Oct. 25: The Rockies have formally announced Johnson’s release, and the Hiroshima Carp have correspondingly announced the signing of Johnson to a one-year contract.
Oct. 23: The Rockies have released right-hander DJ Johnson to allow him to pursue an opportunity in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (Twitter links). It’s not yet known with which NPB club Johnson will sign.
A native of Beaverton, Oregon, Johnson ground his way through parts of eight minor league seasons before ultimately earning a call to the Colorado pen in 2018. A September cup of coffee in ’18 preceded a longer look in 2019, during which the 6’4″ righty logged a 5.04 ERA (4.45 FIP) across 25 innings of relief for the Rockies. Johnson struggled to prevent runs on the whole, and free passes were something of a bugaboo (6.84 BB/9), but he did notch 24 strikeouts in his 25 innings of work (all while featuring one of the 2019 season’s best beards, it should be noted).
In a minor league career that stretched 313 games in the Rays, Diamondbacks, Twins, Angels, and Rockies organizations, Johnson has compiled a 3.81 ERA with 442 strikeouts in 406 innings of work.
Rockies need pitching so bad. Shame the back end of their ‘pen is under performing with big contracts.
aren’t those decent numbers in denver?
He’ll do well in Japan and come back. I had him on my Colorado Rockies theoretical protected list until now
Nice beard,hope he makes it back. Decent numbers he could of picked up a minor league deal if he tried
Who?
Are these comments really necessary? He’s made it farther in baseball than you ever had so be quiet
I never tried to make in baseball. I’ve just never heard of the guy so I’m surprised there is a story about him. Guys get released every day without a story.
Guys on the MLB roster always have a story on here
it*
But not with a
beard like that!
Kind of surprising, I liked him. Very good minor league track record. Walks have been a problem for him in the MLB but he didn’t have a problem with walks at all in the minors.
Could be good if he got those walks down. That’s insanely high. It can’t possibly go up… right?
Just because he pitches for the Rockies doesn’t mean he has to look like a logger.
His beard is weighing him
down…..
UDFA!
Once a Carp, always a Carp