Headlines

  • Latest On Tigers, Tarik Skubal
  • Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos
  • Nestor Cortes Undergoes Arm Surgery
  • Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Expected To Start 2026 On IL
  • Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
  • Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Giants To Sign Daniel Johnson To Minor League Contract

By Steve Adams | May 2, 2025 at 12:38pm CDT

The Giants are expected to sign outfielder Daniel Johnson to a minor league contract, reports Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. The former big leaguer opened the season with the Mexican League’s Caliente de Durango.

Johnson, 29, has posted comical numbers in the Mexican League’s supercharged run-scoring environment. He’s hitting .429/.512/.943 with five homers and three doubles through 41 plate appearances (10 games). It’s outrageous production, but readers should bear in mind that the league-average ERA in the Mexican League this year is a sky-high 5.77. The league-average batting line currently sits at an eye-popping .292/.369/.461. Johnson’s numbers remain excellent, of course, but comparing them to the levels of offense one might expect in affiliated ball would be misleading.

A fifth-round pick of the Nationals back in 2016, Johnson was traded to Cleveland in 2018’s Yan Gomes deal. He reached the bigs with Cleveland in 2020 and 2021, and he appeared in a single game with the Orioles just last year, tallying only one plate appearance. Johnson has just 95 big league plate appearances to his credit, during which he’s posted a .200/.242/.333 slash.

While those numbers clearly don’t stand out, the lefty-swinging Johnson has a better Triple-A track record. In parts of five seasons there, he’s a .255/.324/.446 hitter. That includes 500 plate appearances of league-average offense with the Orioles’ Norfolk affiliate last year (.259/.320/.448) and a stronger .296/.384/.583 performance with the Padres’ El Paso club back in 2023.

The Giants don’t have an immediate need for help in the outfield. Each of Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and Mike Yastrzemski is enjoying a productive season at the plate — the latter two in particular (although Ramos has been on fire himself the past two weeks or so). Twenty-three-year-old Luis Matos is on hand as a seldom-used fourth outfielder at the moment. Depth options on the 40-man roster but down in Triple-A include Wade Meckler, Grant McCray and former shortstop prospect Marco Luciano, who’s been deployed strictly as a left fielder in 2025.

Johnson will add some further depth to that group. He’s played center field exclusively in Mexico this season but has 1200+ innings at all three outfield spots in his professional career.

Share Repost Send via email

San Francisco Giants Transactions Daniel Johnson

Mets To Promote Blade Tidwell
Main
Athletics Recall Gunnar Hoglund For MLB Debut
View Comments (15)
Post a Comment

15 Comments

  1. Redwolves3

    6 months ago

    Johnson might be a fallback option should Matos or Luciano or Meckler or McCray end up being involved should there be a future trade

    Reply
    • redrunner911

      6 months ago

      I keep thinking a trade for a 1st baseman is needed. They’re not getting sufficient production out of that position. Giants offense looked anemic against the Padres.

      1
      Reply
      • Jacksson13

        6 months ago

        Giants are cursed against the Padres.
        It’s the Bruce Bochy curse.
        From poaching Bochy from his post as Padres Manager.

        Reply
        • Candlestoked

          6 months ago

          Overall , the Padres have an overall record of 453-494 (47.8%) against us. Hardly a curse. btw Johnson’s 2RBI triple won the game for SAC last night.

          Reply
      • bag o ballz

        6 months ago

        1b but also RF. Matos has been not good so far. they definitely need to think about what is going to happen if they need to send him down. there are also a whole bunch of moving parts when it comes to the infield, with fitz and shcmitt out for a while you may need to look at doing something like moving luciano back to 1b or 2b if they aren’t sold on koss and wisely in the interim and one way or another someone has to fill the roster in AAA. I would think encarnaceon could be filling that 1b hole once he returns – the cast is off and he should be rehabbing here

        1
        Reply
        • Pete'sView

          6 months ago

          Luciano will never play the infield again—certainly not for the Giants.

          Reply
        • Jean Matrac

          6 months ago

          bag o ballz, You say RF, but instead list Matos as the problem. Matos has only played 7 games in RF, only a quarter of those with Yastrzemski. In WAR by position the Giants have the 10th highest WAR for RF. And Matos has only been in 13 games all season (12 starts), so it’s way too early to know whether he can be productive as the 4th outfielder.

          1
          Reply
  2. Non Roster Invitee

    6 months ago

    Dipping in the well again (Jerar Encarnacion).

    Reply
  3. rhandome

    6 months ago

    I wanna go see a Mexican League game someday. I bet they’re fun.

    4
    Reply
    • Bartolo’s 2nd family

      6 months ago

      Love baseball and the American version, but the energy México brings is probably only one upped by Japan. Plus it’s fun to see all of the ex big leaguers. In the game I went to saw Robby Cano, Tommy Milone, Aristides Aquino, Yermin Mercedes, and Willians Astudillo plus others.

      3
      Reply
  4. goob

    6 months ago

    How does the Mexican League manage to have such lopsided outcomes in pitching vs hitting? Is it small ballparks or what?

    Reply
    • sanfranb27

      6 months ago

      Top tier elevation levels. Helps the baseballs flyyyyyyy

      1
      Reply
  5. stephaniebpetagno

    6 months ago

    I feel he’s going to rock this town.

    Reply
  6. Mattimeo09

    6 months ago

    Weird choice. When he was in Cleveland, he made constant baserunning errors and his fielding routes were awful. He can’t hit well to make up for it so he’s a 0-tool player. Hopefully he learned a bit more about baseball since, but I’d take an aging vet with a good track record over him.

    Reply
  7. goob

    6 months ago

    @sanfran Thanks, I’d forgotten about the elevation thing…well, at least in terms of Mexico City anyway. Over 7,000 feet – ayyiyi!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Latest On Tigers, Tarik Skubal

    Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos

    Nestor Cortes Undergoes Arm Surgery

    Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Expected To Start 2026 On IL

    Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

    Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract

    Mike Shildt Steps Down As Padres Manager

    Tigers Extended Manager A.J. Hinch Earlier This Season

    Munetaka Murakami To Be Posted This Offseason

    Cody Bellinger To Opt Out Of Contract With Yankees

    Angels, Albert Pujols Discussing Managerial Deal

    Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026

    Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker As Manager

    Albert Pujols To Interview For Angels’ Managerial Vacancy, May Be “Leading Choice”

    Bill Schmidt Will Not Return As Rockies’ GM

    Brian Snitker Will Not Return As Braves’ Manager In 2026

    Angels To Have New Manager In 2026

    Rays Sale To Patrick Zalupski’s Group Officially Completed

    Guardians Promote Chase DeLauter For Wild Card Series

    Bruce Bochy Will Not Return As Rangers Manager Amid Financial Uncertainty

    Recent

    Latest On A.J. Preller

    Phillies Notes: Alvarado, Kemp, Thomson, Calitri

    The Opener: NLCS, ALCS, Injuries

    Latest On Tigers, Tarik Skubal

    Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos

    Nestor Cortes Undergoes Arm Surgery

    Angels Planning To Interview Torii Hunter, Kurt Suzuki For Manager

    Offseason Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks

    Joey Loperfido Replaces Anthony Santander On Blue Jays’ Playoff Roster

    Poll: Will Anthony Volpe Be The Yankees’ Shortstop In 2026?

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version