Josh Donaldson

AL Notes: Orioles, Donaldson, Molitor, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | October 1, 2017 at 2:47pm CDT

Speaking with reporters Sunday, Orioles general manager Dan Duquette confirmed that the team will attempt to return to contention, not rebuild, in 2018. That means neither third baseman Manny Machado nor reliever Zach Britton will be on the trade market in the offseason. Both players are scheduled to become free agents after next season, but Duquette unsurprisingly revealed that the Orioles will consider trying to extend Machado over the winter. Given that Machado’s a year from potentially collecting a record contract on the open market, it’s difficult to imagine the 25-year-old re-signing in the coming months. From a team standpoint, the positive contributions of Machado and other position players largely went to waste this year on account of poor pitching. With that in mind, Duquette said that the Orioles will focus on improving their rotation in the offseason, adding that they’ll have the ability to upgrade via free agency (Twitter links via Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline.com, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com and Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun).

AL East Notes: Donaldson, Cards, Hardy, Bogaerts

By Mark Polishuk | September 29, 2017 at 4:38pm CDT

Some news and rumblings from around the AL East…

The Cardinals “are expected to strongly pursue” a trade for Josh Donaldson during the offseason, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter). The Cards’ internal interest in Donaldson was initially reported last July though at that time, no offers had been made. Jedd Gyorko saw the bulk of action at third base for St. Louis last season (with Greg Garcia getting a fair amount of action as a left-handed hitting complement) and Gyorko could be a possible candidate to be headed back to the Blue Jays as part of a deal. The Cardinals have a surplus of both outfielders and multi-positional infielders, so they’re a fit for Toronto’s needs as potential trade partners. Of course, there hasn’t been any indication that the Jays are actually shopping their star third baseman. Donaldson is a free agent after the 2018 season, though with the Jays planning to contend next year, it would take a massive offer to get them to part ways with the former AL MVP.
J.J. Hardy will “re-evaluate” his 2018 plans once this season is concluded, though the veteran shortstop tells Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com that, in terms of considering retirement, “I don’t think I can go there yet.” Hardy’s seventh (and perhaps final) season with the Orioles has been a frustrating one, as he struggled in the first few months and then suffered a fractured wrist in mid-June. The O’s will certainly buy out Hardy for $2MM rather than exercise their $14MM club option on his services for 2018, though Hardy is hopeful of working out a new deal to remain in Baltimore. Given Tim Beckham’s emergence and Hardy’s injury problems and lack of production in recent years, it certainly seems as if Hardy would have to take a reserve role if he did return to the club. I recommend reading the full piece, which is a wide-ranging and at times emotional discussion of Hardy’s career, his Orioles stint and his family.
In a podcast interview with WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford (transcript link), Xander Bogaerts provides details on the hand injury that curtailed his production over the summer. Bogaerts was hit on the right hand by a pitch on July 6 and simply wasn’t the same afterwards, hitting just .193/.270/.293 over his next 200 plate appearances. “Looking back I probably should have taken a few days off. I thought with the All-Star break coming up I would have been find, home resting it,” Bogaerts said. “But when I came back it never got better….It was a little more serious than I thought.” The Red Sox shortstop received two cortisone shots to treat his injured hand and said he has started to feel like his old self over the last month, as evidenced by his .800 OPS in the month of September. Needless to say, an in-form Bogaerts would provide a big boost to the Sox in the postseason, especially given other injury concerns within Boston’s lineup.

AL East Notes: Ubaldo, Shapiro, Blue Jays, Farrell

By Mark Polishuk | September 23, 2017 at 1:38pm CDT

With Ubaldo Jimenez making what was very likely his final home start in an Orioles uniform last night, Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com wonders if the right-hander will influence how the O’s approach free agent pitching decisions in the future. The Orioles have been notoriously hesitant about committing big money to (or even acquiring) pitchers, making their four-year, $50MM investment in Jimenez in the 2013-14 offseason a particular risk for Dan Duquette, who had to talk ownership into the signing. In the wake of Jimenez’s struggles, Connolly wonders if the Orioles will now totally shy away from big-money deals for veteran arms. This would, of course, complicate Duquette’s offseason work, as the O’s are known to be looking to add two starters to help their beleaguered rotation.

Here’s more from around the AL East…

Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro took part in a wide-ranging interview with Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi (part one; part two) that included some mention of Josh Donaldson’s future in Toronto, though Shapiro said that the team wasn’t planning to publicly discuss such matters. Shapiro wouldn’t confirm or deny if the team had already held any extension talks with the star third baseman, who is set to hit free agency after the 2018 season.
Shapiro said “Durability. Athleticism. Flexibility” will be three of the Jays’ biggest lineup needs, noting that the team could address those needs via a corner outfielder or in a backup middle infield role behind Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis. A large roster overhaul isn’t forthcoming, as Shapiro believes “it’s not a big leap for us” to return to postseason contention given the number of injuries and unexpected setbacks that plagued the Jays’ season. The interview is well worth a full read, as Shapiro touches on such other subjects as player development philosophy, the team’s farm system, plans for a new Spring Training facility and renovations to Rogers Centre.
John Farrell’s contract as the Red Sox manager only runs through the 2018 season, and given Farrell’s relative lack of job security since Dave Dombrowski took over Boston’s baseball ops department, CSNNE.com’s Evan Drellich argues that the team should either give Farrell a long-term extension this winter or part ways with the manager. Either decision would remove Farrell’s status as a distraction both inside or outside the clubhouse. With the Sox closing in on their second straight AL East title, Farrell’s performance certainly seems worthy of a longer commitment, though there have been whispers that Dombrowski (like most executives) would prefer to hire his own manager, rather than stick with the manager inherited from the old regime.

AL East Notes: Tillman, Warren, Cobb, Donaldson, Jays

By Steve Adams | September 7, 2017 at 11:42pm CDT

The Orioles are pushing right-hander Chris Tillman back to the bullpen, as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes. It’s the second move to the ’pen for Tillman this season, as he’ll be replaced by right-hander Gabriel Ynoa on Sunday. As Encina notes, the Orioles’ rotation is devolving into a veritable game of musical chairs, with the struggles of Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez and Jeremy Hellickson all creating uncertainty as the team tries to hang around in a tight AL Wild Card race. It’s certainly possible that Tillman finds his way back into the rotation mix; Jimenez was only just recently bumped to the bullpen but will now return to start on Monday. Tillman has been dealing with soreness in his right wrist, per Encina, though he said the apparently minor issue hasn’t impacted him on the mound. It’s been a nightmarish season for Tillman, who has long been the most consistent member of the Orioles’ staff. His free-agent stock has already taken a massive hit in 2017, and a move to the ’pen doesn’t do him any favors, as it minimizes his chances to demonstrate improvement in the final few weeks.

Cafardo’s Latest: Stanton, BoSox, Donaldson, Yanks, Otani

By Connor Byrne | September 2, 2017 at 5:40pm CDT

The first-place Red Sox’s success this year has come despite a lack of power (they entered Saturday 26th in the majors in home runs and 27th in ISO), leading Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe to argue that they have to pursue Giancarlo Stanton in the offseason. It’s unclear whether the new Marlins ownership group will shop the right fielder and potential 60-home run man, but Cafardo contends that a Red Sox offer consisting of left fielder Andrew Benintendi, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and a pitching prospect would grab the attention of Derek Jeter & Co. As great as Stanton has been this year, it’s tough to imagine Boston parting with Benintendi, a top-flight rookie who won’t even be eligible for arbitration until after the 2019 campaign. Stanton, meanwhile, is still due another $295MM from 2018-28, and his contract includes full no-trade rights and an opt-out clause after the 2020 campaign.

Quick Hits: Colon, Upton, D’Backs, Piscotty, Blue Jays, Anderson

By Mark Polishuk | August 20, 2017 at 10:38pm CDT

Bartolo Colon was the winning pitcher in the Twins’ 12-5 win over the Diamondbacks today, giving the 44-year-old another distinction in the record books. Colon became the 18th pitcher in baseball history to record at least one win against all 30 big league teams. The veteran righty was 0-2 in four previous career starts against the D’Backs, but he finally notched that elusive win in his 20th MLB season. While expansion doesn’t appear to be in the league’s immediate plans, we also probably shouldn’t entirely rule out the ageless Colon’s chances of eventually defeating a 31st team.

Here’s some more from around the American League…

Justin Upton tells MLB.com’s Jason Beck and other reporters that he hasn’t “really even thought about” whether or not to opt out of his Tigers contract. Upton is focused on finishing the season, and will then take some downtime before discussing the opt-out with his agent and his family “probably a week or two beforehand” when a decision will need to be made. One factor will be whether or not the Tigers will look to contend or rebuild in 2018, and Upton intends to speak to GM Al Avila, who the outfielder feels has “been pretty up front with all the veteran guys here with his plans” to date. Recent reports suggested that Upton wasn’t planning on opting out of the four years and $88MM remaining on his Tigers deal, though given that Upton is enjoying an outstanding season, he could potentially top that guarantee if he re-entered the open market. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently ranked Upton as having the sixth-highest earning power of any potential free agent of the 2017-18 offseason.
Barring injury, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen doubts the team will make any significant August waiver trades, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. “We’re still watching the waiver market through the month of August but I’m not anticipating that there’s going to be major changes outside of what’s in this organization,” Hazen said.
The Cardinals recalled Stephen Piscotty from Triple-A as their 26th man for their special Little League Classic matchup with the Pirates, though Cards president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told MLB.com’s Jennifer Langosch and other reporters that Piscotty may stick with the club beyond just today’s action. Piscotty has battled injuries and struggled to the tune of a .232/.340/.362 slash line over 291 PA, which led to his demotion earlier this month. It remains to be see how St. Louis would juggle right field playing time between Piscotty, fellow underachiever Randal Grichuk and promising rookie Jose Martinez.
The Blue Jays started Josh Donaldson at shortstop and Jose Bautista at third base today, and while the lack of a DH for their interleague series at Wrigley Field played a role in the unusual lineup, manager John Gibbons told MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm and other media that “you may see them out there together again.” Bautista has some past experience at the hot corner, while Donaldson’s first three career games at short all came during this three-game series with the Cubs. This lineup shuffle, if more regularly made, would allow Nori Aoki or Ezequiel Carrera (or a September outfield callup) to see more time in Bautista’s usual spot in right field, and the Jays could then bench one of the light-hitting middle infield duo of Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney.
Brett Anderson is again going through the process of joining a new team and recovering from another injury, though the veteran southpaw tells Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that he is still hopeful of becoming a healthy and productive member of a rotation. “It’s a gift and curse that I like baseball enough to keep doing this,” the 29-year-old Anderson said. “I’m not super old by any stretch, but I’ve been around for a while, and hopefully I’ve pushed a button and I age in reverse, got all that stuff out of the way before I’m 30, and have some healthy years going forward.” Davidi’s piece also notes that the Blue Jays have long been intrigued by the lefty’s potential, nearly acquiring Anderson as part of a three-team deal with the A’s and Rangers in the 2013-14 offseason, though issues with Anderson’s physical scuttled Toronto’s interest.

East Notes: Braves, Walker, Bird, Holliday, Headley, Jays

By Jeff Todd | July 5, 2017 at 2:17pm CDT

As the Braves continue to hover around .500, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution looks at their approach to the coming trade deadline. Atlanta has played well of late and is now welcoming back slugger Freddie Freeman, which perhaps gives some cause for optimism. While a postseason berth still seems a tall task, the club may well choose to avoid a sell-off after entering the year with the stated aim of being more competitive. O’Brien explores some ways in which the team might deal a few veterans while still sustaining (or even improving) the quality of the current roster — in particular, by looking into trades for controllable starting pitching.

Here’s more from the eastern divisions:

The Mets are seeing some progress from second baseman Neil Walker. Per James Wagner of the New York Times, via Twitter, Walker is taking balls at second base today as he begins to work back from a significant hamstring injury. It still seems unlikely he’ll be ready to return before the trade deadline, though his large salary makes him quite a plausible August trade piece as well.
It seems there’s still quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding Yankees first baseman Greg Bird. As Bryan Hoch of MLB.com writes, GM Brian Cashman says that Bird’s longstanding ankle issue could end up requiring exploratory surgery. That possibility is just that at present, however, as Bird himself suggests that he’s in no rush to go under the knife. Cashman noted that the organization is doing everything it can to determine the cause of the ongoing pain Bird is experiencing. Given his questionable status, among other factors, the team seems to have a rather obvious deadline needs at first base.
Veteran Matt Holliday could conceivably contribute at first base, at least on a part-time basis, but he too is on the DL. There’s good news on that front, as Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network reports on Twitter. Holliday tells her that he finally received a diagnosis for his illness — it’s viral in nature — and is now feeling better.
Whatever happens at first, the Yankees do not seem presently inclined to make drastic changes across the diamond, as MLB.com’s Matthew Martell writes. “Who do you want me to play there?” Cashman said when pressed about the status of third baseman Chase Headley. “Headley’s our third baseman. Sorry you don’t like it.” There’s probably still room for the team to consider alternatives in the trade market, of course, though a significant upgrade may be tough to find. Headley owns a serviceable .255/.347/.373 batting line, right in line with his work since landing in New York, and has generally rated as a steady enough defender. He’s also owed $13MM this year and next.
While Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said yesterday that he still wants to improve the team’s roster in the near-term, Jon Morosi of MLB.com writes that “multiple executives around the Major Leagues” think the Jays will end up selling. A few deals involving pending free agents wouldn’t be a surprise, of course, but Morosi suggests there’s potential for more significant pieces changing hands — though it’s not clear from the report whether any sources from within the Toronto organization view that as a real possibility. The Cardinals have internal interest in star Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson, per the report, though that hasn’t resulted in any trade talks to this point. Surely, plenty of other teams feel the same way about Donaldson and other core Jays performers. If Shapiro is to be taken at this word, a true rebuild isn’t really under consideration, though perhaps some lateral moves for younger or more controllable players could still be entertained.

Blue Jays To Activate Donaldson, Tulowitzki From Disabled List

By Steve Adams | May 26, 2017 at 11:36am CDT

The Blue Jays will activate third baseman Josh Donaldson and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the disabled list prior to tonight’s game, manager John Gibbons said today in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). The Toronto Sun’s Rob Longley had written earlier in the day that both were scheduled to be activated this weekend.

Donaldson has been on the disabled list nearly all season due to a right calf injury that has limited him to just nine games in 2017. Tulowitzki, meanwhile, has been limited to 16 games by a strained right hamstring. Ryan Goins has started 31 games at shortstop in Tulowitzki’s absence, while Darwin Barney and Chris Coghlan have shared time at third base in lieu of Donaldson.

The return of Donaldson and Tulowitzki is, clearly, a welcome addition to a Blue Jays team that has dramatically improved since a 2-11 start to the season. The Jays have gone 19-15 since that awful start and have won 12 of their past 19 contests, including three straight. Their overall record of 21-26 still puts them in the AL East cellar, but they’re nonetheless just 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League and a still-manageable 7.5 games back from the division lead. The Jays will have a chance to rectify that early-season slump in the near future, as they’ll host the division-leading Yankees in a four-game set to wrap up the 10-game homestand they’re kicking off tonight.

Longley notes in the aforementioned column that the Jays are also inching closer to adding lefty J.A. Happ back to their rotation. Happ made the first of what GM Ross Atkins believes will be three rehab starts on Thursday, which would seemingly put him in line for an early June return.

AL East Notes: Bourn, Hicks, Donaldson

By Mark Polishuk | May 20, 2017 at 12:23pm CDT

Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

Monday is Michael Bourn’s opt-out date in his minor league contract with the Orioles, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports. Bourn suffered a broken finger that sidelined him through most of Spring Training, which led the outfielder and the Orioles to agree to a new minors deal after Bourn opted out of his original pact. There isn’t an obvious spot for Bourn on the big league roster, with Trey Mancini, Seth Smith, Joey Rickard and Hyun Soo Kim providing the O’s with solid corner outfield depth. Kim, however, hasn’t hit much or seen a lot of action this season; Bourn could replace Kim as a left-handed hitting option while adding much more speed and defensive ability.
Aaron Hicks has been taking grounders at first base, though it may take an “emergency” scenario to see Hicks starting at the position, Yankees infield instructor Joe Espada tells NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty. Joe Girardi asked for Hicks to get some work at first for depth purposes, though work will be required since Hicks has never played any position besides outfield during his 10 pro seasons. Deploying an athletic and above-average outfielder at first could be seen as something of a waste defensively, though the Yankees clearly are exploring all possible ways to get Hicks’ bat into the lineup, with Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury also all hitting well in the regular outfield spots. Greg Bird and Chris Carter, by contrast, have provided the Yankees with little production at first base.
A week after examining why the Blue Jays should keep Josh Donaldson at least through the season, Sportsnet’s Jonah Keri presents the counter-argument, opining that the Jays should look to move Donaldson now while his value is still very high. Donaldson will hit the open market after the 2018 season (his age-32 season), and committing major dollars to any free agent in his mid-30’s could be a questionable move for Toronto, even for a player with Donaldson’s elite bat. In trading their pending free agents and then Donaldson for a major package of talent, the Jays could reload for a quick return to contention next season.

Injury Notes: Cardinals, B. Anderson, Cespedes, Donaldson

By Connor Byrne | May 6, 2017 at 10:25pm CDT

The Cardinals had a fair amount of concern over center fielder Dexter Fowler’s right shoulder strain on Friday, but it seems he dodged a significant injury. Fowler missed his second straight game Saturday, though he told reporters – including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch – that he only has “general soreness” and is ready to return to the lineup. The Cardinals are understandably taking a cautious approach with their big-money offseason signing, however. Meanwhile, another of their outfielders, Jose Martinez, suffered a groin injury Saturday and will probably head to the disabled list. If so, he’d join right fielder Stephen Piscotty on the DL, leaving the Redbirds with a banged-up Fowler, Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham as their top outfielders. The likelihood is that the Cardinals will promote High-A outfielder Magneuris Sierra to provide another option, tweets Goold. Sierra, who’s already on St. Louis’ 40-man roster, is known for his defense, as Goold wrote in December for Baseball America when he ranked the 21-year-old as the Cardinals’ fifth-best prospect (subscription required/recommended).

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Saturday that he expects left-hander Brett Anderson to land on the DL, tweets Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. Maddon added that either Mike Montgomery or Eddie Butler would replace Anderson in the Cubs’ rotation, according to Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago (Twitter link). Anderson started the Cubs’ 11-6 loss to the Yankees, recording just one out and allowing five runs on six hits, before departing with lower back tightness. Injuries are nothing new for Anderson, who missed most of last season after undergoing back surgery as a member of the Dodgers in March 2016. While Anderson has generally been effective during the healthy points of his career, he hasn’t pitched well in his first year with the Cubs. The free agent pickup has registered an 8.18 ERA, 6.55 K/9 and a 4.91 BB/9 in six starts (22 innings).
The Mets are sending left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to New York on Monday to take a “fuller look” at why he has had recurring injuries, general manager Sandy Alderson stated Saturday (via MetsBlog). “We told ourselves it wouldn’t happen again,” Alderson said in regards to Cespedes’ strained left hamstring, which is similar to the strained quad he suffered last year. Cespedes has been on the DL since April 28, meaning he’s eligible to return Monday, but that obviously won’t happen.
Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has been on the DL since April 14 with a calf injury, and it seems he’ll remain on the shelf past the originally reported four-week window. Donaldson is making progress in his recovery, though he revealed Saturday that it’s coming along “slowly” (via Jeff Odom of MLB.com). The 2015 AL MVP is currently using an anti-gravity treadmill at 60 percent body weight, writes Odom, and won’t resume running the bases until he’s at 100 percent.

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