Chris Johnson Hopes For Trade From Braves

[The Tariff King]

Chris should be thankful Wren even gave him that guaranteed contract.

 

[jpx7]

After spending the offseason knowing the Braves were trying to trade him, Chris Johnson has spent the past few months gaining reason to believe he is no longer wanted in Atlanta.

Classic Bowman.

If I didn't know better, I'd consider it sublime self-parody.

 

[clvclv]

CJ could take a little lesson from Dan Uggla...

Cash your paycheck and keep your mouth shut. The fact that the front office can't GIVE YOU AWAY should tell you all you need to know.

 

[mossy]

Who?

 

[weso1]

Read that article and to me it came across as him bashing the front office

Well, if he wants to be traded then the front office he should bash should be Wren's front office. He's the one who gave him an unmovable contract. Look Chris, if you are really that unhappy then volunteer your ass out of that contract you didn't earn. Guess he's not all that unhappy after all.

 

[Deester11]

Well, if he wants to be traded then the front office he should bash should be Wren's front office. He's the one who gave him an unmovable contract. Look Chris, if you are really that unhappy then volunteer your ass out of that contract you didn't earn. Guess he's not all that unhappy after all.

LMAO

 

[cajunrevenge]

I wish players would say what they mean. These contracts arent set in stone. If you want to play somewhere else you can agree to end the contract early and then go play for whoever you want. Heres what you meant to say Chris "I want to play more often but theres no way I am giving up that sweet sweet contract my home boy Wren gave me."

 

[stpeteirish]

I never defend professional athletes, but he's 100 percent right. The front office is dicking him around and they deserve to be treated as such.

disagree, and even if I didn't he should keep his mouth shut.

Soon to get the Uggla treatment. Minimum deal with someone else after we waive him. Hit .220 with no power, bad glove and crap on the bases. Then the minors or go home and count your money.

 

[gilesfan]

Would you guys rather that he said that he'd prefer to stay?

Id rather him not blame the team for him being terrible.

 

[gilesfan]

I never defend professional athletes, but he's 100 percent right. The front office is dicking him around and they deserve to be treated as such.

You don't think the team would take just about any offer for him? THe problem is no one wants him.

 

[50PoundHead]

At risk of starting a pile-on on the Wren tenure, while a relatively minor move, this is the one move that puzzled me then and still puzzles me now.

 

[nsacpi]

At risk of starting a pile-on on the Wren tenure, while a relatively minor move, this is the one move that puzzled me then and still puzzles me now.

Unforced error. And an expensive one. The only explanation of sorts I can come up with is that the arbitration process overvalues players whose value is mainly embodied on their batting average. And if Johnson had continued with a high BABIP (and batting average) and mediocre defense, walk rates, power, etc., then he would have ended up being overpayed in arbitration.

But there were some warning flags that should have made Wren very cautious. Johnson fits the profile of players who do not age well. Not athletic and arrived late in the majors. Dan Uggla fit the same profile. But BJ did not. We bid against ourselves and overpaid for BJ. But he had a profile that suggested a better aging curve than Uggla and CJ. With Uggla and CJ the risk factors were obvious.

 

[50PoundHead]

Unforced error. And an expensive one. The only explanation of sorts I can come up with is that the arbitration process overvalues players whose value is mainly embodied on their batting average. And if Johnson had continued with a high BABIP (and batting average) and mediocre defense, walk rates, power, etc., then he would have ended up being overpayed in arbitration.

But there were some warning flags that should have made Wren very cautious. Johnson fits the profile of players who do not age well. Not athletic and arrived late in the majors. Dan Uggla fit the same profile. But BJ did not. We bid against ourselves and overpaid for BJ. But he had a profile that suggested a better aging curve than Uggla and CJ. With Uggla and CJ the risk factors were obvious.

That's about the only plausible explanation. I think Johnson is the kind of player you take a risk in arbitration on once (or maybe twice) but you never go more than a yearly basis with him contractually.

 

[Horsehide Harry]

Unforced error. And an expensive one. The only explanation of sorts I can come up with is that the arbitration process overvalues players whose value is mainly embodied on their batting average. And if Johnson had continued with a high BABIP (and batting average) and mediocre defense, walk rates, power, etc., then he would have ended up being overpayed in arbitration.

But there were some warning flags that should have made Wren very cautious. Johnson fits the profile of players who do not age well. Not athletic and arrived late in the majors. Dan Uggla fit the same profile. But BJ did not. We bid against ourselves and overpaid for BJ. But he had a profile that suggested a better aging curve than Uggla and CJ. With Uggla and CJ the risk factors were obvious.

CJ was the "find" that Wren needed. He was a throw in that nobody really new who surprised with his play. With all the crashings and burnings that Wren had going on (Uggla, BJ) Wren needed CJ around as a talking point regarding his usefulness as GM.

I also think he got into "extend everybody" mode and CJ ended up in the line because of the above.

 

[Russ2dollas]

Wren's decision was almost universally panned the second it was out. They kept talking about Cost certainty, but that is dumb. If you pay an extra 500 K to have the flexibility to cut, you take it.

CJ is saying he's not getting the opportunity to play. He hasn't earned that opportunity on or off the field. He's been bad most of his career, it just so happened he had one lucky year for a GM who was trying to show how smart he was by getting him in the Upton trade.

I wonder what offers they've had. I would think that he'd be a useful piece at 2 million a year for 3 years to hit LH and back up 3B/1B. I wonder if anyone's offered that or if the braves want someone to take on at least 25% of the contract.

 

[50PoundHead]

CJ was the "find" that Wren needed. He was a throw in that nobody really new who surprised with his play. With all the crashings and burnings that Wren had going on (Uggla, BJ) Wren needed CJ around as a talking point regarding his usefulness as GM.

I also think he got into "extend everybody" mode and CJ ended up in the line because of the above.

There did seem to be a virus going around. Where Johnson stuck out like a sore thumb is that he wasn't a core player on the team and I've always felt that unless you're the Yankees, Dodgers, or Red Sox, you don't extend non-core players.

 

[UNCBlue012]

Meh. I liked him for much of his career, but it's over in Atlanta. I hope we can find something!

 

[nsacpi]

We need to make more trades with San Diego and Arizona. Maybe one of them will take him.

How about Toussaint plus CJ for Gosselin. In effect Bronson Arroyo for CJ.

Or BJ plus a top 10 prospect for CJ.

 

[Chico]

Would you trade CJ for Omar Infante? They have very similar contracts.

 

[Hawk]

It's often overlooked that Johnson's representative was the one who approached Atlanta about an extension, not the other way around. The Braves weren't interested in retaining Johnson long term, but were offered terms they were comfortable with and took a gamble.