The New York Yankees are playing out the string in what has been a miserable season in the Bronx. However, they won’t have one of the biggest disappointments in baseball on the field with them.
New York announced via social media on Tuesday that it has released former American League MVP Josh Donaldson.
Donaldson, 37, has not suited up with the Yankees since back on July 15. He was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right calf strain. An MVP with the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2015, Donaldson was terrible at the plate before going down to injury.
Related: Updated MLB power rankings
Josh Donaldson stats (2023): .142 average, 10 HR, 15 RBI, .659 OPS
The third baseman was in the midst of the final season of a four-year, $92 million contract he signed with the Minnesota Twins back in January of 2020. He was acquired from Minnesota ahead of the 2022 season, hitting .222 with 15 homers and 62 RBI in his first full campaign with the New York Yankees.
From 2013-17 with the Oakland Athletics and Blue Jays, Donaldson averaged 33 HR and 98 RBI per season. His best performance came with Toronto in 2015 when Donaldson won the AL MVP. He hit .297 with 41 HR and a league-leading 123 RBI that season.
New York headed into Tuesday’s action with a 63-68 record and in last place in the American League East. The team had been going with veteran DJ LeMahieu as its regular third baseman. But the Yankees just called up top prospect Oswald Peraza. The expectation is that youngsters will get a ton of play in New York over the final month or so of the season, making the release of Donaldson an obvious move.