The Braves have been determined to deal away Chris Johnson for some time, and the third baseman tells MLB.com’s Mark Bowman that he hopes to find a new home. “I’ve been called in the manager’s office,” said Johnson. “[Manager Fredi Gonzalez] has told me they are trying to move me. I want to be moved, and they want to move me. Hopefully, something gets done.”While saying he’s enjoyed his time in Atlanta, Johnson emphasized that he is interested in receiving a better opportunity for playing time elsewhere. Obviously, the Braves are looking to shave off as much of Johnson’s contract as possible. Under the extension he signed early in the 2014 campaign, he is due roughly $19.99MM (including $2.52MM for this season and the buyout of a 2018 option).
A bit more on the Braves and their division…
- Kelly Johnson has parlayed a minor league deal into a critical role on the Braves, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Johnson credits first-year hitting coach Kevin Seitzer with helping him to shorten his swing and improve his overall approach at the plate. Of course, as a veteran on a one-year deal with a losing team, Johnson’s name may pop up over the next few days as a trade candidate; I listed him and three others Braves when looking at the trade market for third basemen earlier today.
- The Mets continue to be intrigued by Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. They’re also looking at Justin Upton and Carlos Gomez, though multiple reporters (most recently Marc Carig of Newsday, who also reported interest in Parra late last week) have characterized that type of high profile acquisition as a long shot. Parra, Heyman notes, is drawing quite a bit of interest around the league.
- Peter Gammons relays an anecdote from the 2012 trade deadline that could have vastly reshaped the current state of two franchises. When the Red Sox and Mets were discussing a trade for veteran catcher Kelly Shoppach, Boston initially asked about right-hander Jacob deGrom, who had recently undergone surgery. (deGrom was never projected to become the ace that he presently is, of course, and he had just undergone surgery.) However, after talking it over with his minor league evaluators, GM Sandy Alderson and the Mets passed. The two sides eventually lined up on a deal that sent right-hander Pedro Beato to Boston.
- Marlins third baseman Martin Prado tells Zach Buchanan and Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic that he’s not concerned with the possibility that he could be traded for the third time in the past year. Prado says there’s no sense in thinking, “Oh my goodness, this is going to happen again,” and he’s instead focused on helping his teammates out. He’s candid when addressing the current state of the Marlins, however. “We’re in a pretty bad situation here,” says Prado. “I’m just trying to bring good energy for my teammates and my team. That’s all I can do right now.”
I really dislike Chris Johnson. I remember once he started a fight with someone rounding the bases on a HR and McCann was having words with the guy at the plate and Johnson ran full speed to the confrontation and got right behind McCann and started yelling at the guy and waving his arms at the guy but from behind McCann, like McCann had 2 heads and 4 arms. He literally ran to a safe place to confront a guy.
That was a young Jose Fernandez, who had just hit his first MLB HR at home during the last game of the season. McCann had words with Fernandez who took too long admiring the ball – as most rookie pitchers would – and Chris Johnson came running in, instigating the whole thing by motioning with his hands “keep talking”. Johnson was also a part of the Carlos Gomez-MIL brawl. Johnson is a hot-head and I really do think he has some anger issues. As a Braves fan, he makes the team look bad and is stubbornness to act like as the morality police for all baseball traditions gets tiresome, especially when he’s as bad as he is. Good riddance to him.
That was Reed Johnson who landed a jab on Carlos Gomez.
Yeah, I was thinking he had more of a part in it than he did. He didn’t have any role in that.
Actually that was Carlos Gomez who had just hit a HR off Paul Maholm. He showed up the Braves pitcher, yelled at Freeman as he passed 1B, then at CJ and B-Mac was waiting for him at home plate. I agree CJ did take a position using Mac as a bunker, but he surely wasnt waiving his arms all over the place going nuts… he was kind of an after-thought in that bench clearing incident once Mac and Gomez’s argument escalated. I was at the game sitting right behind the Bravo’s dugout. Funny thing is, Jose Fernandez was also stopped by Mac at home plate not to long before/after this incident. People were starting to question Mac’s anger issues….which is ridiculous. The issue isnt with CJ, its with Wren. No GM in their right mind would have signed CJ to that contract. Dont be mad at CJ for taking the $$ when it was thrown at him. He has been a bit disappointing, but he seems always ready to play, good or bad.
I just watched both the Jose Fernandez video and Carlos Gomez video and Chris Johnson doesn’t really have any impact in the Carlos Gomez incident. He wasn’t “behind McCann” — Reed Johnson actually landed a shot on Gomez, but Johnson wasn’t really even involved. At least not to the extent that he was with Jose Fernandez. Craziest memory I have of Chris Johnson is after the Fernandez melee, I remember him going back to 3B and jumping up and down yelling like a maniac on speed.
And no one blames CJ for signing the extension — they blame him for not being worth anywhere close to the extension. Nowhere close. Yes, Wren signed him to the deal, which was crazy, but Johnson hasn’t even been replacement-level.
Very biased interpretation. Maholm had thrown at Gomez earlier in the year and was again throwing at Gomez high and inside again when Gomez got a hold of one and let them know about it. Truth is that not only did the Braves start it by throwing at him, but it was Freeman who barked at Gomez first and escalated it, and then McCann & Johnson took it further than it ever should have gotten. McCann looked like such a punk blocking the plate like that.
There was a long history between Gomez/Maholm, but go back and watch the video. Gomez started yelling at Maholm before he even got to 1B, while Paul was blowing a bubble in the background. Freddie didn’t take exception until Gomez started yelling at his P. McCann stands up for his P when he is getting yelled at around the bases. Punk or not, McCann plays the game the right way.
Chris Johnson has been below replacement level for two years in a row and has nearly $20 million left on his deal. Why has there been so much about trading someone who is untradeable?
Not sure how you can call that contract untradeable after the Padres successfully unloaded Melvin Upton this spring.
Think you mean the Braves, Steve
With a guy by the name of Craig Kimbrel being in the deal. Atlanta was ONLY able to move Upton because they made it a stipulation that if another team wanted Kimbrel, they’d have to take Upton as well.
They wouldn’t require “the best closer in baseball” to be tagged to him, but I would think it’d be a win if we could pair him maybe with a Maybin and shed some of this future payroll.
No, they wouldn’t because his contract isn’t as toxic as Upton’s. However, Maybin is not good enough to get someone attached to him like the best closer in baseball was. Then again, all you need is one sucker.
A bag of balls for Chris Johnson and $18 million would work.
Man that sucks for the Red Sox. I won’t complain though as a Jays fan
They got Rodriguez for a rental in Miller, who the O’s didn’t re-sign or get any compensation when he left. The Sox are doing just fine in trades. Not to mention the unloading of Beckett, Crawford, and Gonzalez to the very generous Dodgers.
I remember Johnson doing that. It was against the Brewers and Gomez had hit a HR and showed up the pitcher. A few years back the Braves made Johnson go to anger management after Terry Pendelton jacked him up in the dugout for repeated outbursts and smashing of bats.
Dude is a head case and another one of Frank Wren’s awful contracts. I can see us packaging Johnson with Maybin to SF and taking back Peavy as was previously written about a few weeks back. Either way, Johnson needs to move on. For the Braves and for him.
Man, how do you go from Schuerholz to Wren? I felt for the Braves after that happened.
I remember that one, but him running in to provide assistance to McCann was in MIA after Jose Fernandez watched his HR.
“If you want a good Johnson, you’ve got to take the crappy one” – John Hart
“Trade you Chris Johnson? Maybin I will…Maybin I wont” – John Hart
Wow. Chris Johnson, Kelly Johnson, Martin Prado, Justin Upton, Gerardo Parra. Might as well call this “An Update on Players that Were Better When They Played in Arizona.”
I think Prado’s best days were in ATL. Still hate we traded him for Upton. Prado was the heart of that team. Love to have him back at the hot corner,
Not sure how anyone can say they still hated that trade. As much as I enjoyed watching Prado in a Braves uniform no amount of fan admiration is going to outweigh what they ultimately got by trading him away. The return on the Upton deal to send him to San Diego is already looking better than expected, and the central player in that deal still hasn’t returned from surgery.
Parra and Ramirez for Ceciliani and Michael Fulmer? Brewers can use a CF option should Gomez be dealt this month or this winter particularly one that hits from the left side.
Ramirez is dead weight at this point. Parra wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Mets…but not for the package. I’m honestly not sure of Parra’s worth, but Fulmer has made some nice strides this year and Cecilliani is slotted to be at least an avg MLB’er w. a chance for a bit more.
Cash will check in on Prado, maybe they get him back!
Just my two cents but based on some of the things being speculated the past few weeks, I hope the Braves don’t sell of K. Johnson or A.J.P. Would rather see them make a bad contract swap like the one mentioned awhile back, C.J for Swisher or anybody like it that can add pop to LF. And if the Twins are looking for a C, unless they have a young guy they don’t want to block, would like to see what we can get for Bethancourt. Would like to see something creative to see if maybe we can hang around and have some success to build off of for next year. 2017 may be the team goal but there’s no reason we can’t make it interesting until then