I have seen this on here before, but i thought i would float the idea again to see how the opinions range.  RJ is going to be a FA after the season, and while he no longer qualifies as an ace, he still seems capable of consistantly delivering quality starts  (at least in the weak NL West).

The Rangers have a number of young starters on the verge, but many, including Harrison and Hunter, are probably better served starting next year in AAA to continue to work on their command and offspeed offerings.  At the same time, the team should probably avoid signing a pitcher to a long term contract unless it is someone like Sabathia (I am weary even of Sheets).

Bringing in a guy like Johnson on a one year deal to start every fifth day and mentor our young pitchers seems like a good idea to me, especially if we fail to land a big name pitcher.  As a bonus, it seems unlikely Johnson would be a type A, so the Rangers would not have to forfeit a pick for him.  I would also think he has a decent relationship with Nolan, who I think wants to compete sooner, rather than later.  Johnson could help us compete next year without blocking our young pitchers long term.

Here are his stats on the year. He has pitched much better of late, after starting the year injured. Thoughts?