Atlanta Braves Rumors: Rangers likely out on Josh Donaldson
By Seth Carter
With Rendon signing, Donaldson is left as the lone star at third. The bidding war has caused one team to bow out. Who is left and do the Atlanta Braves have a shot at competing with the deep pockets of the remaining clubs?
The Atlanta Braves are in a bidding war for the services of Josh Donaldson. The rumored competitors were the Nationals, Rangers, Twins, and Dodgers.
Philadelphia was also speculated to have interest in Donaldson but since signing Didi Gregorious, those rumors may have been quelled for now.
With Rendon headed to the Angels, all eyes now turn to Josh Donaldson. The Rangers, Nationals, Braves, Twins and Dodgers all remain in the mix for the 2015 AL MVP, per sources.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 12, 2019
With Anthony Rendon going to the Nationals, Donaldson remains as the last viable superstar option at third base. The bidding has heated up. With the price and years going up, the Rangers have evidently bowed out.
Levi Weaver covers the Rangers for theathletic.com tweeted this:
Sources indicate that the price on Josh Donaldson has exceeded the Rangers' comfort level, and they are likely out.
— Levi Weaver (@ThreeTwoEephus) December 12, 2019
So ignore the first option I listed here, I guess https://t.co/lEXNujroVm
The Twins have Miguel Sano at third and are coming off of a record-setting offensive season. The desire to overpay for a 34-year-old slugger may not be as strong as it is for the Braves in a heated NL-East.
The Dodgers
The Dodgers are stacked with deep-pockets, yet former Rays’ executive, Andrew Friedman (now in charge of the Dodgers) is not prone to long-term commitments. Los Angeles has missed out on signing big-name free agents like Zack Greinke, Aroldis Chapman, Eric Hosmer, J.D. Martinez, and Yu Darvish over the past couple of years.
Last year they missed out on Manny Machado, Patrick Corbin, and Bryce Harper, despite rumors that they were actively involved in discussions.
The scary part about the Dodgers is last year, they were reported to have offered a shorter-term contract at four-years, averaging an incredible $45 million per year to Bryce Harper.
If Friedman is really in on Donaldson over the next couple of years, he could blow everyone else out of the water with a ridiculous annual average and take the prized third baseman.
The Nationals
The Nationals have lost Rendon from a World Series Championship team and are likely seeking Donaldson’s services for two reasons. One, fill the hole at third created by Rendon. Two, make the Braves take a step back in the division.
Related Story. Braves need to offer 4-year deal to Donaldson. light
Atlanta is extremely incentivized to bring Donaldson back to force the hole at third on the Nationals. The Braves are the defending NL-East Champions and currently have two of the games’ brightest stars – Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies – at $1MM salary for 2020.
If overpaying for Donaldson also creates a deficit for the Nationals, then the overpayment might be worth it.
Fallback options for the Nationals are reported to include Maikel Franco and Starlin Castro. If the Braves land Donaldson and the Nats have one of those two guys at third…Advantage Braves.
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What do you think? Will the Dodgers swoop in and end the NL-East’s bid for Josh Donaldson? What will the Braves pay and how much is too much? So many questions remain! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!