No surprise
Mariners say Johnson was headed to Arizona all along
Posted: Tuesday December 01, 1998 07:43 PM
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Not worth the money: Mariners president Chuck Armstrong thinks the Randy Johnson (above) is a bad investment AP |
SEATTLE (AP) -- The Seattle Mariners knew
all along where Randy Johnson
would wind up. And they think the Arizona
Diamondbacks made a bad investment in the former Cy Young Award winner.
"We weren't surprised at all," Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said
Tuesday. "In August of 1997, we were summoned to Chicago to meet with
Randy's two agents. At that time, they asked us not to exercise his option
in 1998 so he could be a free agent."
Armstrong said agents Barry Meister and Alan Nero told the Mariners that
Johnson wanted to pitch for expansion Arizona in the Diamondbacks' first
season last year.
"They also said if we did exercise the option on Randy, we should contact
Arizona and get the unprotected expansion list. Then we could choose four
or five players off that list, Arizona would draft those players and then
trade them to us for Randy," Armstrong said. "I came to call that the Nero
plan. I told them I wasn't sure that was legal and it certainly wasn't
ethical. I said we wouldn't be a party to that."
Meister would not react to Armstrong's comments.
"I don't have any comment on what Chuck may have said," Meister said. "I
don't want to rehash two separate versions of what happened. I just think
it's a done issue now."
The Mariners aren't saying whether they believe that Diamondbacks owner
Jerry Colangelo tampered with Johnson, who lives in the Phoenix area.
"I don't know. I don't want to get into that. I just don't want to get
into speculation," Armstrong said.
Johnson, who pitched for the Mariners from 1989 until July 31, when he
was traded to Houston. He became the highest-paid pitcher in baseball on
Monday, agreeing to a $54.4 million, four-year contract.
Johnson was unhappy with the Mariners after the team exercised his $6
million option for 1998. And he pitched like it, going 9-10 with a 4.33 ERA
before his trade to the Astros for three minor leaguers.
He then went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA for Houston but was 0-2 in the playoff
series against San Diego despite a 1.93 ERA.
Citing Johnson's age (35) and back surgery in September 1996, the
Mariners opted not to offer the 6-foot-10 left-hander a contract extension
at what they called Greg Maddux
money.
Maddux earns $11.5 million a season with the Atlanta Braves. With
his new contract, Johnson will average $13.1 million.
Armstrong was critical of the Johnson signing -- as he was of the
off-season signings of Mike Piazza ($91
million for seven years), Bernie
Williams ($87.5 million for seven years) and Mo Vaughn ($80
million for six seasons).
"I don't think any of these multiyear contracts will be a good
investment, whether it's Mike Piazza or Mo Vaughn or Randy Johnson," he
said. "We at the Mariners are trying to make good investments. I think two
years from now, all these multiyear signs will be viewed as not good
signs."
Although Johnson now has moved to the National League, he could be the
starter at Seattle's new Safeco Field when Arizona plays a three-game
series July 18-20. The new ballpark opens July 15 with a three-game series
against San Diego.
Armstrong said the Mariners hope to keep Ken Griffey
Jr., who led the AL with 56 homers last season, and shortstop Alex
Rodriguez, who became baseball's third member of the 40-40 club last
season with 42 homers and 46 steals. Both players' contracts are up after
the 2000 season.
"We would like to keep both of them for their careers," Armstrong said.
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