Report: A's discussed Jim Johnson trade with Marlins
Jim Johnson lost the A's closer role after back-to-back 50-save seasons in Baltimore. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
The A's were willing to trade reliever Jim Johnson to the Marlins last weekend for a package that included the Marlins' No. 39 draft pick, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Marlins proposed a trade for Johnson and cash that would send the No. 39 pick of the upcoming draft and another player to the A's, according to sources who spoke with Rosenthal. The Marlins instead opted to trade the pick Sunday to the Pirates for right-hander Bryan Morris.
From Rosenthal:
The Marlins were apparently the ones who started the conversation so it’s not like the A’s were actively shopping Johnson. But it sounds like they would’ve shipped him off if Miami followed through.
The Athletics, sources said, are not looking to move Johnson, but the Marlins approached them about a trade while aggressively pursuing bullpen help last weekend.
Johnson, 31, saved more than 50 games in each of his last two seasons but lost the closer's role early this season. Rosenthal reports the A's have denied an MLB executive's claim that they are shopping Johnson.
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If the deal had been completed, the A's and Marlins reportedly had a plan for easing the cash burden on Johnson's remaining deal and the No. 39 pick's bonus.
The Athletics would have paid a portion of the approximately $6.5 million remaining on Johnson’s contract, and the Marlins would have paid the $1.4 million bonus assigned to the No. 39 pick, sources said.
