Chance #2 for the Giants. Is DJ kosher now that he's an ex-Ray and not an ex-Athletic?

Is DJ kosher now that he's an ex-Ray and not an ex-Athletic?

Wouldn't the Rays have claimed Johnson before the Giants got the opportunity to grab him?

I never got why the Rays picked him up in the first place, unless they were worried that Carlos Pena would need to go on the DL.

Wouldn't the Rays have claimed Johnson before the Giants got the opportunity to grab him?

The Giants could have thrown the A's a bag of balls and an order of garlic fries for him before he cleared waivers.

The Giants are experimenting with Bowker at 1b right now. I doubt they are interested in Johnson.

MINAYA!!!!

/Shatner

The Giants are experimenting with Bowker at 1b right now. I doubt they are interested in Johnson.

They may as well, I guess.

I never got why the Rays picked him up in the first place, unless they were worried that Carlos Pena would need to go on the DL.

I think that's exactly why they grabbed him.

Wouldn't he be a huge upgrade for the Red Sox over Sean Casey?

Johnson would be an upgrade over Rod Barajas at DH for the Jays.

MINAYA!!!!

He very well may be an upgrade over Delgado

9: I think DJ to the Jays, Hurt to the A's would be kind of funny.

"Wouldn't he be a huge upgrade for the Red Sox over Sean Casey?"

Not really. Certainly not "huge".
Plus Casey's skill-set plays alot better in a bat off the bench role than Johnson's

Where is all the Dan Johnson love coming from?
Hes a fat first-baseman that hits like a 04-05 Bobby Crosby

That would be a good trade for the Jays... if Thomas' contract went with him.

Chance #2 for the Giants. Is DJ kosher now that he's an ex-Ray and not an ex-Athletic?

Can a Giants fan expain the extent of the interest in trading for J Fields at 3B? What about that 3B logjam in Chicago?

That would be a good trade for the Jays... if Thomas' contract went with him.

Not as trade...as waiver wire pickups.

What about that 3B logjam in Chicago?

That 3B logjam in Chicago is a short-term one - Crede's gone at the end of the season. The White Sox aren't going to trade away the future at the position, one would hope.

MINAYA!!!!



He very well may be an upgrade over Delgado

Unfortunately, he's likely to be claimed before he gets to the Mets.

Pirates could use some bench power. Too bad he's a lefty.

Not really. Certainly not "huge".
Plus Casey's skill-set plays alot better in a bat off the bench role than Johnson's

Hitting ground balls and not striking out? I'd rather have the guy under 30 years of age with the 12-15% walk rate, and over .150 ISO. I admit that "huge" was hyperbole, but I still think he'd be a clear upgrade.

Johnson would be an upgrade over Rod Barajas at DH for the Jays.

Yeah, but the LHB half of that DH is already Matt Stairs, over whom DJ would not be an upgrade.

I honestly thought he was going to find a spot with the Rays, even after the Gross pickup. Now I just don't know. Seattle, maybe. Ben Broussard got like 250 ABs last year caddying for Sexson.

He won't fit with the Mets unless he replaces Delgado, and I think it's a bit too early for that. Remember how David Wright started out last April? I'm pretty against making long-term decisions on guys with long, long track records in April. Except Luis Castillo. He's cooked. Really, the last thing you want in a lineup like the Mets' is a guy trying to bunt every time he's up, no matter what the situation. Need a base hit to score the runner from second with 2 outs? Castillo will try to bunt him home. Jose Reyes, an 80% basestealer, on 1B with no one out? Bunt him to second Luis! Bases loaded, 2 outs? Why not try to lay down a run-scoring bunt, Luis.

Along with the awesome bunting, Luis Castillo also brings 20 steals to the team (15 of them before his legs go rubbery in June)!

"Hitting ground balls and not striking out? I'd rather have the guy under 30 years of age with the 12-15% walk rate, and over .150 ISO. I admit that "huge" was hyperbole, but I still think he'd be a clear upgrade."

Contact hitters seem to do better in pinch-hitting roles. As do veterans in general. Probably because it can be rough for a guy to go from cold on the bench to in the game in a clutch situation.

Walks aren't really valuable at all in most pinch-hit situations.

Plus, Casey hasn't been playing poorly so far.

If I understand the waiver process properly, the Giants didn't have a chance to get him off waivers. I believe that the league that is cutting said player gets priority, before it heads over to the other league. So Tampa had a better waiver pick. Its still reverse order of standings, but prioritized by league. I may be wrong.

of course, Sabean could have traded for DJ, but if he gets him off waivers, his gamble may have been worth it.

then again, Sabean might not even want DJ. Ya never know.

"If I understand the waiver process properly, the Giants didn't have a chance to get him off waivers. I believe that the league that is cutting said player gets priority, before it heads over to the other league. So Tampa had a better waiver pick. Its still reverse order of standings, but prioritized by league. I may be wrong."

SF did not have a chance to get Johnson, but not for that reason. They got rid of the waivers by league thing a couple years ago, when they got rid of alternating AL/NL picks in the draft.
Tampa had 66 wins last year to SFs 77 so Tampa had first pick on the waiver wire.
The waiver wire will not use this years standings until May 1

In my 15 or so years as an A's fan I think Dan Johnson has to have the slowest bat I've ever seen*. He can get a hold of one every now and then, and take a walk for sure, but he's a mess with breaking stuff and it's hard for me to see how he'll ever hit .250, which is kinda problematic for him since his career ISO's only .170. He has literally no platoon value, either.

He's got value as a left hander with a little pop and the ability to work a walk off the bench for a contender without a better alternative, but I don't see why everyone thinks the Giants should be clamoring for him. He's 28, and he is what he is. They might as well see if they can catch lightning in a bottle with Bowker or someone. It's not like he's a 25 year old with upside anymore that a bad team should take a chance on in the hopes that he's a valuable member of their next good team in three or four years.

*This excludes Ben Grieve, of course.

Thanks MM1F

He's got value as a left hander with a little pop and the ability to work a walk off the bench for a contender without a better alternative, but I don't see why everyone thinks the Giants should be clamoring for him.

Uh, because his competition is the dessicated corpse of Rich Aurillia?

Uh, because his competition is the dessicated corpse of Rich Aurillia?

No kidding. The Giants have literally nothing to lose by giving Johnson 400 plate appearances at first base.

Uh, because his competition is the dessicated corpse of Rich Aurillia?

Right now his competition would be John Bowker.

Uh, because his competition is the dessicated corpse of Rich Aurillia?

Yeah, but there are guys like Russ Branyan around in AAA who could also be had for nothing and the Giants (or any other team) have shown no interest in any of them. I don't see why they would covet Johnson over any number of similar guys (many of whom have more defensive value), but maybe they do.

Right now his competition would be John Bowker

Bowker would be his competition for the 1B job, But Aurilia is his competition for the last spot on the roster. I guess they could use a RH hitter more.

Bowker would be his competition for the 1B job, But Aurilia is his competition for the last spot on the roster. I guess they could use a RH hitter more.

They could, but The Corpse of Rich Aurilia shouldn't be that guy. Most of AA is better than Aurilia at this point.

Aurilia has sentimental traction on that team, and can also theoretically play some of the other infield positions.