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| Chris Johnson will be an Atlanta Brave a little longer. Photo credit MLB |
For a player that was named as a “throw in” when he was part of the trade from Arizona along with slugger Justin Upton to Atlanta in January of 2013 , Chris Johnson has come up smelling like roses as he has emerged as a reliable and consistent hitter in the Braves lineup. Today he was rewarded handsomely with a new three-year, $23.5 million dollar contract extension that keeps him an Atlanta Brave through the 2017 season, with a $10 million dollar team option for the 2018 season.
by Michael Hanley
For Johnson, 29, stability and long term security with an organization is something that had eluded him for most of his career. As a fourth round draft pick in 2006 by the Houston Astros, he would emerge to play at a level very few could have expected on draft day.
In 2010, his first full year playing up in the major leagues for the Astros, he batted an impressive .310 batting average, hit 11 home runs and tallied 52 RBIS in 94 total games he played that season. Houston had at the time thought they discovered a diamond in the rough in Johnson. Unfortunately his next two seasons down in Houston did not match those of his rookie year as he batted .251 and .281 in the 2011 and part of the 2012 respectively before being traded to the Diamondbacks in July of 2012. In Arizona he put up respectable numbers batting .286, hitting 7 home runs and having 35 RBIs, but was ultimately put into a trade to the Braves along with his teammate Justin Upton in that offseason.
In Atlanta Johnson had a career year in 2013 as he nearly won the National League Batting title with his .321 batting average, 12 home runs , 68 RBIs and 165 hits. He had more than rediscovered the play that he had started out his career in Houston with. Johnson was now a hitter that was very difficult to get out with his very sound swing and patient plate approach. His ability to hit to all fields and hit a home run once in a while was a perfect fit for this Braves lineup that has plenty of power bats throughout it but needed a player like Chris Johnson to give them some balance and have a player who could be a reliable RBI bat.
He joins a long list of players who have been given contract extensions by GM Frank Wren in the last year plus. Along with his deal, the Braves have locked their very young and talented crop of players in: right fielder Jason Heyward, first baseman Freddie Freeman, starting pitcher Julio Teheran, lethal closer Craig Kimbrel and shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Outside of Johnson, those players are 25 years old or younger, all drafted by Atlanta and came up and made their way up through the ranks of the farm system. This core is one that will keep the Braves contending for championships for years to come.
Though Johnson has had a slow start to this season, only batting .255 with one home run and four RBIs in 26 games played this season, the Braves have shown trust and a belief in him that he can be a key piece for this Atlanta ball club not only for this year but for many seasons to come. Finally, Chris Johnson has found his long awaited home in the major leagues.
