With the Nationals signing both Starlin Castro and Asdrubal Cabrera over the past 24 hours, it would appear they are out of the Josh Donaldson sweepstakes, even though some people around the league still believe they have an outside shot of acquiring The Bringer of Rain.
We do know that Josh Donaldson is considering four year offers from the Nats, Twins, and Braves – with the belief being he prefers to stay in Atlanta. However, don’t expect a hometown discount.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required to view), Donaldson has a number in mind, which is believed to be around $110 million, and is waiting for one of the three clubs to meet it. That might be why the Nationals seem to have started working on their Plan B.
Given all current offers are expected to be for four years and around $100 million, I have a difficult time believing the Braves are going to balk over a few million, but time will soon tell. A decision looks to be around the corner, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we heard something this weekend or early next week.
If Donaldson does end up heading elsewhere, expect Anthopoulos to pivot towards trade talks with the Rockies and Cubs surrounding Nolan Arenado and Kris Bryant.