Piniella: Johnson could succeed with Yanks

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Devil Rays Manager Lou Piniella knows New York, and he knows Randy Johnson. He believes that a union of city and pitcher would be successful, if imperfect.

“I think he could pitch anywhere, especially at this stage of his career,” Piniella said Monday before his team played the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. “He’s already played on a world championship team. Outside of Roger Clemens, he’s the most experienced pitcher who’s pitching.”

Piniella managed Johnson with the Seattle Mariners from the start of the 1993 season until July 31, 1998, when the Mariners dealt the left-hander to the Houston Astros.

“He’s private. He likes to stay to himself,” Piniella said. “I’m not sure he likes all of the attention, at least not on an everyday basis.”

Johnson, unhappy with the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks, has informed Arizona management that he would waive his no-trade clause only for a deal with the Yankees. Nevertheless, some Yankees officials are concerned that the Diamondbacks will opt to keep Johnson rather than trade him for what they view as an unsuitable package. Arizona officials have told numerous people they are dissatisfied with the Yankees’ prospects.

Top Arizona scout Brian Lambe is back with the Yankees’ Triple-A Columbus club, taking another look at prospects such as catcher Dioner Navarro and second baseman Robinson Cano. With their options limited to sending Johnson to the Bronx and keeping him in an environment in which he is disgruntled, the Diamondbacks are trying to figure out if they can find something in the Yankees’ farm system worth taking.

Johnson usually makes it known when he’s unhappy. In a July 9 start in San Francisco, he pushed teammate Luis Gonzalez against the water cooler in the visitor’s dugout, nearly starting a brawl. Over the weekend, he snapped at Diamondbacks director of public relations Mike Swanson.