The New York Yankees have made a significant change to their team during a season that hasn’t lived up to expectations.
Before their game on Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees shared that they’ve let go of infielder Josh Donaldson, who was the AL MVP in 2015.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees released INF Josh Donaldson from the roster.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 29, 2023
According to Andy Martino from SNY, if no team claims Donaldson soon, he will be a free agent by tomorrow. Since Donaldson is on the 60-day injury list and can’t play until the middle of September, it seems unlikely any team will take him.
Josh Donaldson can become an unrestricted free agent if unclaimed by 1pm tomorrow, per league source. Brief story coming about why Yankees released him now while on 60-day IL.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) August 29, 2023
This decision regarding Donaldson isn’t shocking because his performance this season hasn’t been great. Once a standout player for the Toronto Blue Jays, Donaldson managed only a .142 average in 33 games with the Yankees. He achieved 10 home runs, 15 runs batted in, and a .659 on-base plus slugging percentage.
At 37 years old, Donaldson has had a tough time this season, getting out 32 times in just 120 chances to bat. This is a significant drop from his usual .262 batting average and .849 OPS.
Considering the injuries to the Blue Jays’ Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette, they could be interested in bringing Donaldson back. As of Tuesday, they are only 2.5 games away from securing a wild card spot in the AL.