MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that the Twins and free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson are in agreement on a four-year contract. Jon Heyman adds that the deal is for $92 million.
Donaldson, 34, had a bounce-back year with the Braves, batting .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 94 RBI over 659 plate appearances, helping the club win the NL East for a second consecutive season. Donaldson missed most of the 2018 season due to injuries, so he took a one-year deal with the Braves to rebuild his value. It worked.
The Twins recently inked third baseman Miguel Sanó to a three-year, $30 million contract extension. It would seem that the club now has three terrific players (Nelson Cruz being the third) for two positions -- third base and DH -- but they may choose to move Sano to first base.
No matter what the Twins end up doing, one thing is for certain: they are going to hit the baseball. This past season, the club ranked second in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS, and fourth in on-base percentage. Adding Donaldson into the mix can’t make opposing pitchers in the American League feel good.
The Braves and Nationals were both in pursuit of Donaldson’s services. Now that he’s in Minnesota, one wonders if the two NL East teams might get even more in the mix for Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado.