3 reasons the Braves should not re-sign Josh Donaldson
Other alternatives
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As I hinted at earlier, I think there are a lot of other options to replace Josh Donaldson at third base.
Maybe those options won’t be quite as good, but they can be adequate enough if the Braves are able to make significant upgrades in other areas.
For example, as MLB Trade Rumors predicts, the Braves could sign Mike Moustakas for nearly half of what Donaldson is going to get this offseason.
And Moustakas put up very similar numbers to Donaldson in 2019. He hit .254 with 35 home runs, 80 runs, 87 RBI, and an OPS of .845. And he’s three years younger!
But the Braves also have some solid internal options in Austin Riley and Johan Camargo.
Riley has the ability to be every bit as good as Donaldson, and Camargo was great as the full-time third baseman in 2018.
I know, none of these options are better than Donaldson. But the gap there is not as big as it is when you think about making an upgrade at starting pitcher, corner outfield, or catcher.
Those are all areas where the Braves could use a significant upgrade. And if they can make that happen by not spending big on Donaldson, then I’m all for it this offseason.
Again, I’m not saying I don’t want Donaldson back — I would love for the Braves to bring him back.
But let’s not put all our eggs in one basket this offseason when there are a number of areas this team needs to improve on in order to win a World Series in 2020.