Minor Matters: Rob Johnson, Dale Thayer Elect Free Agency

A pair of players lost their 40-man roster spot, then elected free agency soon after. The first of which was San Diego Padres catcher Rob Johnson, as reported by Corey Brock of MLB.com.

Rob Johnson appeared in 67 games for the Padres at the major-league level, serving as the backup catcher to Nick Hundley. The 28-year-old Johnson hit .190/.259/.285 while hitting three homers in 199 plate appearances. It was his first season with the Padres, after being acquired last December for future considerations from the Seattle Mariners.

Right-handed reliever Dale Thayer also elected free agency, after being removed off the 40-man roster by the New York Mets, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN. The 30-year-old posted a 2.66 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 across 71 innings of work in 54 appearances for Class Triple-A Buffalo. He then made 11 appearances out of the bullpen for the Mets last season, allowing 4 runs to score in 10 1/3 innings while striking out five.