The Orioles ended one of the most dramatic days in club history with a flourish last night, acquiring Gold Glove catcher Charles Johnson in a three-way deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
The Dodgers sent Johnson and promising outfielder Roger Cedeno to the Mets for veteran catcher Todd Hundley and pitching prospect Arnold Gooch, then the Mets dealt Johnson to the Orioles for hard-throwing reliever Armando Benitez.
The trade solved a long-standing defensive problem behind the plate for the Orioles and allowed the franchise to end a very emotional day on an upbeat note.
Earlier, the club announced the signing of impact outfielder Albert Belle at an afternoon new conference at Camden Yards, then found out that first baseman Rafael Palmeiro had decided to accept a five-year offer to return to the Texas Rangers.
If Palmeiro's departure threatened to counterbalance the arrival of one of the most dynamic offensive players in the game, the acquisition of the National League's top defensive catcher left little doubt that the organization had taken a huge step forward.
"This is a great day for us, being able to add Albert Belle today and then to be able to complete this deal with the New York Mets," said general manager Frank Wren. "We came into the winter trying to improve our catching. We not only improved, we got the guy who won the last four Gold Gloves in the National League."
Johnson, 27, is a sure-armed defensive specialist who helped lead the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997. He was traded to the Dodgers along with Gary Sheffield and Bobby Bonilla in the blockbuster deal for Mike Piazza last June.
Though he wasted little time establishing himself as one of the premier defensive catchers in the game during his 3 1/2 seasons in Florida, his inconsistent performance in a half-season with the Dodgers prompted them to take a major organizational gamble -- dealing him along with a bona fide prospect to the Mets for a veteran catcher who missed most of last year recovering from extensive elbow surgery.
Hundley was rumored to be headed for Baltimore in a deal for Benitez, but the Mets were able to get more from the Dodgers in exchange for the catcher, who averaged 36 home runs and 99 RBIs in the two seasons before undergoing "Tommy John" surgery on his elbow in September 1997. Wren said that his focus had shifted to Johnson several days ago.
The Orioles may be better off in the long run. They would have been liable for the remaining two years of Hundley's contract at a guaranteed $11 million regardless of his physical condition. Johnson is a fifth-year player who still is under reserve. He is eligible for salary arbitration and figures to earn about $5 million in 1999, but the Orioles will have up to two years to decide whether to sign him to a long-term deal.
Wren is well-acquainted with Johnson. Both come out of the Marlins organization.
Johnson did not come cheap. Benitez may be on the verge of becoming a front-line closer, but his volatile personality and inconsistent performance left club officials looking for alternatives at the end of the 1998 season. The Orioles signed free-agent closer Mike Timlin in early November, making Benitez expendable.
Still, the deal last night left the Orioles with some holes to fill in the bullpen, since they already had lost right-handed setup man Alan Mills to free agency.
The arrival of Johnson creates a surplus behind the plate, where Chris Hoiles and Lenny Webster platooned last year. Hoiles and Webster probably will return next season, with Webster backing up Johnson and Hoiles likely moving into a role as a right-handed designated hitter and part-time first baseman.
Pub Date: 12/02/98