Brian Johnson is no Rick Porcello, but building upon his 2018 season Johnson could be on the cusp of being a regular within the Red Sox rotation circa 2020. Porcello is a pending free agent and free agency offers up an opportunity for the player entering free agency and those left behind. If the Red Sox and Porcello split, the now 28-year-old Johnson could sneak in as a possible replacement.
The former first-round pick (2012) Johnson is certainly no Porcello and that is not a path I would even consider – Porcello is a proven commodity and Johnson in 2018 had just 13 starts, but in those starts, the Red Sox won nine games.