MILWAUKEE -- Jim Johnson drew trade interest over the past couple of weeks, but he is now positioned to remain in Atlanta's bullpen for the rest of the season.
Johnson was claimed by an unidentified team after the Braves recently placed him on revocable waivers, but the claim was pulled back when a trade could not be completed. Once a player is claimed and a deal is not reached, he can't be passed through waivers and made available to trade over the remainder of the season.
Jeff Francoeur was also placed on revocable waivers, but he went unclaimed and thus can still be traded. The Braves have made it clear they are not interested in simply giving Francoeur away. They were asking for a top 10 prospect from any team that showed interest before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline.
Since the Trade Deadline passed, a team can only trade for a player that it has claimed or a player who has passed through waivers. Some teams will make a claim to simply block another team from having the ability to acquire a certain player. In these instances, the claim is made without any intention of completing a trade.
So, instead of spending the remainder of this season with a playoff contender, Johnson will continue to provide late-inning stability to the Braves, who are simply aiming to avoid a 100-loss season.
As he nears free agency, Johnson has enhanced his stock by posting a 1.57 ERA over the 28 appearances he has made since returning in June from a disabled-list stint that was necessitated by the struggles he experienced during this season's first five weeks.