Braves to sign Josh Donaldson to one-year deal
Josh Donaldson is reportedly closing in on a deal with a new team as he seeks to revive his career.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Atlanta Braves are nearing a one-year contract with free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson.
#Braves showing strong interest in free-agent 3B Josh Donaldson, sources tell The Athletic. Close to finalizing one-year deal, per @StevePhillipsGM.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 26, 2018
It’s a fairly low-risk, high-reward deal for the Braves, who aren’t on the hook for any long-term commitment here. It’s also a nice opportunity for Donaldson to prove he can still be healthy and effective for a season before going back into free agency for a potential multi-year deal while still getting a nice payday in 2018. He played in just 52 games in 2018, hitting only .246 as he spent most of the season sidelined due to a lingering calf strain. Atlanta is clearly betting on him staying healthy and rediscovering some of the form that made him the 2015 AL MVP.
It’s an interesting sign for the market that Donaldson is settling for a one-year deal in November, though his circumstances are unique. We’ll see if this is a one-off or a sign of things to come for some of his peers.