Josh Donaldson, who was acquired from the A’s in November, lost his arbitration hearing against the Blue Jays and will make $4.3 million this season instead of $5.75 million.
Teams often try to avoid going through arbitration hearings with star players because they involve arguing for why the players don’t deserve higher salaries, so going through with a hearing before Donaldson even plays a game for the Blue Jays was probably rough for both sides.
Last season he hit .255 with 29 homers and a .798 OPS in 158 games after being a top-five MVP finisher in 2013.
