Where Will Josh Donaldson Go Now That Anthony Rendon Signed With The Angels?

Anthony Rendon sign with the Los Angeles Angels on a seven-year $245 million contract this week leaving Josh Donaldson as both the best remaining free agent third baseman on the market and also the biggest bat available right now.

Just where will the right-handed hitter land this offseason? According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Donaldson would ideally like to return to the Atlanta Braves where he slugged 37 home runs and drove in 94 RBIs.

However, money could be a stumbling block for the Braves. Donaldson is being predicted to sign for $25 million per season by MLBTradeRumors and Atlanta has already signed free agents Cole Hamels, Will Smith and Travis d’Arnaud.

Furthermore, they also re-signed Nick Markakis, Tyler Flowers, Chris Martin and Darren O’Day. Those moves mean that the Braves have $142.2 million in salary already committed to their playing staff for the 2020 regular season.

That is a franchise record which the ownership group may not be comfortable with raising any further. So, for Josh Donaldson to re-sign in Atlanta, the Braves would have to cut payroll. Otherwise, they will have to look elsewhere to find their new third baseman.

Other potential suitors with a need at the hot corner and some salary to spend include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals. All four lost out on the Antony Rendon sweepstakes and would have to either look to the trade market or settle for a lesser option should they also miss out on Josh Donaldson.

The next best free agent third baseman left unsigned would be the 34-year-old Todd Frazier who did hit 21 home runs last season although is unlikely to hit that mark again. Maikel Franco is also available and is still just 27, although he is coming off a less than stellar season with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The gap in quality between Donaldson and these other two makes the former a hot commodity. Kris Bryant could also be gotten in a trade with the Chicago Cubs but he would cost at least one or two prospects.

All of this means that getting Josh Donaldson will likely come down to a bidding war between his suitors. That means that the Dodgers and Rangers are the two likeliest destinations for Josh Donaldson this offseason.