Effective 2:22PM on August 29th, the New York Yankees have officially announced the release of Josh Donaldson.
BREAKING TWEET:
Quick Recap and Reaction:
Josh Donaldson is a former MVP who came to the New York Yankees as the biggest part (contract wise) in the infamous Minnesota Twins trade ahead of the 2022 season. In that deal, the Yankees sent catcher Gary Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela to Minnesota for infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, catcher Ben Rortvedt, and third baseman Josh Donaldson.
In the moment, the trade was interesting as the Yankees were acquiring a former MVP, who- to be fair- was still producing very promising numbers on both sides of the ball, a stopgap shortstop, and a future catching option for a catcher who was mired in disregard from the fans and a third baseman who was slowly falling away from a career season two years prior. In the moment, the trade addressed needs and could be defended.
And then, Josh Donaldson went from a career 135 OPS+ hitter and a 128 OPS+ hitter with Minnesota to a 91 OPS+ hitter in New York. And Ben Rortvedt was traded as damaged goods. And IKF was a disaster at shortstop (though, he has earned the respect of fans this season in a utility role).
Josh Donaldson's regression from being a top-tier caliber player to being a below-average hitter happened almost instantaneously after arriving with the Yankees. And, his attitude and style of play while performing to a level far below the expectations set for him, quickly soured fans on the trade (especially given how beloved Gio Urshela became) and turned on Donaldson.
A common sight to be had with Donaldson over the past two seasons was that of a aging player admiring his own perceived abilities with the hitting of a long fly ball...for it to miss the outfield seats by many feet and ending up as only a single. And, in this season alone if the ball didn't clear the seats, he almost didn't get a hit (of his 15 hits, 10 were home runs).
In the recent weeks and months, it has also come out that the New York Yankees were well aware of how Donaldson's clubhouse presence was a net negative with the Minnesota Twins. And yet, they still traded for a player entering his late-30's who was making $25 Million per year.
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Yankees fans will be extremely happy to hear this news. As am I.
Josh Donaldson was not the type of player that the Yankees needed to bring in, and yet he was their perfect player at the same time. He was a player so backed up by the advanced metrics and statcast and background that at the time shined very bright. And then, like so many other aging veterans that the Yankees continue to bring in, he disappointed.
And without Donaldson, the calls for a regime change from the manager up to the very top (i.e. Brian Cashman) would not be as loud today as they otherwise would have. And, it will ultimately go down as a good thing. This deal will hopefully play a major role in the move to rid Cashman, Boone, and many others of their duties with the team. The Josh Donaldson should be the beginning of a new movement forward.
That isn't to say I'm pleased with how this has turned out. Quite the opposite, and I wish that the Yankees never made the trade in the first place. This deal has hindered the Yankees mightily as it took away two solid years of competing for a World Series while Aaron Judge was cheap, Gerrit Cole was in his prime, and Giancarlo Stanton could still hit. The ripple effect of this deal will not end any day soon either.
If the desire was to get rid of Gary Sanchez, the Yankees could have easily non-tendered him a contract at the time, while not giving up on a solid (and cheap) third base option in Gio Urshela. During that same offseason- had the Yankees been proactive- they could've gone after a name like Corey Seager (a perfect fit at the time), Marcus Semien, or a guy like Carlos Correa (as frustrating as it would have been to try and root for him, and who the Yankees helped the Twins get by taking on all of the money owed to Donaldson). Any of those players would've made a great fit on the Yankees.
As always, I very rarely root against players as people (unless they do horrific things) and I hold the same feelings towards Josh Donaldson. His story to get to the MLB and become great is inspiring and I recommend this video by the YouTube channel, "Baseball Doesn't Exist". However, as a fan, I am happy that the Yankees are making the proper move to rid themselves of a negative asset.
Below are two highlight videos of some of Josh Donaldson's best moments as a Yankee. Feel free to include your own in the comments.
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And, here's a classy gesture from Donaldson himself with a message from his Twitter:
