Atlanta Braves get all time great third baseman in Josh Donaldson

Josh Donaldso may not immediately come to mind when thinking about the all time greats at the hot corner, but that is exactly what the Atlanta Braves signed on Monday.

Typically, when one thinks of the all time great third basemen in baseball history, certain names come to mind. Players like Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Chipper Jones, and Eddie Mathews echo through the annuls of the game, some of the best players in the history of the hot corner. And yet, without talking one of those greats out of retirement, the Atlanta Braves have managed to sign an all time great third baseman, in at least one metric.

Yes, Josh Donaldson can be considered a top four third baseman, at least based on his OPS+. How good has he been? Well, the Master of Stats, Jayson Stark, put out this list showing where Donaldson ranks amongst third basemen since 1900:

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When healthy, there is no question as to the type of player that Donaldson can be. From 2013 through 2017, he averaged a .282/.377/.521 batting line, with 32 doubles and 33 homers. He was even brilliant defensively at third, saving 24 runs over those five years, and likely deserved the 2013 Gold Glove.

Even last year, despite being plagued by injury, Donaldson showed signs of being that same player, particularly after his trade to Cleveland. Overall, he produced a .246/.352/.449 batting line with eight homers and 14 doubles, but it was with the Indians that he looked like himself. In 60 plate appearances, Donaldson had a 146 OPS+, hitting three homers and three doubles while drawing ten walks.

Obviously, those 60 plate appearances do not make up for his struggles at the start of the season. However, they are enough to give the Braves hope that, on a one year deal, they have landed a player that can be a true game changer. Likewise, this move also does not block top prospect Austin Riley for 2020, presuming he is ready, and allows the Braves to turn Johan Camargo into a Marwin Gonzalez type of player.

The Atlanta Braves may have significantly upgraded their offense with Josh Donaldson. If he can recapture his form from the previous three years, the Braves have landed another all time great third baseman.