The Atlanta Braves' first major offseason acquisition since the Jason Heyward-Shelby Miller trade, the signing of veteran relief pitcher Jim Johnson, did not move the meter or address any glaring needs in the organization. Still, with Jordan Walden now in St. Louis, it's clear the team wanted another right-handed arm that could potentially fill a setup spot alongside quality righty David Carpenter.
The one-year deal is worth $1.6 million plus performance bonuses, according to media reports.
If that's going to benefit a traditionally excellent Braves bullpen, Johnson is going to need to revamp his career after a forgettable 2014 season.
The 31-year-old former All-Star struggled through the worst season of his MLB career last season, finishing with a 7.09 ERA and 5.08 FIP in 54 appearances with the Athletics and Tigers. His strikeout rate stayed above his career average (7.09 per nine innings), but his loss of control was a problem: He walked 35 batters in 53 1/3 innings pitched. Among relievers that pitched at least 50 innings last season, Johnson posted the second worst WAR in the majors.
The Braves are buying low on Johnson — he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the A's last offseason — banking on him reclaiming the form that helped him post back-to-back 50-save, sub-3.00 ERA seasons with the Orioles.
As of Wednesday, Johnson joins a potential bullpen mix of options with Craig Kimbrel, Carpenter, Shae Simmons, Ian Thomas, Chasen Shreve, Anthony Varvaro, James Russell, Juan Jaime and David Hale, among others.
