Randy Johnson, five victories short of 300, could be in his final days with the Diamondbacks.
Johnson, 45, has yet to file for free agency and will not file until he has exhausted his possibilities with the D-backs, according to one of his agents, Barry Meister.
Time, however, is running out.
The last day for players to declare free agency is Thursday. And neither seemed especially optimistic on Monday that a deal would be reached.
"It's hard to say how it will turn out," one Diamondbacks official said.
Johnson earned $15.1 million last season. He has not earned less than $9.1 million since 1998. And after going 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA and pitching 184 innings last season, he probably is not interested in a major paycut.
The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, surely are not enamored with the idea of paying $10 million or more to a 45-year-old pitcher with a history of back trouble — even though Johnson's countdown to 300 victories likely would boost attendance.
Just last Friday, the Diamondbacks dismissed 31 front-office employees, citing rising costs and the troubled economy. The team says it maintains one of the largest full-time workforces in baseball, but its budget is an obvious concern.
If Johnson became a free agent, he surely would be attractive to certain teams on a one-year deal. The market is relatively thin in starting pitchers, and Johnson would be highly motivated as he pursues 300 — and beyond.
Braves to Padres: "Let's go"
The Braves are getting fed up.
After trying for more than a month to acquire Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, the team is beginning to explore other options, major-league sources say.
The Braves would still take Peavy, mind you. But they have informed the Padres that they could shift course rapidly once the free-agent market opens on Friday.
The Padres regrouped Monday and sent revised proposals to both the Braves and Cubs, according to one source. Officials from both teams, however, insist that their offers are not likely to change.
The party line from the Padres is that they are in no hurry to move Peavy and will keep him if they do not receive the right combination of players.
Others, however, speculate that the Padres' front office might be in disarray — speculation that only figures to gain momentum now that the team is parting with Hoffman.
Owner John Moores is going through a divorce and could sell the club. Club president Sandy Alderson says the payroll could be as low as $40 million. The front office, frequently described as "top heavy," includes a wide range of opinions.
Then again, in the case of Peavy, the Padres might simply be waiting to the last possible moment to make the best possible deal.
The risk in that strategy is that it might cost them the players the Braves are willing to trade for Peavy — shortstop Yunel Escobar, either right-hander Charlie Morton or left-hander Jo Jo Reyes and either center fielder Gorkys Hernandez or Jordan Schaefer.
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