Atlanta Braves Jim Johnson and Catchers
By Fred Owens
What would the Braves get?
That’s really an impossible question to answer. If Adams and others seem to think the reliever the Mets claimed was Johnson they have 48.5 hours – no I don’t know why the extra half hour either – to work out a trade. The return really depends on what the Braves ask for and how badly the Mets want him.
The Mets are a game and a half out of the second wild card spot now and have to get in from of at least one of the teams above them in order to get into the Bud Selig Sudden Death Match (© me) game. They’ve lost 10 of their last 16 games, their rotation isn’t the indomitable force it was last year, Yoenis Cespedes is playing golf injured, as are Asdrubal Cabrera, Juan Lagares, Lucas Duda, Kevin Plawecki, Eric Campbell, Jose Reyes, Justin Ruggiano, Matt Harvey and of course David Wright and I may even have missed a couple in that list.
That might make them think twice about reaching into there now very thin prospect pool for a six-week rental of a relief pitcher.
On the other hand Marlins and Cardinals are not exactly juggernauts right now and there’s every indication a good run could get them at least one almost, nearly, but not quite post season game that could get them into the real post season.
The Braves would certainly point to the trade of Hunter Cervenka and suggest that they got two of the team’s top prospects for a situational lefty. Johnson is more than that, a closer who is currently pitching as many remember him doing during his 50 save season.
The Mets system seems to be full of light hitting shortstops and pitchers a few years away so the Braves could ask for a package of OF Desmond Lindsay, RHP Robert Gsellman and C Tomas Nido.
The Mets would surely balk at that and the names might change but if both teams want the deal the return could be pretty good.
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