Josh Donaldson’s latest comments have Yankees fans dreaming of his retirement
Slugging third baseman Josh Donaldson has squandered more potential goodwill than any of the Yankees’ recent less-than-inspiring acquisitions.
His clutch résumé in 2022 was really impressive. He left the Red Sox twice. He drilled two homers and tapped in seven carries in a crucial two-game stretch at Fenway Park in July. His walk-off grand slam to sink the Rays was perhaps the most memorable non-judge moment of last season. On occasion he meant the very form of intensity he was imported for, and his Gold Glove-level defense was a stabilizing force.
Of course, it’s no secret why he was so loathed despite all this. Most other moments his offensive contributions were absent, characterized by his stopping and staring at both breakers and fastballs down the middle. When it came time to hit back against the Astros in the ALCS, he was as shotless and tired as anyone, recording a lone hit in 13 at-bats and hitting 10 times.
And in a twist to remember, in mid-May he poisoned the team’s good spirits by instigating a racially charged incident involving White Sox All-Star Tim Anderson and berating the Yankees for their apparent unwillingness to “stand” him (although he was very much the attacker).
$25 million against the luxury tax in 2023 for all that, right? Priceless. When the Yankees acquired Donaldson, many believed they were flexing their financial muscles and using their unique ability to pay someone the Twins couldn’t to get what they wanted. Instead, they’ve been acting like a small team ever since, letting Donaldson’s dollar serve as an excuse shield against further improvement on offense.
Now firmly anchored at third base, Donaldson is stepping back in 2023 — yes, partly because of his defense, but mostly because he’s Brian Cashman’s immovable rock. This week, he reassured Yankee fans that he has a comeback in his bones — and if he doesn’t feel like it, he would retire instead.
Said the vast majority of Yankee fans, “…Would you like to check back with us in a month?”
As Donaldson said The New York Post:
“If I felt I had nothing more to offer the game, I wouldn’t have signed up for camp. I feel like I did [something] in the tank or I wouldn’t show up. Obviously I feel that way. Because of that, I’m here. And I’ll give everything I have.”
– Josh Donaldson
Yankees fans once again forced to be patient with Donaldson; If they could get a glimpse of the 127 OPS+ he put up in Minnesota in 2021, that would be an exciting game changer, especially when combined with his defense.
Sadly, there’s not much optimism across the fanbase – based on 2022 work. Most of the responses to that post Articles consist of people urging him to reevaluate the retirement process ahead of opening day.
Donaldson’s salary certainly played a big part in his offseason calculations, as did the team’s. Add to that his natural tenacity, and it’s not hard to see why he’d base his entire persona in 2023 on proving the doubters wrong and fending off fathertime.
Unfortunately, it seems very likely that he will go down in this fight as well.