Josh Johnson: 4 years, $39 million
Remember that time MLB pretty much forced the Marlins to spend more of their revenue sharing money?
If you don’t, Josh Johnson certainly does.
In early 2010, Florida extended its unquestioned ace, buying out two arbitration years and the first two of free agency. In that respect, this contract is the closest parallel to the deal Alcantara just received. At the time, it was the most money the Marlins organization had ever committed to a pitcher, and the third-biggest contract/extension offered to any player in team history.
And for one year and one month, total success. Johnson delivered a career year in 2010, and followed it up with an even more dominant start to 2011. He was appointment television … until he wasn’t, missing the rest of the 2011 season due to injury (his third injury-shortened season in his Marlins career, mind you).
Johnson returned for 2012, still above average perhaps but no longer elite. He was traded away to Toronto at the end of the season in a salary purge as Miami’s second rebuild got underway.
As it turned out, Johnson’s last MLB pitch came just 81.1 innings into the 2013 campaign.
Verdict? Market-wise, likely worth what he produced. But did the Marlins organization get what they wanted out of the deal, save silencing MLB accountants? Not so much.
They’d get even less out of…