The Big Bopper (Barry Bonds) is being replaced by the Big Unit (Randy Johnson).
Two seasons removed from Bonds' finale as a Giant, the team is beginning another countdown. For Bonds, it was home runs.
For Johnson, it'll be wins.
Johnson, who's five W's shy of winning his 300th career game, signed a one-year contract with the Giants for $8 million, and he could pocket another $2.5 million in incentives.
The Giants' marketing department figures to be in high gear taking advantage of Johnson's path to 300, just as it was when Bonds was approaching all his home run records and milestones.
The baseball department looks at Johnson differently -- as a final link to a rotation that's currently the deepest in the NL West. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito are the other starters, and all but Cain and Sanchez have won Cy Young Awards.
GM Brian Sabean called Johnson "one of the most intimidating and competitive pitchers in baseball today," and his numbers aren't bad, either. Johnson, 45, went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 30 starts last season and posted a 2.41 ERA following the All-Star break. He was third in the National League with a 3.93 strikeout-to-walk ratio and sixth with 8.46 K's per nine innings.
In his career, he's second to Nolan Ryan in career strikeouts, has won five Cy Young Awards and is a 10-time All-Star.
