Big Unit, Yankees reach accord
Extension clears way for waiving of no-trade clause
By Tom Singer / MLB.com


The Yankees and D-Backs agreed last week on a trade involving Randy Johnson. (Roy Dabner/AP)



NEW YORK -- Randy Johnson on Thursday morning moved one significant step closer to becoming a New York Yankee.
As reported by numerous media outlets, and confirmed to MLB.com by one of Johnson's representatives, the left-hander's agents and the club have finalized a two-year contract extension that will run through 2007.

The agreement clears the way for Johnson to waive a no-trade clause in his contract and undergo the requisite physical to complete his trade from Arizona.

Alan Nero, one of Johnson's agents who has been in New York for two days, concluded negotiations with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman nearly a day in advance of the closing of a 72-hour window that followed Monday's approval of the trade by Commissioner Bud Selig.




A source familiar with the negotiations said that the extension is for two years at $16 million per year in 2006 and 2007. In addition, some existing terms for 2005, the year remaining on Johnson's contract with the Diamondbacks, will be reconstructed, including one that calls for $6 million of his $16 million salary to be deferred at two-percent interest.

Reacting to reports by The Associated Press and ESPN, the agreement was quickly confirmed by Barry Meister, Johnson's co-agent. The Yankees did not confirm the reports nor make any announcements.

"We can confirm that a tentative agreement on a contract extenson has been reached with the New York Yankees," Meister said in a brief statement to MLB.com. "That is all I can comment on now."

The "tentative" apparently refers to physicals that must be passed by all players involved in the trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees are to send right-hander Javier Vazquez, left-hander Brad Halsey and catcher Dioner Navarro to the Diamondbacks.

There was no immediate indication on a timetable for the physicals.