The Marlins announced their slate of non-roster invitations to MLB camp on Thursday. Outfielder Daniel Johnson is among the group, as the MLB.com transaction log indicates he agreed to a minor league deal with Miami around the holidays.
Johnson played in a career-high 31 MLB games last season between the Giants and Orioles. The former fifth-round pick took 57 trips to the plate, batting .189/.246/.302 with one home run. Johnson is a career .196/.243/.322 hitter in sporadic looks spanning four seasons in the big leagues.
The 30-year-old has played parts of six Triple-A campaigns. Johnson has a .257/.323/.452 line at the top minor league level. That includes 52 contests last season, in which he had a solid .267/.314/.490 mark with a career-low 17.3% strikeout rate. Johnson has always had strong physical tools. He’s a good runner with an excellent arm and above-average bat speed. His approach and well below-average contact skills have kept him from securing consistent playing time at the MLB level.
Johnson is another left-handed bat in an outfield mix that includes lefty swingers Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie and potentially Griffin Conine. He’s likely to begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville.
Had power in minors. Showed nothing in majors
Johnson was always a tools over production prospect.
Watch him move around the field and go wow. Watch him in the batters box and go nevermind.
Another outfielder? The Marlins have more than enough to go round at every level already
Nice article but what are the budget ramifications of this signing?
As a minor league signing with an invite, the Marlins get a virtually free look at him.