1999 Arizona Diamondbacks: ‘Big Unit’, the best free agent signing ever?
In 1999, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Randy Johnson to a 4-year deal in what would become arguably the best deal in the history of baseball.
When the Arizona Diamondbacks, a franchise in its 2nd year of existence, signed Randy Johnson as a free agent in 1999 they knew they were getting an ace. There is no way they could’ve known how good of a deal this was. They signed him to a 4-year, $52.4 million deal with an option for a fifth year.
Johnson was coming off a year where he was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Houston Astros and helped the Astros win the National League Central, but they lost in the NLDS to the San Diego Padres.
Johnson signed his deal with the D-backs and went to work. He won his second career Cy Young Award that year after winning his first with the Seattle Mariners in 1995. To sum up Johnson’s 3four year deal with the Diamondbacks can only be described as incredible.
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During those four years, Johnson went 81-27 with a 2.48 ERA, 1,417 strikeouts, 31 complete games, and 11 shutouts. He also won 4 consecutive NL Cy Young Awards, a World Series in 2001 and co-MVP of that World Series with Curt Schilling.
This was the Big Unit’s most dominant stretch of his career and the incredible thing is he was 35 years old when he signed the original contract with the D-backs. There are some pitchers who are considered washed up at that age in today’s game.
Let’s now talk about the 2001 postseason. Johnson was electric and key in helping the Arizona Diamondbacks to their first World Series appearance and championship.
He went 5-1 during that playoff run, including 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 19 strikeouts in the World Series against the New York Yankees, the first and to this date only player who has won three games during the Fall Classic.
I can clearly remember watching him trot out of the bullpen in Game 7 of that game to hold the Yankees holding them scoreless in the 9th to allow Luis Gonzalez to drive in Jay Bell for the series-winning run.
In 2002 he won the NL Pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts at 38. He went 24-5 with a 2.32 ERA and 334 strikeouts.
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I don’t care who you are, this was the best deal in the history of the game. This was one of the most dominant stretches a pitcher ever had for a fraction of the cost big league free agents are getting in today’s game.