Well, the Toronto Blue Jays just got a lot better. The Jays acquired All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson Friday in exchange for Brett Lawrie, pitchers Kendall Graveman, Sean Nolin, and shortstop Franklin Barreto. Donaldson emerged as a star of the Oakland A’s in 2014 and was deemed untouchable by Billy Beane earlier in the offseason; but when it comes to Beane’s style of managing, no one is off the table.
The AL East is a tough division, and with the Boston Red Sox bringing in Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, teams now need to catch up in order to compete in 2015. Toronto finished in third place with an 83-79 record this season, but are adding pieces to the puzzle to contend next year.
Donaldson is a vast improvement from Lawrie for the Jays. The Gold Glove finalist not only provides a spark on defense, but at the plate as well. His 23 errors may seem like a lot, but Donaldson’s range at third is an important contribution to his errors total; he can cover a lot of ground and make stellar plays to keep runners off base. He also turned 43 double plays and had a .952 fielding percentage.
Offensively, Donaldson has had minor ups and downs in his career and struggled a bit after the All Star Break in 2014. His impressive first half, however, earned him the fan vote for the midsummer classic as he was the starting third baseman, and also participated in the Homerun Derby; Donaldson was a first time participant in both the Derby and All Star Game.
The slugger finished the season with a .255 average, 29 homeruns, and 98 RBI. He, as well as the majority of A’s hitters, struggled after the Yoenis Cespedes trade, but Donaldson has proven to be clutch in his young career.
Looking at this trade from the Jays standpoint, this is a great move. They gain a star third baseman and add another power bat to their lineup, which also features Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Donaldson also played in 158 games last season, compared to Lawrie who only played in 70. Donaldson also played and battled through some injuries last season as he is always eager to take the field and contribute the best he can.
He also brings playoff experience to the Jays. At 28-years old, Donaldson has experienced postseason baseball for three consecutive seasons. He’s experienced the good and the bad, which was encompassed in the A’s rollercoaster 2014 season. JD is a team player and a great addition to an already good Jays team.
From the A’s standpoint, this deal makes little sense. Donaldson was one of their biggest and best contributors over the last few seasons; he was the A’s best overall player and the most consistent.
The trade came as a shock not only to Donaldson and A’s fans, but other A’s players as well.
Donaldson won’t be a free agent until after the 2018 season, and price wise, wasn’t an issue for the A’s until then; at least it didn’t seem to be. In 2015, he is projected to earn $4.5 million, very inexpensive for an All Star and MVP candidate. In the years following, his salary could jump assuming he remains healthy and continues his normal production. As reported by Ken Rosenthal, his yearly salary could reach $7.5 million, $11 million, $16 million before he hits free agency. Essentially, the A’s took money they could have given to Donaldson over the years and used it for Billy Butler with his three-year $30 million deal.
When Beane acquired Butler, he made a statement that the A’s were looking to compete in 2015 rather than start a rebuilding process. By trading their top player in Donaldson, it now seems they are looking to rebuild, because this is a move a rebuilding team makes.
Lawrie only played in 70 games last year and has a history of injuries in his career, yet he’s Donaldson’s everyday replacement at the hot corner. Beane has also yet to address the middle infield problem, but may have created another. If Lawrie gets hurt, there’s a problem at third base because there’s not another viable option on the roster.
He’s been bit by the injury bug in his young career, but at 24-years-old, Lawrie hopes leaving the turf at Rogers Centre for the field at the Coliseum will help him remain healthy for the season.
Lawrie also finished the 2014 season with a .247 average, 12 homers, and 38 RBI.
Now, Lawrie isn’t the only players the A’s got in return. They also received top prospect pitchers in Nolin and Graveman. Beane said he expects them to compete in Spring Training next year for a roster spot as he believes they are major-league ready.
Donaldson was such a big part of the A’s success, it’s difficult to fathom this move. Beane is always looking to add prospects and get the best in return for his players if he chooses to put them on the trade block. While Donaldson seemed untouchable, teams know if they make an offer to Mr. Moneyball’s liking, they have a shot at acquiring anyone. This was a great time for Beane to deal Donaldson, if rebuilding is the plan. Donaldson is possibly at his highest value and now is when he was able to get the biggest return.
Overall, Donaldson is a great addition to the Jays. Toronto won this trade solely because the A’s went from continuing to be serious contenders in the AL to looking to play catch-up. They received top prospects, sure, but when looking at 2015, they don’t have someone up to par with Donaldson to replace him in the lineup. The fact that they are still in need of a shortstop and second baseman is also concerning and means Beane isn’t done wheeling and dealing this winter. The Jays are looking to improve and compete now, and they look to have a better outlook next season.