RADIO
Erik Johnson is an intriguing back-end rotation guy who has been in the White Sox system for a few years now. The General Manager of the White Sox spoke as though Johnson has the inside track heading into Spring Training for the #5 slot in Chicago’s rotation.
With Jeff Samardzija gone, Johnson can pop in and finally have a chance to get an extended look in the majors. Johnson hasn’t been good when he’s come up to the majors before, but he has yet to get in any sort of rhythm. Last year in AAA Johnson took a big step forward, going 11-8 with a 2.37 ERA and striking out 136 in 132 innings.
He isn’t a huge name that you should be painting a bulls-eye on, but if you’re in a deep league and looking for a sneaky name with some upside, Johnson could fit the bill. Strikeout stuff doesn’t grow on trees. He threw his fastball more last year and works with a slider and changeup as his secondary pitches. Keep an eye on him, but he’s playing his way into relevance here.
