January 12: Johnson is guaranteed $6.5MM, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
January 11: The right hand Pierce Johnson headed to the Reds, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Details of the contract are not yet known. Johnson is represented by John Boggs & Associates.
Johnson, 34, has been a first-round pick since 2012. He made his major league debut in 2017 but didn’t stick in the majors right away and ended up heading to Japan in 2019 to play for the Hanshin Tigers. The result was an impressive 1.38 ERA over 58 2/3 innings of work at NPB, and Johnson then returned to the majors in 2020 and posted strong numbers across three seasons with the Padres.
Missing most of the 2022 campaign due to injury, however, puts Johnson at a disadvantage entering free agency the following year. He wrestled with the Rockies and struggled badly, posting a 6.00 ERA during his time in Colorado, but he was still an attractive enough target to be dealt to the Braves at the trade deadline. When he arrived in Atlanta, he looked like a different pitcher, turning in aa 0.76 ERA, a 36% strikeout rate, and a 5.4% walk rate in 24 appearances down the stretch for the Braves.
It was such an impressive performance that Atlanta opted to extend Johnson to a new two-year deal that guaranteed him $14.25MM, including a $250K buyout of the $7MM club option for the 2026 season. Johnson posted a 3.36 ERA and a 3.77 FIP overall in 115 1/3 innings over the next two seasons, but was unable to continue the strikeout command he had flashed in 2023. His peripherals declined, culminating in the righty beating the diminutive (but still at 8% potential and picking up the last 24%) buyout of his 2026 option.
Now about to enter his age-35 season, Johnson will join a Reds team that made the playoffs last year and is determined to return in 2026. After re-signing. Emilio Pagan to be around the club, Cincinnati continued to retool its bullpen with additions Caleb Ferguson and now Johnson. Those three should be combined Tony Santillan making the Reds’ dreaded late-inning relief effort, while former starters like Graham Ashcraft again Connor Phillips provide seniority but may slide into lower-level roles. In a stacked rotation led by Hunter Greene again Andrew AbbottTerry Francona’s pitching staff looks solid heading into the season.
The question for the Reds heading into 2026 revolves around the squad. While Elly De La Cruz it’s a rising star and the players love it TJ Friedl again Spencer Steer have proven themselves to be top-class players, it’s hard to know if the Reds will produce enough in an upset to get them back into October. Players love it Noelvi Marte again Matt McLain they have shown great promise in the past but have struggled at times. The same can be said for rehabilitation projects JJ Bleday again It’s Bryan Hayes. If the Reds have more planned this offseason after adding Johnson, adding more to the roster would be the best way to improve the roster, whether that’s through free agency or perhaps trading a righty. Brady Singer, who will be a free agent next winter.
