Josh Donaldson is getting a one-year, prove-it deal, but he’s certainly going to be paid handsomely in the process.
The Atlanta Braves are signing the veteran third baseman to a one-year contract worth $23 million, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Monday, citing sources.
That $23 million figure will match Donaldson’s 2018 salary when injuries limited him to just 52 combined games with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians. The 32-year-old finished the season with just eight home runs and 23 RBIs, but he did a nice job after Toronto traded him to Cleveland at the end of August. Donaldson posted a .920 OPS with six extra-base hits in 16 games for the Tribe.
It seems like a good risk for the upstart Braves to take. If Donaldson is healthy, Atlanta will hope Donaldson can get back to his 2015 form when he won the American League MVP with the Blue Jays, hitting 41 home runs with a league-leading 123 RBIs. Donaldson figures to fit in nicely with a Braves lineup that features plenty of young talent like reigning Rookie of the Year winner Ronald Acuna and MVP candidate Freddie Freeman.
Monday was a busy day for the Braves, who also reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with former All-Star catcher Brian McCann.
