Josh Donaldson Signs Contract With Twins

The last very big Major League Baseball free agent is officially off the board. Third baseman Josh Donaldson has agreed to sign a contract with the Minnesota Twins that will pay him $92 million over four years. However, he can earn more than $100 million if he reaches incentives that are included in the contract. Donaldson had a very good season last year for the Atlanta Braves after being injured for most of the 2018 season. However, he is now 32 years old. Therefore, giving him a contract that is four years long is not without risk.

The Twins set the record for the most home runs hit during a season last year. Scoring runs was not a problem for them. The quality of their pitching left a lot to be desired. Therefore, many fans of the team thought that the $92 million they spent on Donaldson would have been better spent on a starting pitcher. It will be interesting to see how the American League Central division plays out this year. The Twins won the division last year. The Cleveland Indians have not done anything to improve their team at all. Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox are vastly improved after signing several key free agents. The Indians had dominated the division. Now it seems that the balance of power has shifted.

Josh Donaldson has been one of the better players in baseball over the past seven years. He won the Most Valuable Player award with the Toronto Blue Jays. Along with his excellent power, he draws a lot of walks and plays excellent defense. The bad news for the Twins is that he is signing his contract at an age when most players have a decline in their numbers. He might put up very good numbers for the first two years of this contract. However, the final two years might be filled with injuries and lackluster production from him.

The Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals were the other two teams that were both in hot pursuit of Donaldson. It was rumored that they both had contract offers of four years that they had presented to him. The Nationals are in desperate need of a third baseman after Anthony Rendon departed as a free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Angels for a contract of over $200 million. Overall, signing Donaldson is a good move for the Twins.