Anthony Rendon, coming off a third-place finish in the NL MVP voting and a World Series title at only 29 years old, will cash in with a long-term, high-dollar contract this offseason.
He’ll deserve every penny. But not every playoff contender with a need at third base is willing to pay the price it will take to land Rendon — even though, again, he’s worth it. For those teams looking for secondary options, Josh Donaldson is available.
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After a couple of years with injury issues — he played a total of 165 games in 2017-18 — Donaldson signed a one-year deal with the Braves last offseason and was a star once again. He played 155 games, swatted 37 homers, posted a 127 OPS+ and a 6.1 bWAR in his Age 33 season. He’s proven he’s worth a multi-year deal, though at 33 it will likely be three or four years, maximum, not the seven or eight Rendon could get. Like Rendon, though, Donaldson does come with draft-pick compensation.
So which teams are/should be interested? Let’s take a look.
Braves
Why this makes sense: Donaldson was pretty much everything the Braves could have hoped for during his (so far) one-season stay with the club, and having him back in the middle of a dynamic lineup — and playing solid defense at third base — would be a big help in their push for a deeper run into October. They won’t be able to lure Donaldson back with another high-dollar one-year deal, though, and it’s a real question whether they’ll choose to spend a bunch of free-agent dollars on a reunion.
Rangers
Why this makes sense: The Rangers need a third baseman, after Cooperstown-bound Adrian Beltre’s retirement. But Donaldson’s going to be 34, and the Rangers might be a year or two away from legitimate playoff contention. They’d have to sell him on their rebuilding efforts being closer to fruition.
Phillies
Why this makes sense: Maikel Franco has been Philly’s primary third baseman the past four years, but he wasn’t good in 2019 — .234 average, 80 OPS+, minus-0.8 bWAR — and there’s very little chance he’ll be with the club when spring training rolls around. He’ll be traded or released. Even though the Phillies have other pressing needs this offseason — hi, elite free-agent pitchers! — Donaldson makes a lot of sense. At 34, he won’t command a deal longer than three years, which is reasonable. And based on what he did last year for the Braves — he hit six homers and had 16 RBIs in 18 games vs. Philly in 2019, btw — he’s clearly still an impact player at the plate and with the glove.
Nationals
Why this makes sense: If the Nationals can’t work out a long-term deal to bring Anthony Rendon back to D.C., they could do much worse than a short-term deal with Donaldson. If Donaldson wants to find a new home quickly, though — remember, he signed with the Braves last offseason before the end of November — this might not work.
Cardinals
Why this makes sense: To be honest, it really doesn’t. The Cardinals have been connected to Donaldson, and he makes sense in a vacuum. But the reality is they already have two third-base options who won’t/can’t be moved: veteran Matt Carpenter and 2019 rookie phenom Tommy Edman. And even though Donaldson, who turns 34 in December and is coming off a 37-homer season, would be an upgrade, remember that the Cardinals just gave Carpenter a two-year extension last spring — when he was coming off a 36-homer year, heading into his Age 33 season — and that didn’t go well at all. The logjam at third, along with the hesitancy based on the Carpenter situation, is almost certainly enough to keep them out of the bidding.
White Sox
Why this makes sense: The White Sox could shift Yoan Moncada from third base to second base — vastly upping their production from the position — and bring Donaldson in to play the hot corner. That would be a big upgrade, and having the intensely competitive Donaldson in the still-young Sox clubhouse could help the youngsters learn how to win.
Dodgers
Why this makes sense: Third base at Dodger Stadium has belong to Justin Turner for quite a while now, but he's 35 and has only one year remaining on his current deal. If the Dodgers decide Donaldson is their ideal third baseman, Turner could play first or even second as the Dodgers shift pieces around to find the right mix.
