Orioles Sign Daniel Johnson to mil contract (tea leaves?)

[RZNJ]

This guy is 28, has minimal ML experience in 2020 and 2021 with poor results in about 100 PA.   Kind of bottomed out the last two years and had to go to AA last year.  He did ok there (.774 OPS) but got hot in July.   An OPS over 1.000 and over .950 got him back up to AA where he continued on his heater with another OPS over .950.   This guy sounds like a fire plug (5’9” 200) but has plus speed, plus power, a plus arm and plays acceptable defense at all 3 outfield spots.

Here comes the tea leaves part.   With 240 games of AAA experience, some ML experience, and ending on a 3-month heater last year, I’d expect this guy to be a starter at Norfolk.  I’d expect guys like Billy Cook and Shayne Fontana to be depth pieces there.  So, if Haskins (Is he not fully recovered), Stowers, Kjerstad, Cowser were potentially at Norfolk plus maybe even Hilliard, plus possibly wanting to get Norby some time in LF and Mayo some time in RF, this seems like overkill.   Maybe something is going down and Elias is fairly certain he needs another OF at Norfolk.

It’s slow.  It’s all I got.  Be nice!
 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=johnso013dan

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/daniel-johnson-669288

 

Organization Prospect Rankings  (Baseball America)

Ranked Cleveland Guardians #23 prospect in 2020

TRACK RECORD: Johnson made steady progress in his first two professional seasons as a member of the Nationals' system. The Indians acquired him as a part of the package for Yan Gomes in November 2018 and Johnson produced a strong season with his new organization the following year. He led the system in doubles (34) and ranked third in hits (140). 

SCOUTING REPORT: Johnson has quick hands at the plate and did a good job of barreling balls, especially against righthanded pitching. His strength and bat speed gives him above-average raw power, which he's done a good job of getting to in games. It does come with a fair amount of swing and miss, however. Johnson has plus speed and arm strength and can play all three outfield positions. He probably fits best in right field and that's where he has the most experience. 

THE FUTURE: The Indians had a mostly open outfield picture as the offseason began. They added Johnson to their 40-man roster in November and he'll get a chance to compete for a job in spring training. Even if he starts 2020 in Triple-A Columbus he should find a way to Cleveland at some point during the season.

[wildcard]

Elias added Johnson and Nevin at AAA to have a strong offense at that level.   He wants Mayo, Holliday, Beavers, McDermott, Povich to play in a winning environment as they get ready for the majors.

 Cowser and Kjerstad are going to spend the majority of the season in the majors.  Cook, Haskin and at some point Beavers will be at AAA.    Its time to trade Stowers and Norby for the best minor league pitching they can bring to the O's system.

Elias is committed to acquiring and developing talent through the minors.   Johnson is just a step toward having a winning team at AAA that helps the prospects succeed and progress to the majors.

[RZNJ]

 

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

a plus arm

This is the piece that jumped out at me when I was reading about him.  My interpretation of the tea leaves is to help HK, Cowser, and anyone else untap a bit more arm strength/accuracy/etc. by probing the depths of his biomechanics.  Imagining him hooked up to wifi sensors and watching his muscular/skeletal movements as he fields and throws...  What does he do that's different/same?  Pre-fielding positioning?  Transition?  Just a buoy on the open seas toward a more perfect OFer.

[Moose Milligan]

I like how Reezy felt the need to put tea leaves in the title. Like that’s all that happens around here, reading into tea leaves.

Anyway I’m setting the over/under for pages about Daniel Johnson at 25 and taking the over. But at some point this will delve into Cease-land. 

[RZNJ]

8 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I like how Reezy felt the need to put tea leaves in the title. Like that’s all that happens around here, reading into tea leaves.

Anyway I’m setting the over/under for pages about Daniel Johnson at 25 and taking the over. But at some point this will delve into Cease-land. 

Tough crowd.

[RZNJ]

10 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

This is the piece that jumped out at me when I was reading about him.  My interpretation of the tea leaves is to help HK, Cowser, and anyone else untap a bit more arm strength/accuracy/etc. by probing the depths of his biomechanics.  Imagining him hooked up to wifi sensors and watching his muscular/skeletal movements as he fields and throws...  What does he do that's different/same?  Pre-fielding positioning?  Transition?  Just a buoy on the open seas toward a more perfect OFer.

That theory sounds like a stretch.

[Aristotelian]

Is he a legit CF? We lost Daz Cameron to the A's so this guy could be taking his spot in case of injury to Cedric or prolonged slump. No such thing as a bad minor league contract.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Aristotelian said:

Is he a legit CF? We lost Daz Cameron to the A's so this guy could be taking his spot in case of injury to Cedric or prolonged slump. No such thing as a bad minor league contract.

You'd sign Julio Urías to one?

[btdart20]

24 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

That theory sounds like a stretch.

Is it more of a stretch than getting any MLB PAs? 

I'm convinced they do all sorts of biomechanical stuff with players as part of the intake process.  The tech is there, so why not use it in a systematic way?

[RZNJ]

7 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

Is it more of a stretch than getting any MLB PAs? 

I'm convinced they do all sorts of biomechanical stuff with players as part of the intake process.  The tech is there, so why not use it in a systematic way?

I’m sure they already have plenty of information on the biochemics of outfielder throwing motions.   I doubt VERY much that the purpose of signing him had anything to do with improving the throwing mechanics of Colton Cowser.   I can’t disprove your theory.  It just fails the common sense test.

[sportsfan8703]

2024 version of Daz Cameron. 

[wildbillhiccup]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Elias added Johnson and Nevin at AAA to have a strong offense at that level.   He wants Mayo, Holliday, Beavers, McDermott, Povich to play in a winning environment as they get ready for the majors.

 Cowser and Kjerstad are going to spend the majority of the season in the majors.  Cook, Haskin and at some point Beavers will be at AAA.    Its time to trade Stowers and Norby for the best minor league pitching they can bring to the O's system.

Elias is committed to acquiring and developing talent through the minors.   Johnson is just a step toward having a winning team at AAA that helps the prospects succeed and progress to the majors.

I don't buy it. The primary purpose of MiLB baseball is for developing players and acquiring players just to win games at that level shouldn't be the main focus or priority of a GM. Especially one who  still has work to do to put the actual MLB team in a winning environment in 2024. I also think you're grossly overrating the need for MiLB players to play on winning team in terms of the part if plays in their development as players. I think it's largely irrelevant. 

[Tony-OH]

This is the time of year that these Veteran players will sign AAA contracts (probably with an invite to spring training) after they realize they are not getting major league ones. Spring training is only 3-4 weeks away so many of these guys want to start planning.

Johnson looks like a decent depth piece who can play all three outfield spots. As some one pointed out, he looks like the Daz Cameron guy for 2024. 

I expect Elias will sign some more of these type, particularly at 1B/3B, middle infield, and maybe another outfielder. 

[interloper]

I think Johnson and Hilliard, along with guys like McKenna, make a nice emergency OF-with-ML-experience group. All 3 can play CF (some better than others). All 3 have at least a little pop. If people get hurt and you need a bench OF for a couple weeks, you could do worse.