Braves' Player Recap: Reed Johnson

Today's Braves' recap will be covering outfielder Reed Johnson.
Johnson made his major league debut back in 2003 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent five years there before going to the Chicago Cubs. He spent two years there, then went to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a year before going back to Chicago. During 2012, Johnson was traded to the Braves along with Paul Maholm on July 30th. The Braves needed a utility outfielder after Matt Diaz had thumb surgery and Johnson was a perfect fit.
Johnson only had one issue once he came to the Braves, his bat seemed to cool down. During the first half of the season with the Cubs, he hit .302, but once the Braves acquired him in July, he hit .270 in the second half. Not terrible, but he didn't provide as much offensive output as the Braves were hoping for.
His defense was good as usual, and he is a little more valuable than Diaz because he can play all three outfield positions. Diaz can only play two. Johnson's best game came against the Philadelphia Phillies on September 2nd as he went three for four with a double and three RBI's. He finished the year overall with the Braves and Cubs batting .290 with three home runs and 20 RBI's.
Johnson is a free agent this off season but the Braves have said they want to bring him back. He is a great back up to all three outfielders and he has always been a good hitter, as he has a .284 career average. He has a veteran presence that is good for a young team like the Braves, plus he goes out and hustles and provides a team with some good energy. Look for the Braves to bring Johnson back to Atlanta for at least another year.