… but I still have no idea what the Rays are going to do with him.
Still, the Rays have sent Jeff Niemann back to the Durham to make room for Johnson on the roster. (MLB.com)
The move to send Niemann back to Durham wasn’t surprising in and of itself, as the off-day on Monday allows Andy Sonnanstine to move up a day in the rotation. After his last outing, Niemann was clearly going to be the first starting pitcher to drop out when Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir are ready to return, and reports are that Garza will likely get the ball on Saturday against the Red Sox.
The next question, of course, is what are the Rays going to do to make room for Garza? The smart money is on the Rays to option Justin Ruggiano back to AAA, but another injury between now and then could change things.
The other thing that could change things is the fact that the Rays don’t need Dan Johnson. Why couldn’t they simply DFA him themselves at the end of the week? He doesn’t add anything to this roster that we don’t already have. We already have one player who can do nothing but play first base and DH (Carlos Pena). Why in the world would be carry a SECOND player who does that? Jonny Gomes and Eric Hinske are both hitting well right now, and Justin Ruggiano gives the Rays a good second option against left-handed pitching. Sure, once Cliff Floyd is ready to come back he’s absolutely out the door, but what good does Dan Johnson do this team right now? Absolutely none.
With the number of injuries we’ve already sustained, it’s incredibly important to retain as much versatility as possible. And no offense to Dan Johnson, but he doesn’t add any versatility at all. After days of trying to figure it out, I still can’t do it.
Tags: Dan Johnson
April 21st, 2008 at 8:32 am
I disagree, Scott. I think it is a sensible move to pick him up. I certainly would not make too much of it, but as a minor move to deepen the roster it is reasonable.
Johnson provides an actual first baseman to back up Pena. The others we have are being moved there from their normal spots. He also provides a left-handed bat off the bench or at DH, one with terrific patience and some power. Against righties, that allows Hinske to play RF instead of Nathan, with Johnson at DH. Or, if Maddon wants Gomes to get more ABs while he is hitting righties, Johnson provides a lefty bat on the bench against the tough righty relievers in the AL East.
If you really like Ruggiano, about whom I remain skeptical, he is better off with more regular playing time in Durham. I do understand your point that Ruggiano provides a right handed bat on the bench, but it makes sense to bolster the lefty depth as well. In the end, this is simply a question of depth of talent on the one hand, never a bad thing, and a judgment that Johnson’s contributions as a 1B backup, DH and bench player are more valuable right now than Ruggiano’s are.
There is also the possibility that once Floyd returns-and who knows when that will be, which is another point in Johnson’s favor-Johnson may have more value to another team in a trade or may provide insurance in the event the Rays want to deal someone else.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I think the Rays originally claimed Johnson because they thought Pena might be out for a little bit, which still could be true. Johnson is a younger version, offensively, of Hinske-very patient hitter with some pop. I am not against the move, at all, but I also questioned it when it happened. I really don’t understand why we’re letting DiFelice go right now though. The pitchers just throw better when he’s out there, and he’s been hitting the ball better than expected. Riggans hasn’t been bad, by any means, but I really feel like DiFelice should be the one to stay for right now. He’s been a good guy on the team, and he could mentor Navarro on pitch-calling and handling pitchers. I just don’t understand how you let someone go who has the pitchers performing the way they are.