MLB Rumors: Toronto Blue Jays Already Know How Much They Are Willing to Offer Josh Donaldson in an Extension
Current Toronto Blue Jays' third baseman, Josh Donaldson, is a bit of a rarity in that he did not turn into an everyday starter until his late 20s. However, he has not only managed to maintain a starting spot, but has even established himself as a true superstar.
Donaldson even managed to take the American League MVP award back to Toronto in 2015 on the back of what was a truly spectacular campaign.
The partnership between Donaldson and the Blue Jays has been a successful one thus far, but now both the player and the team have a decision to make.
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The 32-year-old is now only guaranteed to remain with the team through this season. By the time next winter rolls around, he could be free to sign with any team of his choosing.
The Blue Jays are going to have a shot to sign him to an extension before that time, however, and the team may already have a strategy heading into that negotiation.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins was on hand for a recent "Pitch Talks" event, and during that appearance, he told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi that he and the other members of the team's front office have looked at Donaldson's offensive and defensive valuations, historical aging curves as well as other subjective factors to come up with a value.
Presumably, that value is going to be used to determine the dollar amount included in the Blue Jays' extension offer to Donaldson. Atkins added that they already "have that number."
Atkins also mentioned that they "have come up with a clear walkaway that we would be willing to commit to him to extend for him to remain a Blue Jay probably for the rest of his career."
It will be interesting to see now if Donaldson is happy with that number that the Blue Jays have come up with.
If he is not, it will be worth watching if the Blue Jays will attempt to trade him instead of risking losing him in free agency.
Late last year, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported that five teams have shown interest in acquiring Donaldson, so maybe the Blue Jays can call those clubs up if they cannot come to terms with their current third baseman on an extension.
Donaldson will likely be entering the 2018 season as a member of the Blue Jays, but whether he will be with the team long-term remains to be seen.
