For the second consecutive year, the New York Mets acquired utility man Kelly Johnson in a trade with the Atlanta Braves Wednesday.
The Braves announced the acquired minor-league pitcher Akeel Morris as part of the deal. ESPN.com's Adam Rubin first reported the deal, while Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com confirmed the move.
The 34-year-old Johnson is capable of playing all over the diamond, having appeared in games at every position except catcher and center field since last season.
Atlanta traded him along with Juan Uribe to the Mets last year in exchange for Robert Whalen and John Gant, but Johnson returned to the Braves as a free agent during the offseason.
As Marc Carig of Newsday pointed out, the 2016 campaign has been a struggle for the veteran thus far:
Johnson is hitting just .215 with one home run and 10 RBI, but he proved to be a valuable contributor last season, hitting .265 with 14 homers and 47 RBI split between the Braves and Mets.
Johnson fills a huge need for a Mets team that is dealing with myriad injuries.
First baseman Lucas Duda and third baseman David Wright are both on the disabled list, which has tested New York's depth.
Top utility player Wilmer Flores finds himself in a starting role at third base, so Johnson figures to take his spot as one of the team's top bench players, as the Mets look to chase down the Washington Nationals in the NL East.
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