While watching Marcell Ozuna step into a leadership role and find success with the Pirates this spring training has poured salt on the Jurickson Profar wound, the Atlanta Braves may be pining more for another former player. Right-hander Pierce Johnson, who had been one of Atlanta’s most dependable bullpen arms in 2024 and 2025, has had a phenomenal training camp with the Reds. The Braves’ host of pitching injuries entering 2026 may have Alex Anthopoulos dreaming about the one that got away.
Johnson has been utterly dominant so far in spring training. Entering play on March 12, he had thrown four scoreless innings, striking out five, and allowing just four hits without issuing a single walk. He’s been good enough to fend off the Reds’ fleet of pitching prospects and lock down his role on the Opening Day roster. The Braves, despite having a retooled bullpen, would be more than happy to have such a player back in Atlanta.
Braves may be regretting letting Pierce Johnson walk due to his strong spring
The Braves declined Johnson’s $7 million option, allowing him to become a free agent. The Reds snapped him up for $6.5 million. It’s understandable that Atlanta, which spent about $69.5 million to revamp the relief corps this offseason, wouldn’t want to pony up such an amount for a middle reliever. Still, given spring performance and track record, I would rather see Johnson trotting out from the bullpen than Tyler Kinley or Joel Payamps.
Leverage-wise, the Braves don’t necessarily need Johnson, whom Atlanta used mostly in low-leverage at-bats but who performed at his best in big moments. Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez are more than happy to take the ball with the game on the line. Suarez allowed opponents a .562 OPS in high-leverage opportunities while Iglesias offered up a .700 OPS.
If Johnson would be limited to a low-to-medium-leverage role like he has been in the past, the Braves may be better off without him. James Karinchak is having a stellar spring himself, and he saves Atlanta a chunk of change assuming he gets significant playing time in the majors. Perhaps then, it’s better to admire Johnson’s success from afar… at least until the Braves face Cincinnati.