Signing Johnson good sign for Braves

The most encouraging sign from the Atlanta Braves within the past six weeks was not the fact that they had the second-best record in the National League (24-14 to the Chicago Cubs’ 25-14) since Aug. 20 or they had the best record for September and October or that Freddie Freeman was named NL Player of the Month for September.

Nor was it even that they closed the season on such a strong note with Julio Teheran outpitching Detroit’s Justin Verlander.

Yes, those were all positive signs. They suggested that the Braves really aren’t that far from being competitive, and that Freeman is the franchise player the Braves need him to be and that Teheran can indeed be a big-game act.

But the most encouraging news was something that might have been dismissed as a footnote. That something was Jim Johnson agreeing to a two-year contract over the final weekend.

Sure, there’s reason to question whether Johnson, who will turn 34 next season, can stitch together a full season as productive as the second half of this year, when he converted 18 of 19 save opportunities and posted a tidy 2.14 earned run average in the process. That’s not the point, though.

This is the point, and actually it’s two-fold: Johnson’s contract extension reflects management’s commitment to fielding a competitive team in 2017. It also reflects Johnson’s confidence that the Braves are done trading productive veterans for prospects. Even before the 2016 season ended, they were trying to get a jump start on building for next year. Despite his age and declining fastball, Johnson could have been in high demand had he elected to become a free agent.

Here’s another encouraging sign. Braves general manager John Coppolella told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the team will be in the market for starting pitchers.

“We need two starters at least, possibly three,” Coppolella said.

Furthermore, they hope to add those pitchers through free agency rather than surrender valuable prospects or rob from the veteran roster

While they are not awash in cash, the Braves will have money to spend on starting pitchers. Executives for Liberty Media, the corporate owners, have approved a payroll increase. Plus, Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, making a combined $29 million, drop off the books. Even factoring in raises to some current players, they could have somewhere in the neighborhood of $35 million to spend on starting pitching and another catcher.

That’s all the Braves need to at least compete for a wildcard spot and possibly challenge Washington for the NL East title. The lineup is strong enough and could be bolstered with the addition of a catcher. The bullpen is solid and could be a real strength if young guys like Mauricio Cabrera, John Gant, Shae Simmons, Arodys Vizcaino and Jose Ramirez keep improving.

As recently as six weeks ago, it looked like the Braves were in for another long season of losing in this massive rebuilding process. Maybe they would have been if not for the Matt Kemp trade. But adding Kemp to the middle of the order and ridding themselves of Hector Olivera changed the lineup and the possibilities.

Six weeks might not be a reliable sample size. But who among the Braves exceeded his realistic potential? No one. Not even Ender Inciarte or rookie Dansby Swanson.

Now, there’s one other loose end to tie up. They need to remove the interim tag from Brian Snitker’s title and name him manager. Snitker unified the clubhouse in a time of turmoil and got players to play their hearts out until the final pitch of a lost season.

Isn’t that what a manager is supposed to do?

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 8:47 PM with the headline "Signing Johnson good sign for Braves."