Josh Johnson to Padres: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Josh Johnson has long been one of the most enigmatic pitchers in baseball. Despite a long injury history, the upside made him an attractive, low-cost option this winter. 

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports Johnson has decided to return to San Diego:

The Padres tried their hand by signing Johnson last offseason, only to see his elbow flare up in spring training and require Tommy John surgery in April. It was the third time in four years the right-hander has spent time on the disabled list and second time in his career he's had elbow reconstruction surgery. 

Johnson's deal with the Padres last year included a $4 million team option for 2015 that they had to pick up within three days after the World Series ended, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com. They were able to get a look at what he might be able to do on Oct. 15, which was the day he was able to start throwing again, per Brock's report:

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Last Thursday, without fanfare and far from a big league ballpark, Josh Johnson picked up a baseball and did the one thing he had waited five long months to do.

He threw it to someone.

Johnson, who in April had Tommy John surgery, played catch for the first time on Oct. 9 near his home in Las Vegas, the first step toward a throwing program that will continue this month and into November.

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Padres executive vice president and general manager A.J. Preller told Brock in September that the team was exploring the idea of bringing Johnson back at a deal that is fair to him and benefits the team:

"With Josh, he's a guy that everyone has a positive feel for. We'll try to go down the road with him and try to present something to him that makes sense to him," Preller said.

Despite the significant setback from last year, Johnson was confident he'd be able to return from a second Tommy John surgery, via Brock:

There are a few differences Johnson may not be considering this time around. He first had the operation in 2007 at the age of 23. Injuries and time since that first operation have taken their toll on his arm. He will be 31 next season, having not thrown in a real game since Aug. 6, 2013. 

Johnson's days as a starting pitcher might have to be over just for his own health. Teams can't trust him to take the ball every fifth day, so it might make sense to groom him as a reliever. That presents other problems because pitching out of the bullpen requires having power stuff. 

There was a time when Johnson had electric stuff, but it's going to be a process waiting for that to come back. When it does, who knows if the velocity will still be there? His performance when we last saw him was dreadful, with a 6.20 ERA and 105 hits allowed in 81.1 innings with Toronto in 2013. 

Yet with all those concerns, Johnson remains a nice low-risk gamble because of what he can be. It's dangerous to bet on upside instead of what is, but he didn't command a huge salary, so the risk is minimal for the team. 

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