The Padres announced that they have declined their $4MM club option on right-hander Josh Johnson. As MLB.com’s Corey Brock tweets, the Friars are said to want to work out a lesser deal with Johnson and his representatives at Sosnick/Cobbe Sports.
Johnson, 31 in January, signed a one-year, $8MM contract with the Padres last offseason. That deal contained a clause stipulating that if Johnson were to make fewer than seven starts, the team would secure a $4MM club option for the 2015 season. Not only did Johnson fail to make seven starts, he didn’t take the mound at all in San Diego, as he fell victim to Tommy John surgery in April. Brock tweets that Johnson began a throwing program earlier this month and feels that he has “unfinished business” in San Diego.
Johnson’s injury history is lengthy, to put it mildly, but there’s no denying his status as one of baseball’s most talented pitchers when healthy. He owns a lifetime 3.40 ERA, but that number is skewed by some poor performances in injury-plagued seasons. During the best (and healthiest) stretch of his Major League career from 2009-11, Johnson posted a 2.64 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 453 innings with the Marlins. He’s a two-time All-Star that finished fourth in the 2006 Rookie of the Year voting and finished fifth in the 2010 Cy Young voting.
Bad move. I’m betting someone is willing to pay more than $4M for the risk to sign him.
Padres don’t need to spend $4M on an unknown commodity (that failed to do anything last year and is coming back from Tommy John and a bad year before that). Besides, they can pick him up cheaper than $4M, which I bet is the plan.
Who will Johnson blow his arm out with next
Bit surprising. Maybe he doesn’t have the health, but couldn’t you at least try and get him into a late inning relief role. He would probably succeed at that and you could flip him for some prospects at the deadline.
A $4M mop up relief pitcher who hasn’t been successful since 2012? For the Padres that’s not a wise use of payroll.
Is he really a mop up relief pitcher. When he is able to stay healthy he is able to be absolutely dominant starter, and he is only 30. The medicals must really have not checked out.
This team gave Benoit and Street both $14MM+ guaranteed. I don’t think the Padres can talk about wise use payroll.
And he hasn’t been healthy and effective both since 2012. And Benoit only made $6 M last year and for that he posted a 1.49 ERA and 1.8 WAR. Street was also durable and effective in his time with the Padres. Contrast that with Johnson who has pocketed $35.5 M over the past three years for a total of 1.8 WAR.
How are they going to get him to agree to something less than $4MM? The league average for “eh we’ll roll the dice” is about $10MM.
Decline option. If he has “unfinished business” as he says, he’ll agree to a lower contract to increase his value at Petco (like he originally planned). Or someone else can take another risk on him.
He made the same “unfinished business” line before he left Toronto, too. No doubt someone else will take a risk on him.
Unfinished business = Tommy John on his other arm
“SEPTEMBER 11, 2013, 1:18 PM
TORONTO – The agent for Josh Johnson says the pending free agent has “unfinished business” with the Toronto Blue Jays.”
Then ultimately went to a team who offered more $$
He is a nice boom or bust for anyone with a rotation slot open. Braves, Rangers and Pirates come to mind off the top of my head
Still has value but is pretty expensive for a #5.
Surprising. Bet 5 or 10 other teams will be willing to pay him that $4MM.
Johnson wont be back from the Tommy John until mid-season and it will take a few starts after that to get back to speed. $4 million for 2 months of Johnson may be a little steep for the Padres. Preller may be thinking he can sign him to a 2 year deal with much less than $4 million in 2015 to get a little more value out of the deal.
Good candidate for a conversion to relief pitcher?
Would some teams maybe want him to do that? Maybe. Would Johnson want to do that? Probably not, especially since he would probably stand to make less money per year in the process.
I agree. The Tigers need a closer.
The Tigers need a whole new bullpen.
I don’t agree.
Rondon and Soria were hurt.
Al AL was just fine and is still an above average 7th inning piece.
Krol was young…. and should do better next year. And Hardy is a viable backup as a left handed reliever.
If they simply get Miller, they will have two “backup plans” at closer (Miller and Soria) and the rest of their bullpen should round out nicely.
They should not panic over bad luck. They should just sign Miller and do the rest in house.
Possible low risk high reward guy right here. But who takes the risk?
Pirates?
Dear Minnesota, great reclamation project here. I’d take a low risk gamble on him.
Josh makes his money by living on the DL.
I don’t know why, but to me, Johnson would be a perfect fit for the Cubs. They are willing to take risks on recovering pitchers. Maybe 30MM/3yr deal. With year 2 and 3 being options based on innings pitched.
I was with you until 3 year deal. 1 year for 3-5 million with a club option ( 500k buyout) is the rational max here.
This is different from Hammels, Feldman, Baker, Maholm. This guy is a true ACE. He WILL get a 2 year guaranteed deal at the minimum. Just for the hope he’ll return to his glory after the surgery recovery is over. Maybe make the 3rd year a vesting option year based on IP over ’15-’16. But someone is going to take a chance on him and if he’s even 80% as good as he used to be that’s still worth 3yr/30MM.
Johnson is no longer a “true ace”
Sounds like a good “buy low” candidate for the Cubs.
yes , it bad move /let him retire as a . marlins