Ed Price / Star-Ledger wrote: The Yankees are in discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks about sending Randy Johnson back to the team for which he starred in 1999-2004, according to a baseball official.

The official, who works for a third team but has spoken to people involved in negotiations, asked not to be identified because of the confidential nature of his discussions.

“They’re talking,” the official said.

“I wouldn’t know anything about it,” Diamondbacks general partner Ken Kendrick said.

“If in fact that’s the case,” said Alan Nero, one of Johnson’s agents, “we’re not aware of it.”

Johnson, who won four Cy Young Awards in Arizona, has a full no-trade clause, which he waived to come to the Yankees in January 2005. But he still makes his primary home in the Phoenix area and has never seemed fully comfortable in the glare of New York

But the Diamondbacks, all but out of the competition to sign free-agent left-hander Mark Mulder, are in need of another starter — and some goodwill after a messy divorce with popular left fielder Luis Gonzalez.

While the baseball official said Johnson had made overtures to the Yankees about a return to the Diamondbacks, a person close to Johnson — who asked not to be identified because he could not confirm the trade talks — said Johnson did not request a trade.

The baseball official said the Yankees do not want to pay any of Johnson’s salary as part of a deal. The Diamondbacks are considered to have one of the deeper farm systems, so the Yankees could continue their trend that started when they moved Gary Sheffield and Jaret Wright for players to restock their system.

Ed Price may be reached at eprice@starledger.com

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