In a surprising move, the New York Yankees have decided to part ways with third baseman Josh Donaldson. This decision comes before their game against the Detroit Tigers, marking the end of Donaldson’s tumultuous tenure with the team. Although Donaldson is a three-time All-Star and the 2015 American League Most Valuable Player, his performance this season has been disappointing. He has only played in 34 out of 131 games, batting a measly .142 with 10 home runs and 15 RBIs. The Yankees made the decision to release him due to his limited playing time and their desire to focus on developing younger talent like Oswald Peraza and Everson Pereira.
There was a glimmer of hope for Donaldson’s return in September, as he took part in a successful live batting practice session. However, the Yankees deemed it unlikely that he would have enough opportunities to showcase his skills after going through a rehab assignment. Consequently, they made the difficult decision to release him. Despite this setback, if Donaldson manages to sign with another team by Friday, he will be eligible to join their postseason roster.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed his rationale behind the release, stating that it felt like the right thing to do in order to give Donaldson a chance to catch on with another team. The Yankees acquired Donaldson in a trade with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, involving Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela. However, Donaldson has failed to live up to expectations during his time in New York.
Before joining the Yankees, Donaldson enjoyed his best years with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2015, he had a standout season with a .297 batting average, a .939 OPS, 41 home runs, and 123 RBIs, earning him the MVP title. Although he remained a productive player in subsequent seasons, his offensive performance declined after the trade to New York. In 666 plate appearances with the Yankees, Donaldson hit .207/.293/.385 with 25 home runs and 77 RBIs.
It’s worth noting that despite having only 15 hits this season, 10 of them were home runs for Donaldson. This highlights his power hitting ability, even if he struggled to find consistency at the plate. Boone acknowledged Donaldson’s potential and praised his defensive skills, but ultimately, the results did not meet expectations.
Nonetheless, Boone emphasized Donaldson’s passion for the game and his unwavering commitment to his craft. Despite the disappointment of his time with the Yankees, his love for the sport and his dedication remained unchanged.
As of Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET, Donaldson will become a free agent, allowing him to explore new opportunities with other teams. Only time will tell where his baseball journey will take him next.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
