At the end of October 2018, Derek Johnson decided to leave the Milwaukee Brewers to join the Cincinnati Reds. It was a surprising development that came less than a month after the Brewers came one game short of their first World Series appearance since 1982.
Johnson’s departure created some angst within the fanbase. He received much of the credit for coaxing solid performances out of a pitching staff that pundits claimed featured a weak starting rotation. Veterans like Junior Guerra, Chase Anderson, Jhoulys Chacin, Wade Miley, and Jeremy Jeffress all had some of the best seasons of their careers under Johnson’s tutelage.