The Washington Nationals appear to be the favorite to sign Josh Donaldson after they lost Anthony Rendon in free agency, but there are still multiple teams pursuing the star third baseman. One team that is still in the mix is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While teams may be concerned that the Nationals are going to drive the price for Donaldson too high, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Dodgers are still involved.
On the Donaldson market: #Dodgers still in, but teams in bidding fear #Nationals will go big on either a four-year deal or three-year contract with a high AAV. A four-year deal would extend through Donaldson’s age 37 season.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 17, 2019
Donaldson has tremendous power and could improve any lineup, but the Dodgers would have to do some shuffling to accommodate him. Justin Turner, who is entering the final year of his contract, would likely have to shift to the right side of the infield if LA signs Donaldson.
Teams are more comfortable giving Donaldson a deal with a high average annual value that spans as few years as possible, as he is already 34. He hit 37 homers and had a .900 OPS in his lone season with the NL East champion Atlanta Braves, but he can’t expect to get anything close to the seven years and $245 million Anthony Rendon, as Rendon is only 29.
With the way things are heading, it would be a surprise if Donaldson got anything less than $100 million over three or four years. He has already spent some serious coin this offseason for a very good reason, but he knows he is about to become even richer. The Nationals are helping him get there whether they end up signing him or not.
