MIAMI -- Charles Johnson, the first Florida Marlins draft pick and their World Series catcher, left the organization with a bitter parting shot.

Johnson accused the Marlins of telling lies about his playing weight and skills that were "a slap in the face'' and motivated by a desire to dump his contract to another team.

"I just hope they treat the fans of South Florida better than they treated me,'' Johnson said.

Fed up by the situation, Johnson reluctantly waived his no-trade clause Saturday and was traded along with three other Marlins to the Colorado Rockies for two players.

"It was unprofessional the way they bashed me all year long,'' said Johnson, 31. "They talked about me being too old to catch, and they talked about my weight being a problem. They said I couldn't play every day.

"It was all lies, and they know it. They did it for one reason: They did it for finances.''

Johnson will make $26 million in the final three years of his contract. Hampered by injuries this year, he divided playing time with two other catchers and hit just .217 with six homers and 36 RBI, all career lows.

"Unfortunately he had a tough year last year with the injuries,'' Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said Monday. "I'm sure he wasn't happy with the way he performed. We looked at this (trade) as a good opportunity for him to reassert himself.

"I believe we treated him fairly. I don't want to get into anything direct other than wish him well.''

Johnson didn't agree with manager Jeff Torborg's assessment that playing part-time in 2003 would benefit both him and the team. Johnson was especially unhappy about comments by Torborg and Beinfest suggesting the veteran catcher was overweight.

"I came to the conclusion (Colorado) was going to be a better situation for me,'' Johnson said. "The situation here was not positive right now. It was not going in a good direction for me.''

Johnson, taken in the opening round in the Marlins' first draft in 1992, is a four-time Gold Glove winner who started for their World Series championship team in 1997. The native of Fort Pierce was traded the following year but returned to the Marlins in 2001.