Yankees ready to deal

Friday, Dec. 17, 2004 | 11:20 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

NEW YORK -- After so many missed tries, the New York Yankees might really have a trade for Randy Johnson.

The Arizona ace was on the verge of joining the Yankees in a three-team megadeal that also includes Shawn Green and Javier Vazquez, sources told the Associated Press on Thursday night.

Green would go from Los Angeles to Arizona, and Vazquez would move from the Yankees to the Dodgers in the trade that would put Johnson in Yankee pinstripes.

"It is going to happen," a source familiar with the negotiations said on the condition of anonymity. Another team source said the principals were in place for the trade to be completed.

There was no confirmation from any of the teams that a deal was finalized. And one source said it still could fall apart because so many players and clubs were involved.

Another element that could get in the way: With the Dodgers losing free agent Adrian Beltre to Seattle, they may not be so eager to trade away a power hitter.

Newsday and Fox Sports, which first reported the deal on their Web sites, said the other players were Dodgers pitchers Brad Penny and Yhency Brazoban, and Yankees top prospects Eric Duncan and Dioner Navarro.

"We're still in conversations with a lot of different clubs about a lot of different possibilities," Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta said earlier in the day. "We have talked about some three-way deals and some four-way deals. I don't know if it's going to happen or not."

Los Angeles, Boston and the New York Yankees were rumored to be pursuing Hudson, but the Braves swooped in and got the Oakland ace for outfielder Charles Thomas and pitchers Juan Cruz and Dan Meyer.

With the A's facing yet another payroll crunch, general manager Billy Beane finally broke up his "Big Three" starting pitchers of Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito.

Their efforts proved fruitless.

"I think the one good thing is we can move forward with a little bit of direction because it's not hanging over us whether we will get him or we won't," DePodesta said Thursday after Beltre accepted a five-year, $64 million offer from Seattle.

"This is something that as much as we didn't want it to happen is something we had to prepare for."

The Royals get right-handed prospect Leo Nunez for Santiago, but also must pay about $1 million of Santiago's $2.15 million salary in the second season of his two-year contract.