Donaldson: I could spend my entire career in Toronto
Josh Donaldson loves playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, and he has hopes of doing so for a long time to come.
The 29-year-old American League MVP, who became the second Blue Jay in history to win the award on Thursday, spoke highly of the city of Toronto, and expressed his feelings toward potentially spending the rest of his career with the franchise.
"I really love the city, and I could see myself spending my entire career here," he told Sportsnet 590 The Fan's Jeff Blair on Monday, which resembled his words from last week after being named MVP. "I would love to end my career in Toronto. I love playing there; I would love to be able to do something, but I'm not the one calling the shots.
"Obviously it's a business too, but I love playing in Toronto, and I really feel blessed to in the situation of where I'm at right now."
Donaldson became Toronto's first MVP winner since George Bell in 1987, a man who the third baseman discussed, and had nothing but praise for.
"Obviously he had a great career, and I think what we have in common is we both enjoyed playing in Toronto, and we were really able to grasp playing in the city," Donaldson explained when compared to Bell. "I'm grateful to have the same award as George Bell."
| PLAYER | HITTING | HR | RBI | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Donaldson | .297/.371/.568 | 41 | 123 | 8.7 |
| George Bell | .308/.352/.605 | 47 | 134 | 5.3 |
After a season like the one he put together, it remains to be seen if the Blue Jays will discuss a long-term deal with the slugger, who is eligible for arbitration in 2016 after making $4.3 million last season. But until those discussions happen, Donaldson said he's looking forward to the arbitration process, something not all players are fans of.
"I actually didn't mind the process," he explained. "The player's union fought for the arbitration system. This wasn't something that was just owners or anything like that. The arbitration system is meant for the players, and trust me I spent four years in the minor leagues before I saw a comma in my check, so to get to the point where I am today, I'm very thankful."
He is projected to earn $12 million through arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Donaldson bested Mike Trout and Lorenzo Cain to earn the league's most prestigious award.