Josh Donaldson gets $23 million from Braves; Atlanta gets a former MVP with minimal risk

Gabe Lacques USA TODAY

Published 3:44 PM EST Nov 26, 2018

Josh Donaldson will get paid handsomely to re-establish his value. The Atlanta Braves get the 2015 American League MVP with a significant chance to upgrade their third base position with virtually no risk.

Donaldson and the Braves found common cause on Monday when player and team reached agreement on a one-year, $23 million contract.

A baseball official with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed that Donaldson and the Braves are in agreement. The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet finalized.

Donaldson, who turns 33 on Dec. 8, was a three-time All-Star in four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and won the 2015 AL MVP Award, when he posted a .939 OPS and drove in a league-leading 123 runs.

From 2013 to 2016, Donaldson finished fourth, eighth, first and fourth in AL MVP voting, though as a late bloomer, that meant he'd hit the free agent market at an advanced age.

Sure enough, injuries caught up to him in 2017-18, when he was limited to 88 games over two seasons.

His diminished value equaled significant opportunity for the Braves.

The Braves also agreed to terms with catcher Brian McCann, who returns to his original club and will share receiving duties with incumbent Tyler Flowers.

Coming off a surprise National League East title, the Braves can apply all of the $11 million from Nick Markakis' expiring contract to Donaldson. They maintain payroll flexibility going forward, with just three players under contract in 2020.

Donaldson's agreement with Atlanta was first reported by The Athletic. Donaldson attended Auburn and grew up in Pensacola, Florida.

His $23 million salary equals the amount the Blue Jays paid him in his final season of arbitration eligibility, before an Aug. 31 trade to the Cleveland Indians. Now, he can try to equal or better that salary when he hits the market again in 2019.

Contributing: Bob Nightengale

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