Brave new world beckons for Donaldson
Ex-Jays’ star signs $23M, 1-year deal with Atlanta
Josh Donaldson is heading to Atlanta.
The Braves announced Monday they had signed the former Blue Jay and 2015 American League MVP to a one-year deal worth US$23 million, a salary that matches what the third baseman made during a forgettable 2018 season.
The move reunites Donaldson with former Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who was hired as Atlanta’s GM and executive vice-president last November.
Donaldson, hampered by shoulder inflammation and calf issues, played just 36 games for Toronto in 2018 and was traded to the Cleveland Indians on Aug. 31.
He finished the year hitting .246 with eight homers and 23 RBIs between the two teams.
The one-year deal with the Braves gives Donaldson the chance to prove that, even though he will turn 33 next month and has a recent history of injuries, he can still be a star infielder and deserving of a long-term deal after the 2019 season.
The Blue Jays traded Donaldson to Cleveland for a player to be named later, eventually revealed to be pitching prospect Julian Merryweather. Merryweather underwent Tommy John surgery in March but GM Ross Atkins is hopeful he’ll be ready for spring training in February.
The 6-foot-4, 200 pound righthander went 7-9 with a 5.32 ERA in 2017 between Double-A and TripleA. He owns a career record of 2320 and a 3.92 ERA in four minorleague seasons in 2017. He didn’t pitch in 2018.
BRAVES BRING BACK BRIAN MCCANN
Catcher Brian McCann has returned to the Atlanta Braves, agreeing to a $2 million, one-year contract.
McCann, who turns 35 in February, is from Duluth, Ga, and was a seven-time All-Star with the Braves from 2005-13. He left to sign an $85 million, five-year contract with the New York Yankees and was traded to Houston after the 2016 season following the emergence of Gary Sanchez.
McCann helped the Astros win their first World Series in 2017. He hit .212 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in 63 games last season, missing 53 games because of arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
WORLD SERIES RESIDUALS
A post-season share on World Series champion Boston was worth $416,838, down from a record $438,902 for Houston in 2017.
The commissioner’s office said Monday the Red Sox voted 66 full shares, 10.025 partial shares and eight cash awards. The Astros had 60 full shares, 9.23 partial shares and four cash awards.
The players’ pool was a record $88.19 million, breaking the mark of $84.5 million set last year. A share on the NL champion Dodgers was worth $262,027, up from $259,722 for Los Angeles in 2017.
Full shares were worth $154,656 for Houston, $122,957 for Milwaukee, $43,082 for the New York Yankees, $40,376 for Atlanta, $40,336 for Colorado, $37,040 for Cleveland, $19,760 for Oakland and $16,155 for the Chicago Cubs.
The players’ pool included 50 per cent of the gate receipts from wildcard games and 60 per cent each from the first three games of the Division Series and the first four games of the League Championship Series and World Series.
TWINS GET CRON OFF WAIVERS
The Minnesota Twins have claimed first baseman C.J. Cron off waivers from Tampa Bay, adding an accomplished replacement for the retired Joe Mauer.
Cron batted .253 with 28 doubles, 30 home runs, 74 RBIs and an .816 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in a career-best 2018 season for the Rays, who designated the 28-yearold for assignment last week. Cron made $2.3 million last season and is in his second year of eligibility for salary arbitration.
Cron played his first four major league seasons for the Los Angeles Angels, who selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft.
With the end of Mauer’s career, the only other primary first baseman on Minnesota’s roster is Tyler Austin, acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees last summer.
YANKEES ADD PITCHER
Right-hander Parker Bridwell was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels by the New York Yankees, who opened a roster spot by designating infielder Ronald Torreyes for assignment.
Bridwell, 27, was 10-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 20 starts and one relief appearance for the Angels in 2017, then missed much of this year because of right elbow inflammation. He was 1-0 with a 17.55 ERA in one start and four relief appearances over 6 2/3 innings for the Angels and 1-1 with an 8.68 ERA at Triple-A Salt Lake.
Bridwell is 11-3 with a 4.60 ERA for Baltimore and the Angels in 28 games over three seasons. He was designated for assignment last week by the Angels.
The 26-year-old Torreyes was among the most popular players in the Yankees clubhouse, a 5-foot-8 backup often hoisted into the air by teammates to high-five 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge. Torreyes hit .292 with 36 RBIs in 315 at-bats over 108 games in 2017, but spent much of this year at Triple-A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre and batted .280 with seven RBIs in 100 at-bats over 41 games for the Yankees.