Pierce Johnson Wants To Lead By Example

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The Reds moved today to strengthen it bullpen by signing veteran Pierce Johnson.

Johnson is a 34-year old Denver native, who pitched at Missouri State. He was the Chicago Cubs first pick in the 2012 draft and broke in with the Cubs in 2017. 

He pitched one inning on May 19 against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing two unearned runs in his lone big league inning. The San Francisco Giants selected him off waivers from the Cubs in September of that season and pitched in 37 games.

Johnson pitched in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers in the Japanese Pacific League in 2019. He posted a 1.38 ERA in 58 games.

Johnson returned to the states in 2020 with the San Diego Padres and became good friends with Emilio Pagan.

He pitched in Colorado and Atlanta in 2023 and completed his second full season with the Braves last season, with a 3-3 record and 3.05 ERA in 65 games covering 59 innings.

Atlanta declined to tender him a contract on November 6 and the Reds signed him, today, January 15.

To compliment his curve ball heavy pitching expertise, Johnson is hoping to help the Reds young pitchers acclimate to the big leagues.

"I've done a lot of different things, and I've played this game for a long time, so I've been able to learn a lot, and I'm still constantly learning," Johnson said. " But for the young guys, I just want to be someone that they can, you know, that they can just ask questions and, you know, just be open and honest, and I can help them out with whatever. You know, adversity comes their way.  So I just hope I can be one of those guys for the younger guys."

Johnson confirmed that Pagan lobbied him to sign with Cincinnati. 

"I mean, he and I talk every day, and, you know, we've, we've been super close. But it was literally, Hey, man, like, where we're trying to go. And then Cincinnati ended up signing him, and it was, and he was like, you're coming here. We're getting it done. We're getting it done. And here we are, and we got it done," Johnson said. "This was some place that he wanted to come back to. And, you know, free agency, you never know what's going to happen. There could have been a team that came out and exploded with a massive offer and, and I know for a fact that this was a place that he wanted to come back to. He spoke very highly of everybody throughout the entire organization, and him and his family loved it. So when you have your best friend selling you on something, it's pretty easy to buy in."

"He was trying to trade for me when I was still in Atlanta," Johnson said.