By Andrew Lipsett
According to FOXsports.com, the Red Sox have acquired SP Jason Johnson from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations, days after Johnson was placed on waivers by GM Mark Shapiro. The Sox will pick up most of Johnson’s $2.2 million price tag.
Johnson has been a serviceable pitcher for most of his MLB career, which is pretty much what the Sox need at this point: a guy who will pitch every fifth day and not be horrible. This year with the Indians, after getting off to a quick start but cooling off of late, Johnson is 3-8 with a 5.98 ERA in 2006, but is coming off a 2005 campaign that saw him go 8-13 with a 4.54 ERA. Overall, Johson has put up an ERA below 4.60 in 4 of the last 5 seasons, and has improved his control in recent years.
He’s not a great pitcher; he’s not really even a good one. What he is a guy with an arm who can pitch innings. For $2.2 mil, that’s exactly what we need.
