Washington Nationals: Do they actually want Josh Donaldson?
By David Hill
The Washington Nationals are driving up the bidding on Josh Donaldson. But do they want him?
As Anthony Rendon has departed for the West Coast and the wheelbarrow of money that the Los Angeles Angels offered, the Washington Nationals find themselves with a gaping void in their lineup. Not only do they need to replace Rendon’s presence in the lineup, but they need to replace his Gold Glove caliber defense at the hot corner.
Given this vacancy, it is understandable that the Nationals have emerged as one of the front runners for Josh Donaldson. At this point, the Nationals, along with the Twins, Braves, and Dodgers, are considered the front runners for his services. And, at this point, the Nationals are reportedly going all in on his services, increasing their offer as time goes on.
It is fair to wonder how much Donaldson actually wants to head to Washington. Per reports, he wants to remain in Atlanta, and plans on giving the Braves the opportunity to match any offers he receives.
This is something that other teams have to know as well. For a team like the Nationals, who not only are divisional rivals of the Braves, but also have other areas of need, this is a double edged sword. Yes, they could keep Donaldson from Atlanta and improve their roster while weakening a rival. But they still need to fill out their bullpen.
The problem is that there are few alternatives left. Todd Frazier and Asdrubal Cabrera are the best free agent third basemen left based on their 1.9 WAR. Starlin Castro or Brock Holt could play third, but are even worse options. It’s pretty much Donaldson, a trade, or hope that Carter Keiboom can play third at the major league level after ten games of experience in the minors.
Nonetheless, the second and third options could be the most appealing. By continuing to raise the price on Donaldson, they would force the Braves to expend more of their budget to keep a player who just turned 34 years old. If they do end up with his services, they fill a major hole in the lineup. The Nationals are in a no lose situation.
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The Washington Nationals may well want Josh Donaldson. But they may be just as content to keep raising the price on the Atlanta Braves, possibly sticking them with an aging player at an exorbitant salary.