Josh Donaldson has received many of the most prestigious awards a Major League Baseball player can get, including being named the American League's Most Valuable Player as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Donaldson has reached the postseason many times during his career. Until recently, that streak seemed almost certain not to be in store for him this year. But the odds of it continuing may have significantly improved for the third baseman.
Signs Minor League deal with the Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have acquired Josh Donaldson. At least to start with, the contract is on a Minor League basis.
Donaldson is expected to report to the Nashville Sounds.
The risk for the Milwaukee Brewers in the signing seems relatively minimal. They're only due to pay Donaldson a portion of the minimum salary. And if things work out a certain way, he'd be eligible for the club's postseason roster. Currently, the Brewers are leading the National League Central Division.
Donaldson was recently let go by the New York Yankees. Conversely to the Brewers, the Yankees are currently the cellar-dwellers of the American League East. Donaldson had been sidelined with a significant calf injury for much of the season. Injuries have repeatedly been an issue for Donaldson as of late. It was his second season with the Yankees.
Last year, he helped the team earn a Wild Card postseason berth.
Debuted with the Oakland Athletics
Josh Donaldson was a first-round pick in the 2007 MLB Draft selected by the Chicago Cubs. But he never reached the Major Leagues while with the Cubs. A year after he was drafted, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics. Donaldson briefly played with the Athletics in 2010.
After spending the entirety of the 2011 season in the Minor Leagues, he was called up again in 2012.
This time, Donaldson would stick around. He received his first All-Star selection in 2014. After the season, the Athletics traded him to the Blue Jays. His performance in 2015 would be magnificent. In addition to winning the MVP Award, Donaldson received a Silver Slugger Award.
Along with another All-Star nod, the Sporting News named him the Major League Player of the Year.
Donaldson's time with Toronto included more Silver Slugger and All-Star levels of success. But he was eventually sent to what are now the Cleveland Guardians. His time with Cleveland would be brief. As would the time Donaldson spent with the Atlanta Braves. But even still, his time there received high praise. He was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2019.
Before joining the Yankees, Donaldson spent two seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He's been a member of six Division Championship teams, as well as three Wild Card teams.
