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When the Braves signed Jim Johnson this off-season many of us believed it was only a matter of time before the Braves traded him off to obtain some more assets near the trade deadline and this looks like it is becoming true.
The #Braves are listening on reliever Jim Johnson, but not actively looking to move him. Several teams have had scouts in to look at him.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 28, 2017
If you talk to Braves fans you likely won’t get the nicest of words when describing him thanks to his MLB leading seven blown saves, but if you look beyond that he’s enjoying a resurgent year on a cheap contract ($2.5M). Through 42 games Jim Johnson is 6-2 with 22 saves, a 4.10 ERA but 2.53 FIP. He’s enjoying a 10.80 K/9 and 3.24 BB/9 which has seen him accumulate 1.2 WAR, which through July, is already the third highest of his career. It is particularly his sinker, which has a 7.69% whiff rate in the month of July, that’s aiding his strong season as the contact pitch is generating a lot more swinging strikes.
With relief pitchers like Akeel Morris, A.J. Minter, Devan Watts, and Corbin Clouse on the cusp of making the major league roster it seems inevitable that Jim be shipped soon.