SB Nation - Jason Johnson

Before you jump off the Joba The Starter bandwagon

Travis G — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Please read this (and yes, I know it's a bit late) -

Last night we saw a 23-year-old kid have a bad game. It was his second straight - no question about it. But let's not go overboard: from some of the comments on this site, you'd think Joba was as bad as Chien-Ming Wang. These knee-jerk reactions are irrational.

His ERA now stands at a-better-than-average 4.25, third among Yankee starters.

Joba's velocity last night was 93.5 MPH. Is that not good enough? It won't be as fast as when he relieved because that's the nature of baseball: pitching fewer innings is easier and less taxing.

And we've seen him be very successful as a starter - last season he had a 2.76 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP in 12 starts.

Now let's play a game called Guess the Pitcher:

22 years old, 4.48 ERA, 1.49 WHIP...

23 years old, 10.64 ERA, 2.20 WHIP...

22 years old, 4.74 ERA, 1.51 WHIP...

21 years old, 5.61 ERA, 1.64 WHIP...

25 years old, 4.82 ERA, 1.51 WHIP...

and now Joba: 23 years old, 4.25 ERA, 1.56 WHIP

My point is not that Joba will turn into a Hall of Famer (like the aforementioned pitchers), but that a bad stretch doesn't mean he automatically won't. It's two bad starts, two.

All I remember hearing the past couple years was how the Yankees had to develop their own pitchers so we wouldn't have to rely on the likes of Carl Pavano, Tim Redding, Jaret Wright, Kevin Brown, etc.; and the Quadruple-A guys that we got to know too well: Ty Clippard, Matt DeSalvo, Jeff Karstens, Darrel Rasner, Kei Igawa, etc.

That brings me to my next point: if you're throwing Joba into the pen, who takes his spot in the rotation? Sergio Mitre (28 years old, 5.36 career ERA, hasn't pitched in the Bigs since '07), Josh Towers (32 years old, 4.96 career ERA, last seen in '07), Jason Johnson (35 years old, 4.99 career ERA), Igawa (do I have to go over his resume?)? You liking any of them?

Joba is 23, has a 3.04 career ERA (3.62 as a starter).

So the choices seem to be ML re-treads with no promise, or watching a kid with a ton of promise go through normal ups and downs.

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In addition to all that, Andy Pettitte had another poor game. Should he be moved to the pen?

Joba's ERA as a starter is 3.62. Pettitte's over the same time frame ('08-'09) is about 4.62. A full run difference. Before you tell me that Joba doesn't pitch deep enough, I've already looked. He averages 5.1 ip/start - Pettitte has averaged a hair over 6 ip/start. How much is a full run in ERA worth? 2-3 more outs?

It would seem those traits might roughly even out. Therefore, if Joba deserves to be in the pen, why not Andy?

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:56:40 -0000

Some things to read while seeking Winston Churchill's approval.

So I've been gone since Friday, but the bullpen discussion has carried on without me. Over the weekend, dixieflatline brought Pitchfx to the table, and suggested the Brewers should keep both lefties, along with Eric Gagne. Jeff also took a look at bullpen composition.

Elsewhere, Fear the Beer thinks Coffey, Julio and Stetter will make the team, as does MLB Depth Charts. Tom H. has a look at the crowded bullpen as well, with a quote from Doug Melvin suggesting the success of an experienced pitcher like Gagne could lead to the team's decision to keep an inexperienced pitcher like Morlan.

Meanwhile, Two-Fisted Slopper is boycotting the entire bullpen conversation. I didn't really intend for this site to become Bullpen Central, but I do think roster battles are the most interesting thing going on in camp right now.

Take a deep breath, everyone: Yovani Gallardo will not pitch in the WBC (h/t FanShot).

On the injury front, there are three notes to pass along:

Bill Hall's calf injury is healing faster than expected. He's already running on a treadmill and taking BP, but will probably not be ready in time for Wednesday's spring training opener.
David Riske is still recovering from offseason elbow surgery and has yet to face live hitters in camp.
Chris Capuano is hoping to be ready to start games by mid-May. He could pitch a few innings in games late in spring training.

Hall was the subject of Sunday's JS Spring Training piece. Apparently he's lost some weight and is looking to improve his flexibility. J.J. Hardy was profiled on Saturday and Rickie Weeks was profiled Friday. As an added bonus, you can follow any of those links to catch a sidebar video starring Anthony Witrado that should have been titled "how to dress unprofessionally."

Speaking of Weeks, Miller Park Drunk thinks Weeks will have a good season in 2009, mainly because his hairstyle resembles Play from Kid N Play.

On projections:

As noted in this FanShot, Jack Moore of Right Field Bleachers used projections to explain where the Brewers can replace the wins they lost when CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets departed.
Results Disoriented has the over/under for the Brewers at 84.5 wins. That seems about right to me too. I might make it 85.5.
CHONE, on the other hand, predicts the Brewers will go 81-81 and ranks them 19th overall.

As I'm sure you know, we still have two more days to wait for the Brewers' first spring training game. If you're looking for ways to pass the time, you could make your picks for Right Field Bleachers' fan favorite contest, or you could transform into a JS commenter, as Tyler Maas of Bugs & Cranks did. If you choose to transform, please don't do it here...I just had the carpet cleaned.

He's not Trenni (and who is, really?), but I'm waiting to see him work before I pass judgment: Brian Anderson's blog has a message from new Brewer sideline reporter Telly Hughes.

He may not strike a lot of batters out, but new Brewer Braden Looper was the seventh best pitcher in all of baseball in 2008 in getting ground balls. Follow the link for a discussion on whether or not that's a good thing.

On the transaction wire:

Astros: Voided the contract of C Toby Hall, who needs surgery to repair a torn labrum.
A's: May be interested in Nomar Garciaparra, who the Phillies are no longer interested in.
Braves: Signed Garret Anderson to a one year deal.
Dodgers: Signed Orlando Hudson to a one year deal.
Mariners: Released OF Mike Wilson to make room on their roster for Ken Griffey.
Nationals: Odalis Perez has still not appeared in Nationals camp and is not returning calls from the organization or his agent. SEE UPDATE.
Rangers: Signed Kris Benson to a minor league deal.
Rays: Signed Jason Isringhausen to a minor league deal.
Twins: Signed Joe Crede to a one-year deal.

UPDATE: ESPN is reporting the Nationals have released Perez.

Baseball is truly becoming a world game. After an offseason where players from South Africa and India signed, the Indians signed a 16-year-old from the Czech Republic over the weekend.

Of course, these signings don't work for everyone. Nationals GM Jim Bowden, who found out last week his 19-year-old prospect was actually 23, is also now part of a federal investigation on skimming signing bonuses. He may be looking for work soon, and if you'd like to be a part of baseball's biggest reclamation project, you should be polishing your resume.

Jason Johnson, who was spending spring trying to earn a spot in the bullpen with the Yankees, now has a completely different fight on his hands. Johnson went to the eye doctor to correct some blurred vision in his right eye and was diagnosed with cancer of the retina. Best wishes go out to him.

Former Brewer Jorge de la Rosa had some control issues while he was in Milwaukee, but I didn't know emotional control was the problem. He's seeing a sports psychologist with the Rockies and had a much improved second half of 2008.

Oh, and if you liked Brooks Kieshnick, you'll love what the Reds might do with Micah Owings.

Drink up.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:35:21 -0000

Some things to read while waiting for bread to rise.

Perhaps the biggest Brewer news today is the ending of news: The Brewers reportedly aren't actually interested in Derek Lowe or Mark Mulder. It's always possible Doug Melvin is just throwing reporters off the track in an effort to look mysterious, but it seems more likely that Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo, the same guy who reported the Brewers were "close" to signing Braden Looper, has led us off the trail again. As noted in the comments in Rumorville, it may be time to stop giving any value to rumors that start in the Boston Globe.

Also included in the first link, though, was the first real optimism I've seen this offseason in regards to potentially bringing back Ben Sheets. FanGraphs projects Sheets at 3.4 wins next season, and thinks someone should sign him for 2 years/$28 million with a vesting option for a third year, which is relatively close to what 67% of readers voted for over a month ago. Brewers Bar thinks Melvin should start a conversation with Sheets ASAP. On the flip side, The Grand National Championships expects a healthy return from Chris Capuano, the emergence of Todd Coffey as a closer, and sudden precipitation involving $100 bills.

Meanwhile, Melvin appears to have Trevor Hoffman on speed dial. News popped up in Rumorville yesterday that the Brewers have been talking with Hoffman about closing in Milwaukee. The Dodgers offered Hoffman a one year deal, but can't guarantee him the opportunity to close, which Milwaukee might. Tom H. thinks the Brewers could learn their fate with Hoffman as soon as today.

More fun with rankings: Tiger Tales has Hardy tied for fifth place among defensive shortstops, right around a win above average. That seems a little low.

Around the minors:

Jonathan Lucroy was one of three catchers to receive an invitation to spring training yesterday. Carlos Corporan and Martin Maldonado were both also invited.
With a few hours left in the voting, Cole Gillespie leads Cutter Dykstra by 25 votes in the race for #10 in our Community Prospect Rankings. A new poll will open at noon today.

There's only one other former Brewer on the hot stove today: The Rays are reportedly trying to scrape together the cash to sign Gabe Kapler. It seems like they already have enough outfielders, though.

Elsewhere on the hot stove:

Cardinals: May not have as much money to play with as previously reported.
D-Backs: May be interested in former National Chad Cordero.
Indians: Signed Carl Pavano to a one year deal.
Mariners: Signed Tyler Walker to a one year deal for $750,000.
Mets: Are believed to have made an offer to Tim Redding.
Nationals: Are reportedly interested in signing Randy Wolf, so he can teach their young pitchers how to win. Commence banging head on desk.
Orioles: Signed Japanese pitcher Koji Uehara.
Padres: Have expressed interest in both David Eckstein and Omar Vizquel.
Phillies: Signed Chan Ho Park and Marcus Giles to deals for 2009.
Rays: Signed Randy Choate to a minor league deal.
Reds: Reportedly will re-sign Jerry Hairston for 2009.
Yankees: Signed Angel Berroa to a minor league deal, and also signed Jason Johnson and designated Shelley Duncan for assignment.

For a lot of aging veterans (including Ray Durham), the market never really opened up this winter. As a result, a player like Garret Anderson could end up accepting a non-roster invite to spring training.

Sometimes winning a sweepstakes isn't the best possible outcome. The Transaction Oracle isn't real excited about Derrick Turnbow's 2009 chances. The whole thing is worth a read, but the money lines are, "Absent a miracle, I think I'd rather have hepatitis than Turnbow," and their prediction of a 73 ERA+.

If you thought NL hitters would see an increase in their stats when Shea Stadium was torn down, think again: It turns out Citi Field may be even more of a pitcher's park.

Apparently Reds OF Chris Dickerson is spending his offseason increasing his value...to planet Earth. Follow the link for more on what Dickerson wants the Reds to do to go green.

That's all for today. I'm off to the gym.

Drink up.

Jason Johnson signs with the Yanks

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:41:42 -0000

Former Oriole starter Jason Johnson has been signed to a minor league deal by the New York Yankees.

This is largely of note to Rangers fans just because he's one of those pitchers, like Sidney Ponson and Pedro Astacio, who isn't really good, and yet has long been discussed as a potential Ranger.

I tend to suspect that, like Ponson and Astacio, he'll eventually make his way here on a minor league deal.

Although he's 35 -- older than I expected -- which means that time is running out.

Anyway, he walks a lot of guys, doesn't strike out many, and gets ground balls, so I could see him as the next Jamey Wright in Texas...some random vet who creates inexplicable excitement and ends up taking up space in the bullpen for a few months.