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Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

A place to discuss the MN Twins
MickHud
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by MickHud »

Hell Yeah!!!
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Hornets
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Re: Twins extend 4 year offer for Josh Donaldson

Post by Hornets »

weimy froob wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:55 pm
DC4MVP wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:41 pm
best lineup in baseball? top three anyways on paper.
Goodness gracious! I might have to actually go to a game this season and watch me some bomba's! And this lineup doesn't even include Marwin! Embarrassment of riches baby!
Last edited by Hornets on Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Jon Heyman: Twins extend 4 year offer for Josh Donaldson

Post by MickHud »

Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 9:20 pm There is absolutely no way the Twins give Donaldson a 100 million dollar contract.

I don't buy it at all.

Not only can't I see them making this deal, it makes absolutely no sense imo. They don't need to spend 100 million on another position player.

Should have got a pitcher if you were going to spend that.

Don't believe it though. Probably another "Leak" to make fans believe they were in on him.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by RubeTube »

Wow! Kudos for FINALLY signing a top FA.

Unbelievable.
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Hornets
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

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MANY here were doubting Falvey and Lavine on this one......HA!
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Hornets »

Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:10 pm Wow! Kudos for FINALLY signing a top FA.

Unbelievable.
How's that crow tastin RT!! :lol:
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Re: Jon Heyman: Twins extend 4 year offer for Josh Donaldson

Post by RubeTube »

MickHud wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:08 pm
Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 9:20 pm There is absolutely no way the Twins give Donaldson a 100 million dollar contract.

I don't buy it at all.

Not only can't I see them making this deal, it makes absolutely no sense imo. They don't need to spend 100 million on another position player.

Should have got a pitcher if you were going to spend that.

Don't believe it though. Probably another "Leak" to make fans believe they were in on him.
Never say Never!
Well it wasn't 100 mill, Hud. ;)

I still can't believe they spent this on Donaldson when a high priced pitcher may be the better move but I won't complain.

First time in my life they have done something like this.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by RubeTube »

Hornets wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:10 pm MANY here were doubting Falvey and Lavine on this one......HA!
I never doubted them. I doubted the owner.
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Re: Jon Heyman: Twins extend 4 year offer for Josh Donaldson

Post by MickHud »

Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:12 pm
MickHud wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:08 pm
Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 9:20 pm There is absolutely no way the Twins give Donaldson a 100 million dollar contract.

I don't buy it at all.

Not only can't I see them making this deal, it makes absolutely no sense imo. They don't need to spend 100 million on another position player.

Should have got a pitcher if you were going to spend that.

Don't believe it though. Probably another "Leak" to make fans believe they were in on him.
Never say Never!
Well it wasn't 100 mill, Hud. ;)

I still can't believe they spent this on Donaldson when a high priced pitcher may be the better move but I won't complain.

First time in my life they have done something like this.
Better check yourself before you wreck yourself!

5th year option makes it 100 million.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by RubeTube »

Hornets wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:11 pm
Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:10 pm Wow! Kudos for FINALLY signing a top FA.

Unbelievable.
How's that crow tastin RT!! :lol:
For all the times you guys told us something was finally going to happen year after year after year.

You finally got one right and I'm eatng crow? Bro!
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Re: Twins extend 4 year offer for Josh Donaldson

Post by Small Hands »

weimy froob wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:54 pm
Small Hands wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2020 8:12 am
weimy froob wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2020 6:22 am twins going to get this done? i'm getting more optimistic that they just might.
Don't do that to yourself.
:coolio:
:bow: :clap:

That lineup is sick on paper. I’m pumped up for Twins baseball again. Now trade for a top of the rotation SP, and we’ll be cooking with gas.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by RubeTube »

Uncle Mort says..

Lol @ Twins fans. Your Mickey Mouse club finally made a big boy move.

See ya in April!
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by MickHud »

Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:16 pm Uncle Mort says..

Lol @ Twins fans. Your Mickey Mouse club finally made a big boy move.

See ya in April!
You're not Mort. Mort loves Donald Trump. :D
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Car Ramrod »

The race for the 4th outfielder in the second half of the season will be interesting to watch between Kirilloff and Larnach. Both 22, left handed bats with pop, both starting the year in AA (probably).
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by jffl_commish »

Sergeant Rubetube wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:12 pm
Hornets wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:10 pm MANY here were doubting Falvey and Lavine on this one......HA!
I never doubted them. I doubted the owner.
Correct.
Let's get Tropical
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weimy froob
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by weimy froob »

lefties aren't going to like facing that lineup this summer.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

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Now think a better chance that Eddie gets traded.....
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Tommy_Hawk »

My nipples are diamonds boys..baseball diamonds. Please pursue a SP at some point.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by weimy froob »

Tommy_Hawk wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:39 pm My nipples are diamonds boys..baseball diamonds. Please pursue a SP at some point.
time to trade some of the prospects for a big-time arm.
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feekdogg
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by feekdogg »

weimy froob wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:31 pm lefties aren't going to like facing that lineup this summer.
Hope nobody in the division spends their money on a couple of soft-tossing lefty starters.
Oh, wait.
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Re: Twins extend 4 year offer for Josh Donaldson

Post by DC4MVP »

weimy froob wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:55 pm
DC4MVP wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:41 pm
best lineup in baseball? top three anyways on paper.
Yep. Just gotta hope the 8 & 9 can do something about staying healthy
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Butch Bradford
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Butch Bradford »

Twins To Sign Josh Donaldson

By Steve Adams | January 14, 2020 at 7:19pm CDT

7:19pm: Donaldson will earn $84MM over the first four years of the contract, tweets Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. The option is valued at $16MM and comes with an $8MM buyout.

7:01pm: Donaldson will be guaranteed $92MM, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The option on the contract would bring its total value to five years and $100MM, if exercised.

6:50pm: The Twins have agreed to a four-year contract with free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets. There’s an option for a fifth season on the deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 SKOR North Radio. Donaldson is represented by the MVP Sports Group.

The $92MM guarantee makes this the largest free-agent signing in team history and the second-largest contract the franchise has ever given out, trailing only Joe Mauer’s eight-year, $184MM mega-deal.

Minnesota has long been reported to hold interest in Donaldson after missing out on higher-end upgrades in the starting rotation earlier in the winter. By bringing Donaldson aboard, the Twins will shift the recently extended Miguel Sano across the diamond to first base, upgrading their infield defense substantially while adding one of the game’s most potent bats to what was already one of MLB’s best lineups in 2019.

Donaldson, 34, bounced back from an injury-ruined 2018 season to hit .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs in 155 games/659 plate appearances with the Braves last season. That marked his fourth season of at least 33 home runs in the past five years, with the lone exception coming in 2018 when a calf injury held him to 52 games. His addition, incredibly, will give the Twins six players who hit 30 or more home runs in 2019; Sano, Nelson Cruz, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver also crossed the 30-homer threshold on a team that Rosario nicknamed the “Bomba Squad.” While that type of output can’t be expected to be repeated — at least, assuming the league corrects last year’s juiced ball — the Twins should still be in possession of perhaps baseball’s most powerful lineup.

For the Twins, Donaldson’s glove at third base is arguably as important as his offensive prowess. Despite playing last season at age 33, Donaldson tied for 17th among MLB infielders with +8 Outs Above Average (per Statcast). Sano, conversely, checked in at -5 in that same category, so shifting him across the diamond in favor of Donaldson will represent a marked upgrade to the team’s infield defense, which was quietly one of its most significant needs. Shortstop Jorge Polanco graded out poorly, as did rookie second baseman Luis Arraez. The team’s infield defense surely won’t be a strength in 2020, but it figures to be considerably better with Donaldson than it otherwise would have.

Given the Twins’ inability to upgrade their rotation in a notable way this winter, that improved defense will be all the more important. Minnesota has signed Homer Bailey and Rich Hill to affordable one-year deals but will otherwise rely upon a very similar starting staff to the one that looked overmatched in the 2019 American League Division Series. Jose Berrios remains under club control as an arbitration-eligible player, while Jake Odorizzi accepted a qualifying offer and Michael Pineda re-signed on a two-year, $20MM deal. There’s still room for the Twins to make an addition, of course, but the free-agent market has been largely picked over and the trade market doesn’t offer a clearly available top-of-the-rotation arm.

The addition of Donaldson should push the Twins to a new franchise record in payroll, eclipsing the previous mark of $129MM by a good margin. Assuming an even $21MM breakdown of the first four years of the deal, the Twins’ 2020 payroll will clock in at just shy of $140MM. Large as that number may be, the Twins’ total commitments will plummet to about $55MM in 2021; Odorizzi, Cruz, Bailey, Hill, Marwin Gonzalez, Alex Avila, Tyler Clippard, Trevor May and Ehire Adrianza are all lined up to become free agents.

Signing Donaldson, who rejected a qualifying offer from the Braves, will cost the Twins their third-highest pick in the 2020. That’s their Competitive Balance Round B selection — currently slotted to come in at No. 73 overall. The Braves, conversely, will receive a compensatory selection between the end of Competitive Balance Round B and the beginning of Round 3. Coincidentally, the comp pick they’ll receive will land in the exact same range as the pick that Minnesota is surrendering.

Certainly, given Donaldson’s age, there’s some risk with the deal. He’s generally been a durable commodity outside of that 2018 season, but Donaldson’s ability to remain an elite player into the middle years of this contract is more in question than is typical with younger free agents. Of course, with Cruz among the Twins’ many free agents next winter, Donaldson could eventually begin seeing some extra time at DH to help keep him productive. And, in the final season or two of the deal, it’s possible that he could even serve as the team’s primary designated hitter if that becomes necessary.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the offseason, it seems likely that the Twins will continue to at least parse the market for available pitching upgrades. The bullpen is in better shape than it was at the onset of free agency, but there’s potentially some room for another ’pen addition and certainly room for another starter to be brought into the fray. Just how much further owner Jim Pohlad is willing to push payroll and how willing president of baseball ops Derek Falvey is to part with young talent will ultimately dictate whether another splash is in the offing.

The Twins, of course, aren’t the only team impacted by this signing. The Braves now have a glaring hole in the middle of their lineup and a need at the hot corner. The Nationals, another finalist in the Donaldson mix, can turn to some combination of Starlin Castro, Asdrubal Cabrera or prospect Carter Kieboom at third base. That Donaldson landed in Minnesota also bodes well for both the Cubs and Rockies, if either plans to seriously entertain offers for their respective star third basemen, Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado. The Twins wouldn’t necessarily have made a push to add a different third baseman had Donaldson signed elsewhere, having Sano already in the fold. But the Braves now appear to have a significant need at third base — creating a clear avenue to a potential trade for a third baseman of some type.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

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Jeff Passan
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2h2 hours ago

Josh Donaldson’s deal with the Minnesota Twins will pay him $84 million over the first four years and includes a $16 million club option with an $8 million buyout. In total, it’s $92 million guaranteed with a chase to go to $104 million if Donaldson hits escalators on the option.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by NonprovincialMNFan »

We need to hope MLB keeps juicing the ball.

They may now be in a position to trade Eddie for pitching.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Sid Hartman »

Going to be a lot of 10-8, 9-7 games and 4hrs long
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Jimtown guy »

I’m a bit shocked. Thought for sure he’d be a Brave. Now some more pitching and who knows
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Billy Bremner »

Twins need a linebacker about as much as they need Donaldson.
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Ron Burgundy 4 President
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Ron Burgundy 4 President »

weimy froob wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:43 pm
Tommy_Hawk wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:39 pm My nipples are diamonds boys..baseball diamonds. Please pursue a SP at some point.
time to trade some of the prospects for a big-time arm.
Depends what you mean by big-time arm, but even by a generous definition of such, prospects alone aren't going to get it (unless you include both Kiriloff and Lewis in said deal) done. Teams will want a young player with experience in return (Rosario, Kepler, Buxton) as well.

I might be wrong, but I think the best type of pitcher you can hope to get via trade is in the caliber of a Matt Boyd, Jon Gray, or Robbie Ray. Teams with better pitchers that are in the same age range are quite simply pretty much off limits.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Ron Burgundy 4 President »

One thing about Donaldson that I haven't seen mentioned yet is that he has a real strong personality. Pretty much the exact opposite personality of say a Joe Mauer. As such I think he rubs some people the wrong way, but this team has needed a player like this for about the better part of two decades. If they make the playoffs and play the Yankees again he isn't going to be afraid and hopefully it's contagious to the rest of the team.
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Re: Twins ink Josh Donaldson to four-year, $92 million deal

Post by Ask Not »

Nice move and seems like a fair number. Let's hope he hits all his kickers.
Package Rooker (right handed - he's never getting a shot now) and others for some pitching if they can.
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