When the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Termarr Johnson with the fourth overall pick in 2022, he was touted as the best prep hitter baseball had seen in decades. He was getting Wade Boggs and Vladimir Guerrero comps that never stood a chance of being fair. By that standard, anything short of superstardom was always going to feel like a letdown.
Fast forward more than three years, and Johnson hasn’t failed. He’s just… evolved into something more complicated. And that complication is exactly why he might be the Pirates’ most logical trade chip if they finally push for a real third baseman.