Josh Johnson

2013

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2012

Johnson lasted just nine starts last year before a shoulder injury sidelined him, and he was never able to make it back into action. The injury never required surgery and he was throwing pain-free bullpen sessions in September, so he should be good to go this spring, but this is now two straight years in which Johnson has dealt with shoulder woes. When he's healthy he's as good as any pitcher in the game, with an ace's arsenal and a bulldog mentality, but the mounting injury concerns make him a risky acquisition if you have to pay anything close to top dollar for him.

2011

Johnson celebrated his new four-year, $39 million contract with a big year, putting up Cy-worthy numbers for five months until shoulder and back issues shut him down in September. While his ERA will probably creep back up due to a lucky HR/FB rate in 2010, the rest of his skill set is still improving (he topped 9.0 K/9IP for the first time last season) and promises more seasons of ace-like numbers to come. Last year's injuries weren't serious, but with the memory of his 2007 Tommy John surgery still lingering and the Phillies' four aces overshadowing the rest of the pitchers in the NL East, you might just be able to get Johnson at a discount this spring.

2010

Johnson pitched in 2009 like his Tommy John surgery never happened, emerging as the Marlins' ace and as one of the best young pitchers in baseball. He finished 10th in the NL in strikeouts and K/BB, while his 8.22 K/9IP fell just outside the top 10, and he cracked the 200-inning mark for the first time in his career. He'll be the Marlins' Opening Day starter in 2010, but the salary wrangling between the club and his agent has already begun so what uniform he wears beyond that is anyone's guess.

2009

Last offseason there was some doubt Johnson would even pitch in 2008 following his Tommy John surgery. Not only did he pitch he re-defined the best case scenario for pitchers in their first year back from TJ, actually improving his BB/9 rate from 2006 en route to a thoroughly impressive second half. He'll enter 2009 as the Marlins' No. 2 starter behind Ricky Nolasco, and if he can keep his new-found control while shaving a few hits off his line he could finish it as a true ace.

2008

Arm trouble limited Johnson to four starts between DL stints and eventually required Tommy John surgery in August. He'll probably miss all of 2008, and given that his out pitch is his slider he may not be immediately effective when he does finally get back onto a mound. If you take a chance on him, don't expect a return on your investment until late 2009 or even 2010.

2007

Coming into 2006, Johnson was just another arm in the Marlins system, a guy who would have to step it up to distinguish himself from the horde of young pitchers the team had accumulated in the offseason. Step it up he did -- Johnson started in the bullpen, earned a rotation spot and then spent a good part of the season competing for the NL ERA crown, before a late forearm strain left him just five innings short of qualifying. The circumstances of the injury were eerily reminiscent of those that led to AJ Burnett's Tommy John surgery, as Johnson came back out after a rain delay only to come up lame before his next start, but fortunately he avoided going under the knife and seems like he'll be fine for 2007. Despite his success last season, he still profiles as a mid-rotation starter for the Marlins, as he doesn't have the eye-popping raw stuff of an Anibal Sanchez.

2006

Johnson's numbers at Double-A in 2005 don't seem that impressive until you realize he was just 22. As one of the more advanced homegrown prospects in the Marlins system, he's among the early favorites to win a rotation spot this spring, provided the team doesn't bring in a bushel of veteran stopgaps to avoid rushing its young hurlers. He probably won't be an ace, but Johnson could eventually emerge as a solid No. 3 starter.