Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson is drawing trade interest from other teams, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Bowman thinks the Braves will be able to trade Johnson before the mid-December tender/non-tender decision comes due.
Johnson, 28 in February, slipped to .224/.303/.389 in 346 plate appearances this year. He lost his starting job to Martin Prado in July, and hit the DL with a wrist injury shortly thereafter. Johnson earned $2.825MM last year, so he'll have to be paid at least $2.26MM in 2010 if tendered a contract.
The Braves switched Johnson from left field to second base before the 2007 season. Johnson had played shortstop in the minors and was coming off Tommy John surgery at the time. His second base defense these past few years has ranged from below average to average, according to UZR and plus-minus.
Which teams might be interested in acquiring Johnson? The White Sox, Tigers, Dodgers, Twins, and Pirates could be potential fits.
