The Dodgers announced on Tuesday that they’ve designated infielder Micah Johnson for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Kenley Jansen, whose five-year deal is now official.
Johnson, 26, is one three prospects that the Dodgers acquired in last winter’s three-team trade that sent Todd Frazier from the Reds to the White Sox. Long rated as one of the best prospects in the White Sox organization, Johnson struggled at the Triple-A level in his lone year with the Dodgers. In 516 plate appearances, he logged a pedestrian .261/.321/.356 batting line despite playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He did manage to swipe 26 bags, but he was also thrown out on another 11 attempts.
Johnson has seen a bit of time in the Majors, mostly with the 2015 White Sox (plus another six plate appearances in L.A. this past season). In 120 career plate appearances at the big league level, Johnson has a .226/.296/.264 batting line. However, he’s a career .281/.336/.392 hitter in parts of three Triple-A campaigns even in spite of his poor work at that level in 2016. And, he’s just a couple of years removed from ranking as Chicago’s No. 4 prospect in the eyes of both Baseball America and MLB.com. (He also ranked second on MLB.com’s list of the game’s best second base prospects that year.) Johnson has received 80-grades (on the 20-80 scale) for his speed and drawn positive reviews for his bat-to-ball skills. He’s never been said to have much power in his bat, though, and he’s also been plagued by elbow, hamstring and knee injuries dating back to his college days.
The Dodgers, though, have been connected to second-base upgrades all offseason, seemingly indicating that they didn’t believe Johnson to be a capable heir to that position in the long haul. Johnson does have a minor league option remaining, so he could be claimed or traded to a team that wants to take a flier on his once-tantalizing upside and stash him in Triple-A to open the year.
Oh no! We need to hurry up and trade Urias and Seager for Dozier!
Haha
Maybe trade one or the other for him, but not both. Dozier doesn’t get rave reviews on his defense. Just a heads up.
Ever heard of sarcasm?
That was the MLBTR inside joke/sarcasm. You can spot it by “rave review” lmao.
Can someone enlighten me as to how this joke started? Just curious.
Yeah that one was well placed…hopefully the joke police don’t try to shame its use there
Can someone enlighten me as to why people are still making this joke? Am I the only one that doesn’t find it funny at all? Just curious.
Some guy posted a bunch of times saying Peter O’Brien didn’t receive rave reviews for his defence at C or OF. And the rest, as they say, is history
JamieMoyer:
To start, go back to the comments on the Peter O’Brien trade article. Then go to the comments on the D’Backs’ stadium article. Thence to many others. You’ll see it evolve, or devolve, depending on your point of view. Enjoy.
No you and a few other members of the MLBTR joke police keep saying negative stuff when people throw it out there…because obviously if you guys don’t like it being used then nobody should…it was something funny that kind of just came out and several people jumped in and had fun with it…relax browsed
A triple post that everyone jumped on…it was good times…and used the right way it is still good times…there was another one the other day with Vance Worley’s appeal to the Mariners that turned out to be pretty funny as well…some people on here need to lighten up a bit
Not the only one… I was around in the original thread and didn’t find it funny then either… so… yeah…
A version of it started with Eddie Murphy’s RAW and evolved from there.
He’s a D’Backs fan, he is used to ridiculously overpaying so he probably missed the sarcasm.
Ok guys shut it down! jchiaratti was lurking around in the original thread and did not have rave reviews on the joking that was going on!
I don’t know if his defense is so much of an issue if you look at how hard the Twins FO is raving on his reviews right now
I’d give this thread filling me in on how this joke started rave reviews.
Connorsoxfan:
Read above…
Would be a good pick up for the Angels. If they can get him.
I was thinking the same thing. Especially considering he still has a minor league option left
YES! Being the Angels have Revere, Trout, Calhoun, and Maybin in the OF, along with Cron and Pujols at 1B/DH….. Trumbo could have “rave reviews” at the catcher position.
Well the Sox are set at 2nd with Moncada as top prospect so not worth Sox taking a flyer on bringing him back, unless they want to experiment with him at 3rd.
Well Moncada won’t be up til mid-season at best. If they dealt Lawrie or Frazier (with Lawrie sliding to third), they’d be able to play him at 2B until Moncada comes up and evaluate him from there. Or experiment with Johnson in CF as there were suggestions a few years ago of that happening.
I can see trading Lawrie (for a bucket of sunflower seed if they had to) as being a legitimate option for the Sox…they’re obvious rebuilding and Lawrie has come and gone as a legitimate option as a MLB regular…give Micah a chance to see what he can do with some regular playing time
Well, he is not worth starting. My suggestion was to take a flyer on him spending another year in Charlotte to learn 3rd or OF. Lawrie and Saladino start at 2nd, Frazier 3rd. Frazier more likely to be moved in the season, so then you move Lawrie to 3rd (he has played more games there in his career anyways) and bring up Moncada. Saladino is the utility player. If you get something for Lawrie, Saladino starts at 3rd presumably in that case.
Gotcha…trading Frazier is definitely the smarter thing for the Sox to do in my opinion
You do know moncada can play 3rd too right?
Johnson doesn’t have the arm to play 3B and his hands would be an issue at any infield position. His best bet for success would be as a lead-off hitting LF or DH, like the Expos and White Sox utilized Tim Raines back in the day.
Similar to Johnson, “Rock” was a player who wasn’t good defensively. He began his pro career at 2B but had stone hands. The Expos moved him to LF because he had elite talent as a hitter and base runner. Raines had to play somewhere and DH wasn’t an option in the National League.
Johnson’s defensive issues have as much to do with a history of injury as anything else, dating back to his college days at the University of Indiana. He has had multiple surgeries including with his elbow that have hindered his throwing ability. That being said, he is still quick afoot, is a fairly patient hitter and also has some pop. He could be worth a shot, especially with a non-contender like the White Sox who might have some time to “experiment” before their elite prospects are ready for prime time.
What do the White Sox have to lose at this point but a lot of games, which is happening anyway in the next couple of years. It’s not like they have any immediate prospects to play LF once Melky Cabrera gets dealt and Avisail Garcia is their best current option to DH if they refuse to put him back in RF. Besides, they could use a lead-off hitter with some OBP skills until Tim Anderson learns some patience at the plate. Win-win, in my “Johnson” loving mind at least. lol
Agreed! Sox should bring him back. Kinda kick the tires again. Nothing to lose.
Johnson on his way to Minnesota?
I liked him for his glove. By that I mean his actual glove, his blue
& gray Wilson 1786 is sick. He’ll find work soon, with 80 speed and his ability to make contact.
where are all the LA dodger fans who said they didn’t need dozier cause they had Micah. the guy can’t cut. he’s an ok glove and has some speed but can’t hit at this level.
It’s not the bat at all that keep him from the level it’s the glove. He’s probably better suited as a CF for a team that can use a lhp bat, speed, and athleticism. On the fans who said they don’t need Dozier because of Johnson that’s just ludicrous.
I haven’t seen anyone saying he was a definite answer to not trading for Dozier but I have seen his name on a list of guys who could be in the mix to play 2B
This guy has Royals written all over him. Can’t hit but runs fast and plays multiple positions. We could always use a 5th outfielder
He really can’t play multiple positions.
Now we are are going to have to compare thompson and perazas career to see if the dodgers made a huge mistake
Yeah when Peraza started to tear it up last year I was thinking that any time we trade a 2B (Gordon) or trade for a 2B (DeShields) it blows up in our faces
White sox let’s go back and get this guy. Moncada can play 3rd as well.
Not too long ago, Micah Johnson was my favorite White Sox prospect, at least from an offensive standpoint. Maybe as a rebuilding team they will consider bringing him back, perhaps as a potential lead-off hitting option at DH or in LF now that Adam Eaton has been traded.
Johnson is a high BA/OBP hitter, better than even Tim Anderson was, the latter now projected to bat #1 for the White Sox in 2017. Like Anderson, speed is Johnson’s top tool. He is also a great kid, a consummate team player and very intelligent. He may still be an asset as a player, has potential as a coach/instructor or even as a future front office figure like former White Sox 2B Chris Geltz who is now the organizations Director of Player Development.
he doesn’t receive rave reviews on his defense though
516 at bats not games I’m guessing.
i’d take a look at jake peter before this guy
With his last name, Micah Johnson could join the good townsfolk in Blazing Saddles — “The salt of the Earth … the common clay of the Old West … you know, ______!”
“Now who can argue with that? I think we’re all indebted to Gabby Johnson for clearly stating what needed to be said. I’m particulary glad that these lovely children were here today to hear that speech. Not only was it authentic frontier gibberish, it expressed a courage little seen in this day and age.”
McDusty Johnson is right!
With that comment, he’s earned a double-dip of Howard’s Johnson’s One Flavor !
Can’t see him getting passed the first couple teams in the waiver order, Especially with the option he still has remaining. The Twins, Braves or Padres will most likely take a flier, most likely the latter two because of Coppy & Prellers obsession for former top prospects.
Looks like a bold stance on LA & Friedman’s end to see how interested in Trading Dozier MIN really is. DFA’ing Johnson to see if MIN licks it’s chops to claim him, & if so use it as leverage to get a trade done now they have a replacement for him. He could have easily been added with Deleon and another in trade but maybe this is LA’s way to play a little hardball.
The Twins already have a replacement for Dozier. Scouting reports on Jorge Polanco all essentially say he’s an MLB-caliber bat, but he doesn’t have the glove for short and is best-suited to play second base.
They’ll play him out of position at shortstop if need be, since he has plenty of experience there, but if they do trade Dozier, Polanco will just slide over to second base, with Eduardo Escobar going back to shortstop.
The Twins claiming Micah Johnson wouldn’t have any impact on the Dodgers’ ability to swing a Dozier trade.
I agree with @bleacherbum. He’ll get claimed. This seems like the type of player the Pirates go for, but could see the Twins, Braves, Phillies and Angels in the mix for him.