Recent reports have indicated that Josh Donaldson’s reps have been pushing their asking price toward $110MM over a four-year term, and it now seems as if at least one bidder is preparing to push their chair back from the table. The Twins have grown ’pessimistic’ about their chances of acquiring the veteran third baseman, according to a report from Phil Miller of The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, citing sources close to the negotiations.
It may not be accurate to position this development as the result of Minnesota’s disinclination toward spending at a certain level—rather, Donaldson may simply have another preferred destination in mind, with the Braves and Nationals reported as two other clubs that have made four-year offers. Miller’s sources indicate that Donaldson “has not appeared interested in signing with Minnesota, and the team has begun investigating other options.”
Concerning the Donaldson sweepstakes, specifically, perhaps this news represents the ripple before the big splash. Donaldson has reportedly drawn a line in the sand as to the deal he’s seeking and may currently be taking his pick of offers structured with a similar AAV setup. In addition to the possibly counted-out Twins, the Braves, and the Nationals, front offices in Texas and Chavez Ravine may also be keeping a direct line to agent Dan Lozano.
Like the Dodgers with Justin Turner, the Twins have a proven option at third in Miguel Sano. Their Donaldson pursuit may have always more been about value proposition—Donaldson’s deal promises to be balance sheet-friendly compared to Anthony Rendon, after all—and they may simply have been unwilling to pay top dollar for a relative roster luxury. Still, one gets the sense that the club entered the offseason with ample cap room and a reported intention of securing, at the least, top-shelf acquisitions in the pitching department. The club still looks to be in good shape entering ’20, but their retirement from the Donaldson race would represent one more avenue toward roster improvement rendered closed, for the time being.
Turns out baseball players hate the Cold Minnesota Summers.
Stop. Turns out players want to get paid and Minnesota doesn’t want to pay them. This excuse comes out of Minnesota literally every time
Lol yea prob want to get paid …. but cold awful place to live doesn’t help.
I mean. That’s fine. But the twins have said this about literally every single free agent for the last two years. There’s a 0% chance that 100% of players have Minnesota on their “no way, no how” list, even after they won 101 games. It’s just… not true.
I wouldn’t knock Minneapolis that much unless you’ve been there. It’s actually a pretty decent and underrated city. It can be cold for some of April, but otherwise Minneapolis has good weather during the season.
It’s actually a great place to live and summers are nice. Also, Gant was out :p
Summers in Minneapolis are magnificent, far better than Atlanta. I’ve lived in both and you surely have not!
The cold weather excuse for why he doesn’t want to sign with the Twins is silly. He played in Toronto and prospered.
It’s a fine place to live. I’ve been there many times and have family there. Atlanta isn’t amazing by any means, but I’ll take the warmer atl any day, over any snow. Plus the burbs in atlanta are unreal.
Exactly, I grew up in northern Michigan and summer is fantastic up in those areas. I remember them well, usually they fall on 10th to 17th of July. Lol
Salarycapmyth, there is a big difference with playing in Minnesota with an open stadium and in Toronto that is a dome in the first five to six weeks of the season. Here in Chicago, the weather is brutal in the first month of the season. One can imagine how cold it gets in Minnesota. I believe the Twins had to postseason a series against the White Sox due to a blizzard.
It’s a great place for summers, it’s just that their summers are weeks shorter on each end of that season
Roof.
Amen to that
As opposed to a hot awful place to live like Atlanta.
A bit of a difference in playing/practicing in a dome vs outdoors.
Toronto is further South than the twin cities.
@SalaryCapMyth:
Wasn’t it you that disputed me on the other post (the one about the Twins making JD a 4 year offer) when I said that he was never going to sign with the Twins? I said that he made it obvious he wanted to stay with the Braves and the Nationals spend more $ so it was very obvious it was going to come down to those 2 teams. You pointed out the fact that the Twins owner was one of the wealthiest American sports owners and implied that meant he might easily outspend both the Braves and the Nats. I said JD would either go where the money is or his heart is (the Braves) and that the Twins would fall short of that only leaving the Nats and Braves as options. I literally predicted this exact thing happening (which was stated in this article) and you basically implied I was stupid. I’m not usually this petty but since I was so exactly right (that it would come down to the Braves) and you were so exactly wrong (that the Twins might actually beat both of those 2 teams out and sign him) in addition to the fact that you attacked my logic at the time and implied that anyone who thought I was right was stupid (including myself), I have to be petty now and say: You were wrong. I was right. You were the one using stupid logic. I was the one using sound logic. The Twins were never gonna actually sign Donaldson because they were never going to make the stand alone top offer and that is what it would take to pull him away from the team he really wants to play for (the Braves). Only the Nats could do that. Not the cheap Twins. It doesn’t even bother me so much that you implied my logic was unsound and stupid as it does that you implied the same thing about people that agreed with me in comments to my original post.
Okay. My rant is over but justified. I am sure you are a great person and I don’t want to turn this into an angry rivalry bad mouthing situation. There is too much of that in this world (especially on the internet) and I am sure we would probably be friends if we ever met in real life. It’s just not often that someone calls you out for being wrong when you hit the nail on the head and predict it exactly right, so I had to take advantage of that.
You guys make it sound like if he signed with the twins they will force him to stay their for the winter. Just like every other professional baseball player, he will live and train in the offseason wherever he wants. The beginning and end of the season might be a little cold, but I’d bet the summer there is pretty pleasant (never been there other than the airport so I’ll take other people’s word for it). As for the comment about him playing in Toronto, the jays play in a dome. One thing to go from the stadium to you car in the cold, another to have to play in it.
Hate to be the party pooper on the “my place is nicer than your hellhole debate” but when one is a multimillionaire, just about any place in the US is nice. Nobody is shoveling through the winters in MN, or sleeping in homeless camps in ATL in midsummer.
I guarantee MN is beautiful during the baseball season, save for six weeks; but remember , they also travel during that time.
Atlanta’s nickname is “Hotlanta” for a reason. It’s not unbearable, but it’s certainly nasty for the majority of the baseball season.
Minneapolis/St. Paul and their suburbs are almost always in the top 5 best places to live in the United States. That’s in contrast to Atlanta being known as one of the worst places to live.
I’m not a huge fan of Minnesota, but give credit where it’s due.
Toronto has a climate control dome. Minnesota does not, they have been snowed out before, the Braves have never been cancelled due to snow.??? I really wish teams with bad weather in April, September and October would build retractable roof stadiums. Didn’t understand why the Twins would go away from that and why the Yanks didn’t do it with there new stadium.
@martras:
You don’t have a clue what you are talking about. I have lived in Atlanta over 90% of my life. This place has the most temperate climate I have ever been in. It is not called “Hotlanta” because of the weather AT ALL. Tons of proffessional athletes that play in Atlanta never move their families out because it is a great place to live. Even more athletes that never played in Atlanta still live here because it is a great place to live. The one knock on Atlanta is that it is a boring place to visit or vacation if you aren’t staying with someone who knows the city. You are telling me that it is hot here while my fingers are so cold outside that I can barely type this to you. Atlanta gets cold and hot like any other place. That is only if you consider 85 degrees hot without humidity and 50 degrees cold with almost no wind chill. If you want to know why people really call it “Hotlanta” I will tell you. I’m not gonna bring it up here but if you ask because you really want to know, I can enlighten you. Atlantans coined the term “Hotlanta” and it had nothing to do with temperature. If you want to know why athelets favor Atlanta as their home, look at my next link.
I’ve known people that lived in ATL or in the surrounding areas like Henry Co. I’ve heard nothing but great things about that place. I’ve also been told that ATL has some of the nicest suburbs in the US.
I reiterate, when you’re a millionaire who plays in every state, hot and cold, where you live is going to be nice. Baseball players play for the most money they can, most of the time. Occasionally, with few relative exceptions, do top FA or players in their twilight years choose a place they love or close to home.
I believe money is the most common deciding factor.
A real standup guy would have just moved on…
It’s definitely a great place to eat
Maybe they dont want to eat the last 2 years of his Must Get 4 year contract
Weather comes down to personal preference. To me, Minny would be awful to live in. I hate cold, snow… Just all of it. Love the hot summer days.
Atlanta is an amazing city, however.
You forget they are 1 year removed from 78 wins. Twins fans act as if they’ve been dominating for years. Heck the team is three years removed from a 59 win season. They had a good year, but most team projections show regression. As constructed, they are not a 100 win team.
You should talk Hot muggy Atlanta. Minnesota is beautiful. Nothing wrong with the State, Twins ownership on the other hand. are running a business., There goal is to make the most money possible every year. Winning is nice but not a priority.
Atlanta is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, that would not be the case if it were so awful. You really need to do some research before post stupid comments.
Standupguy ever hear of the word “paragraph”. You wasted all that time writing the eyesore that no one is reading
Minnie a beautiful place with great people.
Twins a highly regarded MLB franchise.
But one of the highest state tax rates in the nation.
EXACTLY !!
The spirit of Carl (Mr. Cheap) Pohlad is alive and well in current Twins ownership !!
Sorry, I don’t see any one of those teams giving Donaldson a 4/100 million contract especially at the age of 34. Makes more sense to trade for Bryant presumably at 2/37 million. It’s not rocket science
It’s a bargain
Sure is. You could be stuck with Joey Votto, Nolan Arenado or one of the other ‘bargains’ out there.
Braves will go 100
n2northsiders: Even though Theo would prefer trading Kris Bryant to an AL team it’s tough trying to see a match involving the Cubs and Twins. Both teams are contenders in their respective divisions and each need more pitching to solidify their chances in 2020.
Perhaps the Cubs think they can fix Byron Buxton because his tools in CF, at the plate and on the bases are just what the team needs to solve their leadoff woes since the departure of Dexter Fowler following their 2016 World Series championship. Unfortunately, Buxton has yet to live up to his 5-tool #1 prospect rating in his 5-year Twins career which has been plagued with injuries and inconsistency.
That said, Buxton just turned 26 last month and is entering his first of three arbitration eligible season before he can become a free agent in 2023. Along with his other elite attributes, Buxton was also a high OBP hitter in the Twins minor league system before struggling to get on base in the big leagues.
A healthy Buxton could still become a premium all-around CF and at worst might be the second coming of Jason Heyward in Chicago, a Gold Glove caliber defender with excellent base running skills who just can’t maximize his hitting tools at the MLB level. At least Buxton won’t cost the Cubs huge dollars like Heyward has and would save them plenty in a swap for Bryant’s expected 2020 arbitration salary. The big question to the Cubs is the cost of losing Bryant’s production in 2020 and whether they can recoup that with a trade to Minnesota or any other interested team this offseason.
Bryant to Minnesota would be costing the Twins more then just Buxton… More like Royce/Buxton..
Or quintanna for Buxton which is a nice change of scenery for both players
Also both teams are looking for young arms, which both are very limited on, doubt a deal gets made between them
No one will offer squat for Buxton until he proves he can recover his hitting ability after the extensive labrum repair he had done on his shoulder, and that’s no gimme.
If that were true every player would take less to play for the Padres. They don’t.
BS, Minnesota has made numerous offers to a number of free agents..
The dollar demand is just crazy for some of these FA, just ask teams like the Cubs, Red Sox and NNY who are all trying to dump some of those Contracts !
Making an offer is one thing.
Making a SERIOUS offer and entering into a SERIOUS courtship of a player sufficient enough to warrant his serious consideration of your offer is quite another.
Time and time again in their pursuit of free agents, the Twins are also-rans allowing them to tell their fans, ” Gosh we made an offer but the player just went in a different direction, SORRY”.
Remember, the Pohlads own and run the team. Just like their: transit, banking and bottling businesses, the Twins are run for a PROFIT, not as an expensive hobby. Check out the family’s wealth; they have adequate resources to allow them to outbid ANY TEAM for any number of players. They just don’t want to..
So, when you look to see what free agent player was brought in to play the corner infield for the 2020 season you will see the likes of :
1B = Matt Adams, Yonder Alonzo, Lucas Duda, Mitch Moreland, Logan Morrison, Steve Pearce, Eric Thames, Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe, Mark Reynolds, Martin Prado,.
3B = Chestor Cuthbert, Matt Duffy, Todd Frazier, Josh Harrison, Brock Holt, jung Ho Kang, Eduardo Nunez, Hernan Perez, Sean Rodriguez, Pablo Sandoval, Cory Spangenberg.
FEEL BETTER NOW ????
Don’t worry, all the money saved in settling for one or more of these players will be taken by the Pohlads and used to add to their accumulated financial wealth.
(Loud Pohlad laugh at the gullibility and stupidity of Twins fans).
The Pohlads do have a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$
Phantomofdb: Perfect assessment. Plain and simple this ownership is NOT interested in assembling the pieces to win a World Series. Is $110 mill too much too spend for 4 years for Donaldson. Logically, maybe that answer is yes. Saying that, would Donaldson help this team in 2020 and 2021…….100% yes!.For those upset with this decision I would ask you 1 question: What would make you think this deal was EVER going to happen?? What evidence from the Pohlad style of management would make you think we were EVER a serious contender for Donaldson. For those fans so upset by this , you must be the the type that TRULY believes Lucy is actually going to HOLD the ball to let Charlie Brown kick it. Get a grip. SOS with this team. Never, never willing to take a risk when big $$ are needed to bring in an impact player.
He’s politely sharing with the GM that it’s time to focus a little more on pitching. Not 100% sure though.
The Twins were in the negotiations to help run the price up.
Donaldson can play in Atlanta which he enjoyed and is near his home. Not sure if the Nationals are serious of if they’re running up the price to cut into the Braves budget. If they’re serious, Donaldson can go with the Champions and play in front of what may well be the best fans in America. He could possibly head out to LA and play for the team that made the WS 2 of the last 3 years. And maybe even Dallas.
Seriously – the Twin Cities? He has no connection there and his salary will tie up that franchises budget for 4 years – limiting any more free agency, or even paying existing quality players.
IMO the Twins were never a player.
Since when are the fans in DC the best fans in America? I’d make the case (easily) that there are a few teams ahead of them in that category, easily.
100% vtncsc. I’m not a fan of any of these teams, but St. Louis, Boston and the Yankees all strike me as better fanbases, just to start. When they’re good, the Nat’s neighbor up there in Baltimore might have a better base.
Lol Yankees fans are terrible. The average yankee fan couldn’t name a single player on another team
Phantom, you’re reaching. Besides, best and most knowledgeable are two entirely different things. Do Yankees fans fill stadiums? Yes. Do they travel? Yes. Do they support their players. Yes, mostly. Some guys get crushed there, but NY isn’t for everyone. Again, not a Yankee fan, either. Just trying to be unbiased.
Bruh. Can someone explain to me the humidity up there in the summer? I spend my summers in OC and can’t comprehend how miserably it is. I’ve lived in Dallas in the summer so I know a little bit bout humidity. Thoseee lakes must make it unbelievably harsh.
The humidity is harsh. The mosquitoes the size of birds don’t help either. It’s muggy and swamp like in the summer and frozen in the winter. You really have to enjoy the distinct and harsh seasons to live there.
Give Josh another ten million to spend on Zillow and Minnesota will be his favorite place to play.
Seriously? Contrary to popular belief MN is not Antarctica. I can’t imagine how hitting in the Twins lineup is not appealing to any hitter.
It’s ridiculous to assume Donaldson doesn’t want to live/play in Minnesota. Just gossip and fans projecting their feelings towards a player. The majority of the time these things are just about money.
Their lineup isn’t the issue, it’s the horrible pitching.
This. Sure the order is great, but their pitching is thin. Atlanta and DC give him a better chance to win. I don’t think the Twins couldn’t win the bid based on geography. I think to do so they’d have to significantly top Atlanta or Washington’s offers, though.
I heard they have heaters and everything there.
Glancing at the Twins staff, I don’t think you’d see as many “heaters” as you’ve been lead to believe.
Big mistake not building another dome – retractable!
The summers in Minnesota are not cold. I don’t know who told you that. Maybe that was sarcasm on your part, as the Nick Punto nom de plume indicates you probably are from that state. As an individual who has lived in cities in every region of the country and visited many others, I would put Minneapolis in the top two or three major cities to live in the country. And with Global Weirding going on, it will probably get warmer and warmer.
I would much rather live in Minneapolis than in DC. , Baltimore, Philly, St. Louis, Detroit, New York, L.A., San Francisco, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Oakland if I was a player that actually had input on where I could play, but it has nothing to do with the weather.
Cleveland rocks! Especially the suburbs around there. As a bonus, less radical Somalis than Minneapolis.
@megaj
Good for you!
I’d rather live in any of those places, sans Milwaukee, but it has nothing to do with the weather.
And unlike you, I’ve actually lived in four of those places, including where I live now.
To each their own. But that has nothin to to do with Donaldson.
Hey Max, how do you know where I have lived? I was born and raised in So-Cal, but also lived on east coast in Boston and few places in between. I have visited all of these cities with the exception of Detroit, I was just speaking from my own experience.
@suffertribe- I can’t disagree with you on that part! I saw the Indians play Red Sox during Clemen’s rookie year and the tribe beat up on him that day, maybe that’s why it left such a bad taste in my mouth as I was a big Sox fan then!
It may have more to do with a preference of where he wants to go than not liking Minneapolis.
Zack Wheeler turned down more money from White Sox to stay on East Coast.
Donaldson is from FL and went to school in Alabama, so living in Atlanta or DC may be more in line with what he prefers in terms of lifestyle.
And if the money is better, the choice is even easier.
Players don’t live here (Minnesota) in the off season. And, when the season is being played, it’s between 80-100 degrees out. It’s the tight purse strings, not the weather.
Go get Kris Bryant
What would be the return from the Twins for two years of Bryant? Genuinely curious – I’m not a Twins expert.
Any 2 or 3 from their top 10 list on MLB.com, plus one more piece gets Bryant.
No way 2 let alone 3 top 10 players would go for Bryant. That’s just plain funny.
Not funny at all
Twins system is loaded. I think you could go Lewis, Larnach, and one of their two top 50 prospect pitching prospects.
Bryant isn’t cheap and you would only be getting two years. I think 3 top 50 prospects for 2 years of MVP caliber 3b may get it done.
If I am the Cubs, I am taking that.
No way the Twins do that.
Why do fans assume the Cubs are interested in securing a prospect package for Kris Bryant? The team is a contender in the NL and especially so in the Central Division. Theo Epstein has two years remaining on his second contract as the Cubs President of Baseball Operations and there is no guarantee he will be back for a third one following the 2021 season. Bryant has similar control assuming he loses his MLB service time arbitration grievance.
I believe the Cubs will be prioritizing young MLB talent or MLB ready prospects in any trade involving Bryant. Frankly, I don’t see a great match with the Twins with each team being contenders but lacking the pitching to make them more serious threats for a league or World Series championship. Theo would prefer trading Bryant to an AL team but a deal with some potential Bryant suitors in the NL seem more likely, especially those with pitching like the Braves and Dodgers. Unless the Cubs feel they can fix CF Byron Buxton, I just don’t see a great match with the Twins, especially with the Cubs far more likely to reload than rebuild with their current front office.
They have plenty to matchup with the Cubs. Don’t get this take at all. They have guys on the ML roster that they could trade even.
Not the pitching the Cubs are seeking. Chicago is also well positioned in their lineup other than CF, maybe 2B where Nico Hoerner is their likely core player and the leadoff spot which figures to be addressed at one of those two spots. Hence, the potential for a deal involving Buxton.
Unless, of course the Twins are also willing to take RF Jason Heyward and his remaining contract off the Cubs payroll. Fat chance of that happening.
Cubs could take Buxton/Royce for Bryant … But I highly doubt Twins come off any high pitching prospects, they dont have that solid of a staff the way it stands… If cubs offered up Quintana or Hendricks then twins would probably move those too pitching prospects, but also that move would ding up cubs 2020 staff (Hendricks more than Q)
Does Minnesota have the prospects to offer up??? It’s gonna cost the Twins the farm and some MLB pitching for that to happen
@erik the twins have plenty of prospects to acquire pretty close to whomever they want, but they don’t operate that way… so it’s a moot point.
Twins won’t do that. They need like three serious bats to hit playoff pitching so dealing their farm for Bryant isn’t a sharp move.
I have to think teams are shy of trading for Bryant without knowing if they will have him for 1 year or 2, depending on how is grievance shakes out.
Agree .
There’s… um a error in paragraph 2. I don’t think you spell Donaldson like D0naldson…
Or I should say D0naldsn
It’s “an” error… if you are gonna correct, you should not make any mistakes
*going
Loving this whole thread
Umm no, that’s poor grammar versus intentionally saying gonna. I’m lovin’ it, too.
You’re just mad because you didn’t catch it first ;P
My grammar lived in Minnesota and complained about the chilly weather in early spring and late summer. DC’s a pit. JD comes back to roost with momma in ATL
“going” is spelled without an asterisk, usually.
Typically sentences begin with a capital letter.
gon·na
/ˈɡônə,ˈɡənə/
contraction
INFORMAL of “going to”.
“We’re gonna win this game”
Also the Z in Chavez Ravine
…a error.. (an error).
JD signs with Braves before the weekend is over… 4 years, $109 mil
Braves for 105 or 110 definitely not 109 lol. For that they’d just give him 110 and call it a day
Reportedly asks for $110M
Braves sign for $109M
Well played, AA.
I feel like I’ve bought some items from you on eBay.
There is a cost to the Braves not getting the compensation pick they’d receive for the QO if he signs elsewhere. Whatever value that carries will be deducted from ask. Maybe just $1m to make Impapad27’s prediction viable.
Your dreaming
No, you are dreaming; meant both ways.
If the Nats and Twins have dropped out then it’s going to be a Mystery Team or Donaldson and the Braves in a stare off for another three months.
Atlanta here we come
300 replies here we go again, “You spin me right round baby right round..”
like a record, baby.
wym
With Minnesota apparently bowing out and Washington making other moves, I wonder if Donaldson overplayed his hand.
He’s publicly said he wants to play in Atlanta
Not for $90 million.
Braves will give him $100M+
Agreed. He’s probably got the 100 million offer in hand, I’d think. If not, it wouldn’t make sense to set his demand at 110, right? My guess is Atlanta and DC are right in there at the 100 mil mark, and maybe even the Twins. If all things remain equal, given what he’s said, he returns to Atlanta. If someone ups to 110, then maybe he looks real hard in that direction.
I just hope the Braves win this!
Unlike many Twins fans who love to bemoan cheap ownership, I’m quite pleased not to be signing Donaldson at the price he’s asking.
Contracts like that can result in rebuilds down the line for franchises of our payroll size, whereas teams like the Rays and A’s have found sustainable ways of remaining competitive despite having payrolls anywhere from 30-50m less than the Twins.
MN citizens build a publicly funded stadium whose money was to go to improving the team and keeping talent and adding talent.. they didn’t approve a stadium so the owners could reap more profits and whine about spending money the public gifted them.
@someoldguy
agreed, I’m not arguing they don’t spend. I’m arguing they don’t spend on this kind of contract, the kind Oakland and Tampa have avoided and remained competitive despite a much lower payroll than ours.
Bogus argument……
Every franchise in MLB except the Giants got extensive funds to play in and maintain their parks.
All teams can’t over spend and all can’t win……
Unless expansion for 2 more teams comes. Then they’ll have 16 divisions of 2 teams. The winners of each division go to the playoffs, and the top 8 runner-up’s go as wild cards.
How many championships have Oak and TB won?
Other teams besides the Giants built their own stadiums. The Dodgers, the Yankees, and the Cubs, to name just three.
However, the Giants were the only team to trade for Evan Longoria. They do hold that distinction.
You do know Oakland has won titles right?
Yes, Oakland has won under different owners and management.
In fact, the last time Oakland was in the World Series, 1990, they had the 10th highest payroll in MLB according to USA Today.
Big mistake not building another dome – retractable!
No, Target field is pretty great as is.
When have the Twins not been rebuilding?
Last year, when they won 101 games
No kidding. Wtf? Winning 101 games is about all an ownership can do. Rest is pretty much random.
But they played .481 baseball the year before. In 2016 they played .364 baseball.
No reason to believe the Twinkies won’t lose more games than they win in 2020.
I’m not a Twins fan but I bailed around the fifth inning of Game One vs the Yankees and never looked at another inning. MLB should name a postseason mercy rule after the Twinkies.
That is embarrassing. 101 wins my a…
If you call them the Twinkies one more time I’m gonna bust your nose.
Which of course is an invitation for you to call them the Twinkies again. There, I saved the effort. Now go back in your hole.
The Yankees have double the payroll of most MLB teams…baseball is dumb
@someoldguy
agreed, I’m not arguing they don’t spend. I’m arguing they don’t spend on this kind of contract, the kind Oakland and Tampa have avoided and remained competitive despite a much lower payroll than ours.
I seem to remember 1991 the twins winning the world series over the Braves. Dont sign Donaldson they are going to use marwin Gonzalez at third. No free agents want to come there. Play with what you got. We need pitchers anyway not over priced third baseman at 34 years old.
but they didn’t spend on pitching.. after a 101 season claiming they were going to get impact pitching… they lied
Question for you, or any fan, really:
If your team won 2 of say the next 4 World Series, would a rebuild be so bad at the end of the run? I’d rather that than go 87-75 every year, with an occasional wild card berth.
Braves, Rangers and Nats are being played. One will end up overpaying by 1 year and $40 million.
Only if they don’t get to the WS
Hey, yeah, maybe this may be a slight overpay. If you’re DC or Atlanta though, isn’t paying an extra year you maybe don’t want to go worth it for a possible WS win, and more palatable than shipping off half your farm?
I don’t know why anyone would want to go to Minnesota. Donaldson’s not worth four years or $110 million anyway, so one of those unlucky teams is going to get ripped off big time. He’ll be injured half the contract and be in a sharp decline the other half.
The Braves should pull their offer immediately.
Because they have a shot at winning the World Series in the next couple years with just a couple more pieces. They have a very good core team
He’s gonna rip off your team lol
just watch
Why would anyone want to go to Georgia?? Weather up here IS tough. Keeps out the riff-raff…
…Dodger/Angels fans are laughing at both of you – if desire to play for a ball team is measured in weather. Humidity sucks almost as much as negative windchill.
How about Airports? Hotlanta’s airport is seriously a humid jungle. Minneapolis has a super nice airport.
He’s not injuy prone and has shown no sign of declining. I guess you didn’t want Chipper for the last few years of his career either?
DTD_ATL I’m going to assume you’re being sarcastic because otherwise you just posted the dumbest comment in the history of this board. Chipper missed 40 games a season or more just about every year at the end of his career, which featured a sharp decline. That’s actually a good comparison of what Donaldson would be and why the Braves shouldn’t give him a mass extension. So, hell no I didn’t want Chipper around the last few years of his career.
of course not lol
seems all their pursuits of top level talent end this way.. repeating the same plan and patterns and expecting different results are by definition crazy.. terry Ryan would be proud ” they didn’t want our money”… means they didn’t buy into your concept of a team they wanted to play on.. you know ” competitive” may be an organizational goal.. but i don’t know a single high level athlete who wants to be ” competitive”.. they play to win..
Right. Thank you. If literally every single player is telling you “wow, no thanks.” It’s NOT because your city snows more often than another city. It’s because you’re doing a bullocks job at selling the team to the players.
They should get Kyle seager
Corey good.
Kyle headed for retirement.
–
Full Name: Kyle Duerr Seager
Nicknames: Corey’s Brother
I don’t usually comment on the writing but they’ve got to proof read some of these before they’re submitted.
Bryant & Alzolay to the Twins……
Twins send their Top Five Prospects.
Is this serious lol???
Bryant is untradable due to his grievance. Arenado due to his contract.. Josh only costs you about 2-3 years of non-production for 27..5m per year.
Bryant’s situation will be clear in about 3 weeks or less.
Explain your logic behind Arenado’s contract being unmovable because it doesn’t really pass the logic test. The worse part about his contract is he has an opt out at his age 30 season so it will depress the return the Rockies can get but as far as his pay is concerned it’s a bargain compared to what happened to the 3B market this offseason. He’s a year younger then Rendon has a better track record (not a knock on Rendon) and is generally thought to be the better overall player (again not on knock on Rendon) and Rendon just got 7/245 while Arenado has 7/235. I don’t understand why you think his contract can’t be moved.
The opt out makes him a 2 year rental. If he’s playing decently he’ll opt out.
Worse yet, if he suffers a major injury within the 2 years the team with his contract is stuck with a $34-35m AAV for another 5-7 years or so – handcuffing just about anyone but the Yankees.
Your entire argument can be said about any contract, risk is baked in and inherent to the profession. You haven’t refuted anything I said and also nothing you said makes his contract unmovable, the opt out suppresses the return but many teams would love to have him.
The injury concern is nonsense and the same with any player. Bigger problem with arenado is he has a no trade clause. I could see a team, if they are able to convince him to waive his no trade, to have to sweeten the pot somehow (bonus $$, etc) or add some kind of conditions for both teams if he opts in or out. The marlins did his when they traded Stanton that if he opts in they give the Yankees additional cash.
In regards to both Arrenado and Bryant, 2 years is NOT a rental. Why do people keep saying that?
This deal is completely and totally about top dollar. He’s stretched teams to the max and all maxed out at right about the same figure. He knows he can’t get 120 so he’s simply saying whoever goes max+wins. It might seem simple if you’ve gone to 4/100 to go to 4/110 but it’s not when you’ve already gone well past your comfort level
Whoever signs JD….the price of Bryant goes up for the Losers !
Braves get Donaldson back with the beefed up pen and deep young rotation with Cole Hamels added to help mentor the Braves young LHSP Fried & Newcomb ,Plus all their top prospects still in place for use with the Braves or mid season trades , Its WS time in ATL. Come on JD wrap it up with AA and go to the WS.
Newcomb relegated to long relief but the rotation is competitive. AA will nab the JD cog for the 4 hole.4/100 will get it done end of saga.
just like they won it last year with him at 3rd
Never heard of chave ravine
If not Donaldson, the only alternatives I see are either Arenado or Slamtana.
No one is taking Arenado off the Rockies’ hands. They’ve got a weapons grade stupid contract, a la David Price, and they will get to live with it.
Agreed. The opt-out after ’21 is super scary
I would laugh if MIN passes on Donaldson and signs Todd Frazier away from Rangers.
I would cry…
It’s not our money, nor our prospects, but which makes more sense for the Twins organization? Sign Donaldson, cross our fingers for two productive years, hope to get to the WS within those 2 years, then rebuild because Donaldson’s albatross contract forced us to rebuild? OR, gut our entire prospect system to get Bryant, hope you got him for 2 years instead of one year to go for a WS title, and then sign cheap veterans for the next 4-5 years, trying to stay “competitive” until a totally rebuilt farm system starts developing young prospects? Frankly, I don’t think either is a good organizational model. I wouldn’t do either A or B.
Why would two years or Donaldson at $26M “force” any team — let alone the Twins, who have as much or more long-term flexibility as any team in MLB — into a rebuild? There is zero reason the Twins, whose only contractual commitments in 2022 and beyond are Kepler and Polanco, can’t afford a long-term deal for Donaldson.
Why do you keep talking about “long term flexibility” because so few – if any players – are on the books in the out years?
3-5-7 years from now the Twins will be paying 40 players on their 40 man roster, as well as players in their minor league system.
Your thinking is the polar opposite of how MLB FO’s are now projecting into the intermediate future. The goal of all teams is to limit long-term contracts. Just about every team has been burned by them – some have been crippled by them.
SMH, Donaldson’s contract wouldn’t make us go into rebuilding.
@scottaz- Falvey is that you? 4/110 is NOT an albatross contract & the Twins can certainly afford it. Stop buying into the propaganda.
Josh took away the Miinnesota excuse by saying hit my number… No excuses. It would be an overpay but it is revenue they have. We need new ownership OBVIOUSLY.
Could be funny if Braves are in a bidding war with themselves.
Rangers 4yrs 108 with 5th yr option
Not a chance lol.
What is Chave Ravine?
it could be the earth shattering scenario that the twins will simply take that money and get a starting pitcher, whats wrong with that? making your rotation better after winning 100+ games but getting shelled by the Yankees in 3 games, it wasn’t even close, and new York had average pitching at best
For starters there’s no FA pitchers of substance left. They HAD the chance to sign pitching & won’t pony up. They also wouldn’t budge in the Stroman trade, which works for me because we acquired SWR from the Mets instead. No wonder LIzzo never sings about the Twins.
Who are they going to get?
Twins should keep Sano at 3B & trade for Josh Bell
Love it. I’d way rather see Donaldson on an NL contender than see him on the Bomba Squad. Sheesh
If they can’t get Donaldson they should go after D0naldsn
G0od ida.
If he waits too long the teams are just going to trade for their 3B and he won’t be worth close to 100M at that point.
All BRAVES FANS: we really do overload any comment section on any website…sorry to all other fans smh♂️
Ya there really is a lot of us. We are definitely amongst the most numerous, but there is worse. Articles that concern the Yankees pack out comment sections the most.
I don’t think the Twins ever increased their original offer of 4/$90m. I just read a couple of articles and both had said the Twins had offered IN EXCESS IF $20 MILLION PER YEAR!! Which, to anyone paying attention knows that’s not going to be enough to get it done. It’s like this FO is oblivious to the fact that you have to put on your big boy pants if you truly want to sign top level talent instead of trying to lowball everyone and saying it was a good offer.
Well at least they got the pitching they needed this offseason. Ooh, wait….
Past his prime. Bringer of pain, to team that drastically overpays
As a Met fan i was really hoping he would leave the NL East. But it looks like he is gonna stay in the division…unless Texas blows him away with $120mil over 4 yrs. Nats have signed Kendrick..Cabrera and Castro…which was leading me to believe Atlanta…they have decent fall back options now.
Idk why but i still feel BVW has something up his sleeve
Lindor would be great….but if they can pry Hader feom the Brewers…thats the move id want
The Mets are going to disappoint you again
Nationals just signed 2 infielders and have kieboom waiting in the wings. 35 year old asking for too much
As a White Sox fan, I’d be happy if the Twins bowed out. No pitchers out there, not many position players, and they’ve lost several contributors from last year. Donaldson could have still all but sealed the division for them.
Donaldson would be a great get. Sometimes it’s good not to get what you want. (at least that’s what I tell my kids)
Sign with the Twins and you’ll be good for a year, and then will be an anchor on the team.
Plus, Minneapolis isn’t quite “sexy.”
Twins have a few obstacles when it comes to free agents.
We did get Bartalo
The obstacles the Twins have is
1) offering less than other teams
2) having a history of being unwilling to pay for talent so they don’t make/advance in the playoffs
2) could be a legitimate reason a player might not want to sign with the Twins. Going to a team which has demonstrated it’s unwilling to commit resources to a World Series run isn’t ideal.
gon·na
/ˈɡônə,ˈɡənə/
contraction
INFORMAL of “going to”.
“We’re gonna win this game”
Twins front office is clueless
101 wins and an upper shelf farm system sure doesn’t seem “clueless”. Unlike Nats and Braves, MN doesn’t have a glaring opening at 3B. Sure, why not explore an upgrade. But Sano is still there. So is Marwin. They’re covered for now. With a thin FA pool remaining, trade talks for an impact player or two, at any position, are probably underway now.
JD to Texas shouldn’t happen. They have Josh Jung (their #1 prospect and 3B) on deck unless they use him in their chips to trade for Arenado. Otherwise they sign Frazier and ATL wins their own bidding war for JD.
I think Donaldson is just out here F’n with the NL east teams that want him… Dragging this out so phillies and nats miss out on other opportunities waiting on him… Think the Nats figured that out and snagged up what they could…but the entire time JD used them to drive his price up but was always going back to ATL… Real winner Josh Donaldson for driving up his $$$… 2nd place Braves, for all their competition waiting and missing out on others… Losers, everyone who wanted JD
And if Twins-Cubs make a deal
Cubs get Royce Lewis,Byron Buxton,Jhoan Duran,Jordan Balazovic
Twins get Kris Bryant,Jose Quintanna
Twins aren’t trading for Bryant.
The types of players described in the previously proposed “offers” for Bryant would be more in line to offer for Thor or Degrom. Cubs thought Quintana was worth giving up Eloy, so they should keep him. And a Bryant rental isn’t worth clearing out a farm.
Of course, i know…what was i thinking, ugh… Yes go get deGrom, back to back cy young winner cause the mets are just itching to trade him, especially for prospects, every one knows prospects are more valuable than proven MLB all stars… Maybe mets would throw in Alonso if Twins throw in Nick Gordon, now we are thinkin!!!
Why would Twins want Quintana? He’s a lefty version of Kyle Gibson. Get real.
Just GREED on JD — playing teams off against one another — 2 yrs with club option on 3 and no buyout but we all know that wont happen — so Atlanta will pay the 4 yrs and then will have to pay Freddie Freeman and even bigger deal
Twins need to focus on pitching. Bullpen & rotation.
A Duffy/Kennedy package or go for Shark or Cueto from the Giants. There are options out there but yet they waste time going for Donaldson when their offense didn’t need him and they already have a 3B.
“But sources with knowledge of the negotiations say Donaldson has not appeared interested in signing with Minnesota,”
Are these the same *sources* that said Ryu wanted to play on the west coast when he never said that?
He wasn’t interested because they offered 4/$190m and didn’t raise it.
He’s probably sign at 4/190…just guessing
*4/$90
yes. Guarantee it’s the exact same “sources”
Maybe they can try for an Andujar trade?
Miguel Andújar is probably a worse defender at 3B than Miguel Sanó although he is two years younger and not as large.
Twins did themselves a favor by not signing him. He obviously doesn’t want to play there and at 34 and his injury history they need to pass. Disappointing they didn’t get any pitching. Sounds like they again went cheap.
Nats are likely less hot on Donaldson now with their recent moves, and given the Twins are “pessimistic”, does that mean the Braves are bidding against themselves? I guess the Rangers and Dodgers could still be involved to a degree…
If a ball player ever says “oh it’s too cold there.” Then they are a Little @&$!€. Come on now. Any player that is scared of the cold, is a player that I would never want on my team.
Honestly its just more than a sensible person would pay for Donaldson. $27.5/yr is not a great investment for someone at his age. The truth is Donaldson would rather play other places than Minnesota. Whoever signs Donaldson will likely regret the contract at some point in the next 4 yrs.
Just a thought…
Move Luis Arraez to 3B and Sano to 1B. Bring back Brian Dozier back to play 2B on a 1yr deal.
Otherwise the Todd Fater is still available.
correction: The Todd Father
…..and the Twins do nothing but talk again.
If Pohlads don’t want to be competitive with contracts, sell the team to someone who will be. This is MLB, not sit back and keep the money Jim Pohlad.