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Sullivan is pretty specific in saying that we really have no meaningful quantitative data on Johnson one way or another. 80 games in a single season just don't give us enough to go on, so the only measurement we have is the qualitative one from his coaches and pitchers. It could be that in three years, we will be able to say with all confidence that Johnson is a net positive with CERA...or we could look back at the 80 games in 2009 as an aberration.
I can buy that Johjima had a negative impact. We heard late in the year - from Drayer and others - about his "only call for breaking pitches when the pitcher is ahead in the count" philosophy. That's a philosophy that can make a pitch selection a little too predictable for MLB hitters.