Josh Donaldson Heading To Washington Nationals
Josh Donaldson is heading to the Washington Nationals, it would appear.
The Nationals came into the offseason hoping to retain Anthony Rendon. Unfortunately, the star third baseman opted to sign with the Los Angeles Angels.
As a result, Washington has reportedly shifted gears and is now making an aggressive play for Donaldson.
According to Jon Heyman, the Nationals are one of multiple teams trying to vie for Donaldson’s services.
“Nats are in heavy on Donaldson,” Heyman tweeted out.
“Braves likely get last call but Washington is aggressive.
“Nats were still in on Rendon after Strasburg, so they would seem to have the $. JD in great position but question is: Will he hit $100M? Rangers, Dodgers, Phillies, Twins also linked to JD.”
Nats are in heavy on Donaldson. Braves likely get last call but Washington is aggressive. Nats were still in on Rendon after Strasburg, so they would seem to have the $. JD in great position but question is: Will he hit $100M? Rangers, Dodgers, Phillies, Twins also linked to JD
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 16, 2019
Last year, the 34-year-old made the bold decision to sign a one-year, $23 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. The idea was that he would rehabilitate his reputation after a bad year and then cash in.
And the plan worked perfectly.
Donaldson hit 37 home runs and had a .900 OPS for the eventual division champs.
It is unclear precisely how much Donaldson wants, but Rendon’s seven-year, $245 million likely serves as a good bench mark.
Donaldson presumably also wants something in the $35 million per year range, but over a shorter amount of time since he is four years older.
Will the Nationals ultimately be able to close the deal with Donaldson? Obviously nothing is guaranteed, but is increasingly starting to look that way.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.