Report: Donaldson has interest from multiple teams, prefers Braves
Josh Donaldson may be the next big-ticket free agent to put pen to paper.
The market for Donaldson has picked up significantly since the Los Angeles Angels signed third baseman Anthony Rendon to a seven-year, $245-million contract Wednesday.
Donaldson is being linked to the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Minnesota Twins, reports The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The 2015 American League MVP's preference is to return to Atlanta, but he's also seeking the largest possible guarantee, Rosenthal adds.
The bidding for Donaldson is "robust," according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who speculates that the 34-year-old will "almost certainly" get a four-year deal.
Sherman lists the Dodgers and Rangers as the bidding leaders for the three-time All-Star and adds the Philadelphia Phillies as a team to watch.
Donaldson had a bounce-back campaign for the Braves in 2019 while playing on a one-year deal. He batted .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 94 RBIs while hitting in the heart of Atlanta's lineup.
His 4.9 WAR ranked eighth among MLB third basemen, and his 132 wRC+ was tied for seventh-best at the position, according to FanGraphs.
Donaldson was also solid defensively. He finished as an NL Gold Glove finalist at third base after recording 15 defensive runs saved and a .969 fielding percentage.