Cleveland Guardians trade OF Daniel Johnson to Mets

Former Guardians outfielder Daniel Johnson will now be looking for a fresh start with the New York Mets.

Though some might argue he never got a fair shake with the Guardians, the fact is Cleveland has dealt outfielder Daniel Johnson to the New York Mets for cash considerations.

Johnson, 26, was hitting .217/.217/.377 with three home runs, two doubles and 11 RBIs at Triple-A Columbus this season. And in a sporadic 89 at-bats spread over two seasons with Cleveland, Johnson hit .202/.245/.337 with four home runs and five RBIs, but 27 strikeouts.

Johnson came to Cleveland in the trade that sent catcher Yan Gomes to the Washington Nationals in 2018. Pitcher Jefry Rodriguez (back in the Nationals’ system) and infielder Andruw Monasterio (now in the Brewers’ organization) were also included in the deal, so at this point, this one can pretty much be called a wash. However, a case could be made that Washington ultimately won the trade, considering Gomes did give them solid contributions throughout the 2019 season and ultimately through that year’s World Series run.

For Johnson, who was just never able to make enough of an impression with the Guardians, he’ll get a fresh start in New York’s system. The Mets have an ongoing logjam of players who can play the outfield, but it’ll be up to Johnson now to potentially force their hand down the road and take advantage of any opportunities he does get.