landslide that is the New York Yankees. But what makes it even sweeter is that they are responsible for the entire mess. This season cannot be blamed on injuries or bad luck. Simply put, the Yankees are horrible in the clutch (0-for-last 45 with bases loaded) and older than the U.S. Constitution. RIP Evil Empire!
-- Dan W., New Britain, Conn. (5:28 p.m.)

I agree completly. I was always high on Nick Johnson and never liked Vazquez. Furthermore the question should be asked why did the Yankees let players like Wily Mo Pena, Yhency Brazoban, David Delluci, Damaso Marte and Brandon Claussen get away? One mistake is acceptable but the Yankees' win-now attitude has caught up with them.
-- Recca, Pelham, N.Y. (6:12 p.m.)

If you want to bash the Yankees, fine! But this is absurd. They gave up Johnson plus two no-names for one of the best young starters in the majors at that time. I dare you, JL, to find anyone who thought that trade was bad at the time it was made. I would never deny that the Bombers made some unbelievably bone-headed moves, but this wasn't one of them. Enough is enough!
-- Flemming, Copenhagen, Denmark (6:28 p.m.)

I'm the biggest Yankee hater of them all, but let's not blow this too far out of proportion. Nick Johnson is never going to hit 40 bombs. Sean Casey, John Olerud, Lyle Overbay -- guys with nice OBPs but not alot of pop. You can find a first baseman with mid-level pop on a scrap heap anytime. And let's keep in mind, the player Johnson was traded for, Javier Vazquez, was and is still an ace-type pitcher, a player with a lot more value for the D'backs than Johnson has for the Nationals. The Yankees' biggest mistake? Trading Vazquez.
-- Eb Samuel, Syracuse, N.Y. (9:22 p.m.)

Giambi was GIAMBI when they dealt Nick Johnson. Why they let Jon Lieber go I can't rationalize. There's the X-factor for new players in N.Y., you just can't tell who will handle it successfully, thus Jeff Weaver, Esteban Loaiza and Javier Vazquez had to go. El Duque is somewhere between 30 and 70 years of age so there's the broken hip possibility. Not to be flippant, but even with a 200 million payroll you have to make some tough decisions.
-- Clem, West Jamestown, N.Y. (11:36 p.m.)

People fail to mention Brad Halsey among those who got away. That kid was the next great Yankees lefty. Nick Johnson, Soriano, Brazoban, Halsey -- our future thrown away right there. I'm sure Wang and Cano are next.
-- Harry, Brooklyn, N.Y. (11:46 p.m.)

Sending Nick Johnson packing was definately a slap in the face, but sending Alfonso Soriano away for A-Rod was a kick in the jewels.
-- Jim, Queens, N.Y. (11:52 p.m.)