NEW YORK -- The baseball commissioner's office asked Tuesday
for more paperwork to be submitted in the proposed trade that would
send Randy Johnson from Arizona to the New York Yankees.
An official of one of the teams and a person close to one of the
players involved in the trade said the deal had been submitted
early Tuesday to baseball commissioner Bud Selig for approval. The
two spoke on condition of anonymity.
But Pat Courtney, a spokesman in the commissioner's office, said
later in the day that more documentation had to be submitted before
Selig could consider the complex transaction.
"We do not have all of the paperwork," Courtney said.
Sources have told ESPN that they believe the Dodgers are still holding up the paperwork process.
Selig's approval is necessary because more than $1 million will
change hands. The Dodgers are sending the Yankees the money to pay
part of left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii's salary.
Once Selig approves, New York wants a 72-hour window to
negotiate a contract extension with Johnson, and Arizona may want a
similar window to talk to outfielder Shawn Green about an
extension. The five-time Cy Young Award winner is owed $16 million
in the last year of his contract.
According to Peter Gammons, the 72-hour window will not open until the physicals are completed. Vazquez, currently on the island of St. John, has been asked to fly to Los Angeles for his physical, which would not take place until Wednesday at the earliest. Brad Penny, reportedly mountain climbing, has not been reached yet, but he also will be taking a physical, and that won't be until Wednesday at the earliest, either.
Los Angeles would receive right-hander Javier Vazquez from the
Yankees along with two top prospects, catcher Dioner Navarro and
third baseman Eric Duncan, and the Dodgers would get pitcher Mike Koplove from Arizona. Los Angeles might spin off Vazquez to another team.
Arizona would get outfielder Green and pitchers Brad Penny, Yhency Brazoban and Brandon Weeden.
Johnson and Green have no-trade clauses. Johnson wants to play
for the Yankees; Green has not yet waived his right to block a trade.
"I've gone through different stages going back to last
Friday," Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta said Monday night.
"At times, I thought it was going to happen and at times I didn't
think it would. We're still on a roller-coaster."
Los Angeles has been talking with the agent of free-agent
outfielder J.D. Drew, who would replace some of the power lost by
Green's departure.
In other Yankees news, free-agent center fielder Carlos Beltran
was to meet Yankees owner George Steinbrenner on Tuesday in Tampa,
Fla.
Steinbrenner planned to attend the meeting with Yankees president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman.
Beltran finished the season with the Houston Astros, who would
like to re-sign him. It's also possible that the Chicago Cubs and Dodgers could pursue him.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.