Dodgers Free Agency Target Josh Donaldson Heavily Pursued by Nationals
The Dodgers have failed to sign a big name and to this point, they have not made any major trades to address needs. Their lone signing this off-season remains right-handed reliever Blake Treinen. Treinen was an excellent signing, but the Dodgers have room for the main course and possibly some dessert with the amount of financial flexibility and prospect capital that they maintain.
According to Jon Heyman, one of the players that the Dodgers have been tied to a ton this off-season, Josh Donaldson, is being heavily pursued by the Washington Nationals.
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
Donaldson had an excellent bounce back 2019 campaign with the Atlanta Braves. He posted a 132 wRC+ and 4.9 WAR en route to the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. He just turned 34 years old but remains one of the league’s premier bats when he is healthy. He should receive a three or four year deal around $20-25 million average annual value.
For reference, he signed a one-year, $23 million deal with the Braves in the 2018 off-season in a ‘prove it’ type deal.
The Dodgers could benefit from Donaldson’s services immensely. He remains a star and could be an excellent consolation prize after missing out on Anthony Rendon to the Angels and possibly missing out on the Francisco Lindor sweepstakes.
Donaldson would be a fit for Los Angeles, but could also be a fit in Washington to replace the departed Rendon.
MLB Insider Talks Lack of Winter Meetings Bombshell Move for LA
This is so redundant …… Probably be a hit piece article if you guys wrote what the odds are that the Dodgers don’t sign anyone as opposed to Dodgers target!! We all know what’s going on! Vegas could make a fortune laying down Dodger free agent odds . It would have to include every single player and every miss! I’d be rich!!!!!
Exactly it’s the same old articles every day i believe this one has been made 3 or 4 times. I too would like a hard hitting piece on one of these so called rumors
Don’t want him sorry. Don’t think the Dodger’s do either but time will tell. Tired of all these article’s talking about Dodger’s missing out on their “targets”. The only guy they pursued so far was Cole. These authors are so desperate for anything to write about this time of year, and their mostly to blame for disappointing fans and making them expect something with their false claims of whom the team is pursuing.
Exactly. And yesterday I was called out by some fan here because of my opinions as to why Dodgers have missed out on all the top FA’s, and most likely JD here as well. Again if that fan just looks and remembers what took place in the NLDS and how Roberts and Freidman runs thing stricly on saber metrics he would know why nobody wants to come here. And the main culprits are Roberts and his puppet master Andy. this has been the worst off season that I can recall so far and it is especially bad coming after how the team was bounced in the 1st round after winning 106 games.
AZUL, any fan that calls you out needs to have his head examined. As a long-standing Dodger fan, you know of what you speak. And, in regard to Donaldson, you are correct. The guy has a reputation of being a cancer in the clubhouse. Frankly, I am more ready to get rid of AF and DR than I am to add Donaldson. I still wonder how many players do not want to play for The Blue because of our use of sabremetrics and the platooning that goes with it. Your post was right on point!!!! Go Blue!!!
Thank you BLUE LOU and rest assured you are as good of a long standing Dodger fan as I have been and are a knowledgeable one at that too. Happy Holidays from me and PD Jr. as well.
Thank You Blue LOU and Happy Holidays to you from me and PD Jr. I feel the same way you do as far as AF and DR goes for sure.
Hey Paul, there seems to be a few koolaid Friedman drinkers left that don’t mind the 33 year drought with the 2- and largest market and the biggest T.V. deal in history! They love being competitive, and love how Friedman saves tons of money and stocks up on Triple A talent. They love the fantasy numbers of home runs the team cracks. They love Rich hills spin rate and Alexanders ground ball efficiency! And they especially love that 106 game regular season win total! I mean, that’s all incredible metrics! Its the new normal, and Friedman and Kasten are geniuses.
I think they are sent here to shill
Ryan these writers aren’t at fault. Fans came into this offseason already fed up with how things are done. They wanted a change in philosophy and players to put this group over the top. The writers didn’t create those expectations.
Sorry, Ryan but your WRONG, the Dodgers showed clear interest in pursuing Lindor, after assuming the Rockies 3rd baseman was a lock for this coming season because he grew up a Dodger fan. If you were listening, and I assume you were the Dodgers made it clear they wanted a third baseman, by way of trade or possible moving Seager to third. Then before the playoffs even started, the Dodgers interest in Rendon was high, and when we lost to the Nats. they made it pretty clear they wanted Rendon in Dodger blue. So at least for me I blame the same people I blamed last season, and that was Friedman, and the majority owner that criticized the Dodger fans for not being smart enough on trades, because Pollack was such a great signing for a team that has more outfielders then we needed? Ryan your totally right the media should be more careful in the way they choose to report, but we need to move Justin Turner to first, and Lindor would be nice at shortstop, and move Seager to a third team, like the Yankees, but it looks like that might be dead to. I don’t know about you but the Indians are insisting on Gavin Lux, and for me NO WAY, so I think we should pursue Donaldson, again a player that was the second choice behind Rendon. So we need at least 1 or 2 starting pitchers and shore up the pen, and Donaldson gives us that power and good defense at third, and we can keep Seager, which I’m good with, and I think most Dodger fans would be happy with that, although I rather have Lindor because of defense???
RH-BLUE, as I recall didn’t Seager indicate that he doesn’t want to be moved off of SS?
Folks, rest assured Donaldson WILL NOT SIGN with Dodgers.
Donaldson would be a good pickup. Right-handed power on the left side of the infield meets a need. And there would be the added bonus of taking him away from the Nats. The Nats wanted to releive salary by letting Rendon go and pick up a quality player to replace him at less than half the price. It would be fun to ruin their plans, especially since they might be playing the Dodgers again next October.
I agree with those wanting Friedman and Roberts gone and please let Kelly go too! Donaldson is a cancer in the locker room and on the field. We don’t need another head case. Sabermetrics hasn’t won a World Series yet and I don’t believe it ever will.
So what do you guys think the odds are getting Donaldson. ? I say . 000000001% chance in a thousand! How about Lindor? I say .00000002% in a hundred thousand! How about the Dodgers adding a new restaurant at the stadium with $ 18 burgers? I say 99.99% probability! And finally , how about the 2020 Kirk Gibson bobblehead celebrating the 88 championship? I say 100% chance! Finally the odds of the Dodgers winning the 2020 World series?
0% on the World Series. Vegas of course will give great odds and people will talk about it like it means anything
This is depressing! When they resigned Roberts to a 2 yr contract, I knew we were doomed. I live in Canada and am a lifelong Dodger fan; guess I won’t be renewing my MLB anytime soon.
IF THE DODGERS want donaldson they better hurry up and sign him before someone else does