Let us take a look around the NL East at the biggest risks each team faces as they look ahead to the 2020 MLB season.
Atlanta Braves: Letting Josh Donaldson Walk
After weeks of speculation and rumors, Josh Donaldson has finally made his free-agency decision. The third-baseman agreed to a four-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, as first reported by MLB insider Mark Feisand.
With one of their key middle-of-the-lineup bats now gone, the Braves can either turn to Austin Riley as an in-house option or pursue trade candidates such as Kris Bryant or Nolan Arenado in their quest to upgrade the lineup for the 2020 MLB season. While Bryant and Arenado are more than viable options, trading for them involves both a financial commitment and giving up coveted prospects- whereas a Donaldson reunion would have only required the former.
The Braves do have a farm system deep enough to pull off a trade, but fans may be left wondering if Donaldson could have been enticed into returning with the right offer. After all, this is a team that managed to extend a 22 year-old star in Ronald Acuña Jr. for only $100 million over 6 years. Needless to say, they have the ability to keep their elite players around for a reasonable price.
One headline to keep an eye on will be what the Braves’ final offer to Donaldson was and how it compares to the Twins’ offer of 4 years and $92 million. If the Braves choose to pursue a blockbuster trade, they will very likely find themselves at the top of most NL East prediction boards. However, it may just cost a future star or two to get there.
If they do not pursue a trade, then they will have lost a cornerstone of their lineup and a crucial contributor to the 2019 NL East title run.