Kelly Johnson returning for a third stint with the Braves seemed a perfect fit for the team and for the versatile veteran, who has long made his home in Atlanta and felt back at home with the Braves last year.
“It’s a really good feeling first of all for them to want me back, and then to have the opportunity to talk about it and make it happen,” said Johnson, who agreed to terms Wednesday on a one-year, $2 million deal that was finalized Friday after he passed a physical.
To open a roster spot for Johnson, the Braves waived outfielder Joey Terdoslavich, who was claimed Friday by the Baltimore Orioles.
Johnson, who’ll be 34 in February, hit .265 with 14 home runs in 335 plate appearances last season with the Braves and Mets, including 13 homers in 300 PAs against right-handers. His new contract includes up to $1.25 million in additional incentives.
“He fits in a lot of places, and he makes us a better on the field and in the clubhouse,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said of the left-handed hitter.
Johnson can play all four infield positions and the outfield corners. He will likely see plenty of playing time at third base, perhaps in a platoon with Adonis Garcia.
Coming off a career-worst 2014 season with three American League East teams in 2014, Johnson signed a minor league contract a year ago with the Braves, then hit .275 with nine homers, a .321 on-base percentage and 34 RBIs in 62 games (197 PAs) for Atlanta before being traded to the Mets in late July.
Johnson has played for eight major league teams, but made his permanent home in Atlanta since coming up with the Braves. Other teams were interested in signing him this winter, but the pull of the Braves was strong.
“Being at home is obviously big, but at the same time, the thing with the Braves is kind of deeper than that,” he said. “Just with the way the group – it’s different, but it’s also a lot the same.”
Despite wholesale changes in the roster in recent years, Johnson listed the many front-office executives, coaches, medical-staff members and clubhouse workers who’ve been with the Braves since he first played for the team, and said their presence immediately made him feel at home last year when he returned.
“So many people who played such a big role with me early in my career and had such an impact on me,” he said. “It’s a special feeling being able to play here and come back. I have a genuine love for the Braves organization, wanting to see everything done right and getting back to the organization being what it was for so long.”
