The Baseball News:What Will the Marlins do with Josh Johnson?
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Josh Johnson is regarded as one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball. The 6-foot-7 righty is 25 years old and is coming off another stellar campaign. That said, the Florida Marlins may have to trade him.
Why would the Marlins have to trade one of their best players? Economics. He’s two years away from being a free agent and with the Marlins unable to reach a contract agreement with Johnson, they don’t have much of a choice. If they were to put him out on the open market, Florida would have plenty of teams interested.
Last season, Johnson was 15-5 with a 3.32 ERA. In 209 innings of work, he gave up 184 hits while striking out 191 batters. In his career, which began in 2005, he has a record of 34-16 to go along with an ERA of 3.40. There aren’t many pitchers that can match that resume at that career stage — especially considering he plays for a small market team.
What the Marlins may do is head into next season with Johnson on their roster. At the trade deadline, the team could trade him if the playoffs are no longer an option. If the playoffs are an option, they may decide to keep him — for at least the rest of the season. But no matter the plan, Florida will want to either sign him to an extension or eventually trade him before he becomes a free agent.
Josh Johnson - Florida Marlins (Image: Zuma Press)