Minnesota Twins sign Josh Donaldson to four year deal

The Minnesota Twins upgrade their lineup big time by adding Josh Donaldson on a four year deal.

Josh Donaldson and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The deal includes a fifth-year club option that can make the contract up to $100 million.

Minnesota’s offense set a major league-record in 2019, slugging 307 homeruns. Donaldson will definitely help challenge that record in 2020, as well as being a beyond capable defender at the hot corner.

Even though the Twins just signed third baseman Miguel Sano to a three-year contract extension, he will be moving from third base to first base. Essentially, Donaldson will be a major upgrade from C.J. Cron, who played first for the Twins last season.

This is a major move for the Twins. They are not a team to go after big names like Donaldson and this definitely increases their chances at winning the American League in 2020.

At the reported $92 million, Donaldson’s contract is second largest by total value overall in franchise history, behind only Joe Mauer’s $184 million extension.

Donaldson, who is 34, signed the second-largest contract for a player 33 or older. The only larger contract was Kevin Brown’s seven-year, $105 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998.

The free agent third baseman finally finds a home. The 2015 American League MVP is coming off a huge season, where he hit 37 home runs and drove in 94 runs for the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves are definitely going to miss their cleanup hitter. The three-time All-Star’s departure leaves a huge whole in their offense. Their lineup is fairly thin once you get past Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman. Perhaps this signing will push them to trade for a big hitter, possibly Nolan Arenado or Kris Bryant.

This deal is huge for the Minnesota Twins but impacts the Braves just as much. Minnesota becomes more of a threat in the American League, while Atlanta loses a major contributor and needs to make a move. As one of the last major deals of this free agency, this may stimulate the trade market.