The Atlanta Braves have added two veterans to their lineup. One is a new face while the other one is very familiar.
Josh Donaldson has reportedly signed with the Braves for a one year contract worth $23 million pending a physical.
I cannot fathom why.
The Braves already have a solid third baseman in Johan Camargo at the hot corner. In his second big league season, Camargo hit .272 with 19 HR and 76 RBI in 134 games with the NL East champions. Meanwhile, Donaldson split 2018 with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians. Injuries limited Donaldson to 52 games in which he hit .246 with 8 HR and 23 RBI.
Do the Braves plan to move Camargo to another position or do they plan to trade him? If it is the latter it is a bit head scratching. After all the Braves have Donaldson for only a year while Camargo doesn't become a free agent until 2024. Both Donaldson and Camargo have birthdays in December. Donaldson is eight years older than Camargo. Are the Braves expecting the Donaldson that won the AL MVP in 2015? While I'm sure he will be better than his injury plagued 2018, his offensive production has declined steadily since 2015. Unless there is still a place for Camargo in the Braves lineup this move doesn't make a lot of sense.
However, reuniting with Brian McCann makes perfect sense. The Georgia native played with the Braves from 2005 through 2013 and was named to 7 NL All-Star teams. McCann signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent in 2014, but would be dealt to the Houston Astros prior after the 2016 season following the emergence of Gary Sanchez. McCann would have the last laugh earning a World Series ring in 2017 with the Astros. Like Donaldson, he has signed a one year contract.
Kurt Suzuki did most of the catching for the Braves in 2018. But now that he will be in a Washington Nationals uniform in 2019, a reunion with McCann was in order. McCann, who turns 35 in February, will be the ideal guide for a young pitching staff.
In summation, the Braves signing McCann for $2 million is far more sound than signing Donaldson for $23 million.
No comments:
Post a Comment