Blue Jays reportedly planning to keep Josh Donaldson

Teams continue to check in with Toronto about Josh Donaldson, but it sounds like the Blue Jays are not inclined to trade him.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Tuesday that the St. Louis Cardinals have spoken with the Jays about Donaldson during the Winter Meetings. But he says it seems like the Jays are intent on keeping the former MVP.

#STLCards have spoken with #BlueJays about Donaldson at meetings, sources tell The Athletic. No indication a deal is close. To this point, Jays seemingly bullish about keeping Donaldson, looking to add. GM Atkins mentioned Jay Bruce, CarGo as possible fits to reporters today.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 12, 2017

Donaldson, 32, is entering his final year of arbitration and then will become a free agent after next season. There is thinking that it might be in Toronto’s best long-term interests to trade Donaldson now when they can get a big haul for him rather than wait to lose him in free agency. However, the team probably is intent on keeping him and trying to compete in 2018. They likely figure that at worst, if they’re doing poorly as of mid-season, they can still trade him before the deadline and get a nice return if need be.

Either way, expect to see plenty of Donaldson rumors throughout the year.