Blue Jays Should be Cautious with Josh Donaldson Proceedings
The Toronto Blue Jays are waiting on the arbitrators ruling regarding their offseason acquisition and prized commodity, third baseman Josh Donaldson. While Donaldson is looking for $5.75 million in 2015, the Jays countered with a $4.3 million figure. Donaldson is a Super Two player. He’s under club control through 2018 and is arbitration eligible three more times.
The two sides are pretty far apart from one another — $1.45 million to be exact. This could evolve into a sensitive subject for a couple of reasons.
To begin with, the organization does not want to undervalue the gifted player and lowball him with an unjust sum. Tim Dierkes over at MLB Trade Rumors came up with a fairly accurate system for reaching a player’s projected arbitration salary. Donaldson’s 2015 number was $4.5 million. So even by that standard, it appears the Jays would be getting the best of him.
The last thing Toronto wants or needs is to get off on the wrong foot with Donaldson before he even reports to Spring Training. A sour situation could turn him into an un-happy future player who may eventually demand a trade before he’s set to hit free agency before the 2019 season.
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While the Jays are simply being cautiously conscious of their payroll and abiding by league standards, they’re getting a bargain either way. So what is $1.45 million to them or Rogers ownership at the end of the year in the big picture? Over the last two seasons, no MLB position player has accumulated a higher WAR than Donaldson’s 15.4, except for Angels outfielder Mike Trout (16.8). Trout is set to make $6.083 million in 2015 and then $16.083 million in 2016.
Donaldson’s salary trajectory is not as favorable for a few obvious reasons. He’s a late bloomer, not becoming a full time player for the Oakland Athletics until his age 27 season. Also, Donaldson was the 48th overall selection in the 2007 draft, while Trout was the 25th overall pick in the 2009 draft and found himself in a big league uniform by 2011 at 19-years of age.
All of this is besides the point, however. A player should be paid a reasonable salary based on his value, and Donaldson’s inherent value is expected to be grand. The Jays traded a lot of top prospects to acquire him.
Another reason the arbitration outcome may become more sensitive than other cases is because Donaldson and Billy Beane were rumored to have butted heads in Oakland, at times engaging in verbal arguments. That’s part of why it is believed the A’s were willing to part with their talented hot corner man.
Surely Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos does not want to tread these same waters with Donaldson. Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion have club options for 2016 and then become free agents. Because of this, Anthopoulos should see Donaldson as a major building block for the franchise in coming years.
The talented 29-year old made only $500,000 in 2014, so Josh Donalson is due a large pay raise either way. For he and the Blue Jays’ future partnership, the amicable thing to do is let him play out 2015 under arbitration money, then discuss a long-term extension in the offseason that will pay him like he’s one of the best at his position in the league. Because in reality, Donaldson is exactly that.