Randy Johnson Agrees to Sign With Giants

They say the week between Christmas and New Year's Day is just about the slowest week of the year for baseball news, but Randy Johnson and the Giants apparently bucked that trend when Johnson agreed to a one-year deal with San Francisco yesterday. MLB.com says the deal is worth at least $8 million with the potential for $2.5 million in performance bonuses and $2.5 million in awards bonuses.

This deal means a couple of things. First off, it means that we're all in the clear to keep on making "Brian Sabean loves signing old players" jokes because Johnson is 45 years old. That makes him older than everyone in the league not named Jamie Moyer. Secondly, it means that the Giants have some impressive pitching depth with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito already on the roster. Finally, it means that teams will likely be calling Sabean incessantly, inquiring about the availability of the guys I just named in a trade, with Sanchez and Cain likely drawing the most interest.

For Johnson, it means he can pursue his 300th win (he's at 295) without leaving the NL West. He was pretty good with the Diamondbacks last year and if Sabean doesn't do something stupid with the pitching surplus he has, I guess it's possible the Giants could be sleeper contenders in what's been generally the worst division in the NL the past few years. Of course, all this is predicated on Johnson staying healthy, which is no sure thing for a 45-year-old with his history of back injuries.