The Minnesota Twins have had a lackluster offseason to date and while they didn’t add a star pitcher to their rotation, they claimed a major victory on Tuesday night, reportedly signing third baseman Josh Donaldson to a four-year deal.
BREAKING: Per source, 3B Josh Donaldson has agreed to a four-year deal with the Minnesota Twins.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 15, 2020
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the deal is worth $92 million and carries an option for a fifth year that can push the total to $100 million.
On Donaldson: 4-year deal with an option for a 5th year. It's not the $110M he hoped for, but it's monster $$. Kudos to the #MNTwins for going higher. Always felt they'd get a chance to make a final offer, and they did.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) January 15, 2020
Donaldson deal with #MNTwins, per source: Four years, $92M. Deal includes fifth-year option that can increase total value of deal to $100M. First with agreement: @Feinsand.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 15, 2020
Donaldson became the top target for the Twins this offseason after they whiffed on multiple attempts to acquire the impact pitching they sought to acquire back in October. While the Twins were able to fill their rotation with Jake Odorizzi, Michael Pineda, Rich Hill, and Homer Bailey, they still didn’t have the impact signing that appears to put a team that won 101 games last season over the top.
“The Bringer of Rain” has the chance to do just that as he’s smashed 33 or more home runs in three of the past four seasons. The 2015 American League MVP also adds some clout on the defensive end of the ball, where he ranked third among third basemen in Major League Baseball in Baseball Savant’s new outs above average metric, behind only Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Oakland’s Matt Chapman.
The signing of Donaldson likely means that Miguel Sano, who officially signed a new three-year deal on Tuesday, will move to first base and the Twins will have filled the void left by C.J. Cron in a massive way .
Donaldson’s arrival has already earned the stamp of approval from reliever Tyler Duffey.
I think it’s time to put a roof on target field….. pic.twitter.com/PVsVukpnd5
— Tyler Duffey (@TheDoof13) January 15, 2020
With roughly a month before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers, the Twins would still be wise to keep searching for another starting pitcher to add to the rotation. But with the addition of Donaldson, the Twins have struck the free-agent deal that fans have been demanding for a long time.
