Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Josh Johnson is looking to head to the National League.
According to Henry Schulman, the Giants beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, the free-agent pitcher let the Giants and the San Diego Padres know early on they were his first choices.
The Blue Jays opted to not make a qualifying offer to Johnson earlier this month.
Qualifying Johnson would have cost Toronto $14.1 million US and given it draft-pick compensation if the right-hander signed with another club. After going 2-8 with a 6.20 ERA, the risk was that the 29-year-old would accept the qualifying offer and take a huge chunk out of the Jays’ budget.
Now if Johnson signs elsewhere in Major League Baseball, the Jays will not receive any compensation.
He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins last off-season. Johnson made $13.75 million in his only season in Toronto.
–With files from the Canadian Press
