With the Braves’ acquisition of Juan Uribe late Tuesday night, they now have two serviceable third basemen on their roster in the former Dodger and Chris Johnson. However, with Jose Peraza nearing the Majors and whispers of Jace Peterson moving to third base, could we soon be seeing the end of Chris Johnson in a Braves uniform? It’s no secret that John Hart has made efforts to move CJ, it’s just unclear how aggressive he has been. Now that he has another third base option on the club, could he be trying to rid of another unfortunate Frank Wren contract?
Look, this isn’t about Chris Johnson so much as a player. I like Chris Johnson, but he’s not an All-Star by any means. The fact remains that the Braves are eyeing the future, and Johnson is under contract until 2017, a year in which he is set to make $9 million. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has failed to utilize Chris Johnson effectively when healthy this season, and it’s hard to envision him starting games at the hot corner for the Braves when they move into SunTrust Park in 2017. Juan Uribe is signed to just a one-year deal, and I think he and CJ are of around the same quality player. Uribe provides a big upgrade defensively.
Moving Johnson won’t be easy, and Hart has had many unsuccessful attempts at moving him. Johnson’s batting average dropped nearly 60 points last season from .321 to .263. But c’mon, the guy found a way to get rid of Melvin Upton Jr. It’s no secret they’re trying to get rid of him:
Rather, continue to try to trade him They've been doing that since end of last season. Once healthy, it could happen https://t.co/cniePQCARP
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 27, 2015
Look’s like it’s just a matter of time. Johnson is set to return to the lineup Thursday, and once healthy he is a strong candidate to be moved if his bat heats up.
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