During his peak, from 2013 to 2017, Josh Donaldson was a force to be reckoned with.
Not only did he have game-changing power, but he was also capable of hitting for a high batting average and working a lot of walks.
He was, in short, one of the best hitters in MLB in those years with the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays.
But decline happens for everyone: Father Time is still undefeated.
Now, Donaldson will turn 38 in December and it seems he can’t get his batting average above .200.
He hit .142 with the New York Yankees and .169 with the Milwaukee Brewers in short stints in 2023: his season was abbreviated by constant lower-body injuries.
He hasn’t been able to crack the .700 OPS threshold in 2022 and 2023, but he states, per Talkin’ Baseball, he still wants to play in 2024.
Josh Donaldson says he has more year in him pic.twitter.com/Jb3OAaiuLk
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 21, 2023
He said he wants to “go out on a good note”.
That means staying healthy, first and foremost, then having a good walk season.
Both things happening at the same time are unlikely, but certainly not impossible.
A team probably won’t have to pay much to find out, so there is a path for him to sign a major league deal and prove himself in spring training.
If health is on his side, we will surely see some power: he hit 13 home runs in 51 games between the Yanks and Brewers this past season, although they came at the expense of his average: he finished at .152.
He is still a factor with the glove and has experience, which will at least guarantee some offers coming his way.
Let’s see what the market has in store for him.
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