Donaldson wants to focus on the season, not his extension
DUNEDIN — Last Thursday, Blue Jays’ third baseman Josh Donaldson came bounding into the reception area at the club’s spring training office to see GM Ross Atkins.
But before allowing him to jump in the elevator, the office receptionist insisted that The Bringer of Rain sign in. Apparently it’s routine for all visitors.
The conversation was overheard by the jaded reporters in the media room and the jokes soon began — the biggest gag being that Donaldson would be so turned off about being forced to sign in that he’d put an end to contract extension talks with the team.
Lo and behold, Donaldson faced the media at Dunedin Stadium on Monday and said that contract extension talks with the Jays have for all intents and purposes ceased, saying that he wants to concentrate on the season and help the Jays win a World Series. Of course it’s highly doubtful that his being forced to sign in last Thursday had anything to do with the current situation, but Jays fans might be sad to learn that, as far as Donaldson is concerned, he may be heading to free agency next season as a free agent.
“Ross and I and my agent ( Dan Lozano) have talked and we’re not there right now. I feel like as of right now, all my attention and my focus needs to be on this season,” said Donaldson, adding that he would not talk about a contract extension or pending free agency anymore during the 2018 season. “I want to be out there each and every day, grinding it out with the team because I know the more I’m out there at third base, the better chance we have to win.”
Donaldson said that he believes that the Jays genuinely want to sign him to a long- term deal, but they’re just not “eye to eye” at the moment.
“So I’ve talked to Ross and I explained to him that I think it would be best just to have to kind of shut that down ( extension discussions) for right now and because I feel like it’s best for me to focus on myself and focus on this team, because that’s what I know will help us win games.”
The 2015 AL MVP and threetime all- star, was asked pointblank if it was his expectation that he would be hitting free agency in the off- season.
“Yes. But that’s not to say talks between the Blue Jays and I won’t ramp up again at some point,” he said. “Because I believe they will.”
Donaldson is 32 and is coming off his first full season in the majors where he couldn’t play a full schedule, missing 49 games because of a right calf injury that flared up in spring training. Donaldson said that advanced analytics have unfairly painted players in their 30’ s with the same brush in terms of a projected decline in performance. For his part, he believes he has a lot of great years left. He hit 33 home runs in 415 at- bats with an OPS of .944 — one of his better years in relation to the amount of at- bats.
“My body feels great,” he said. “I feel that I have several more years at performing at a high level. Last year I was banged up, missed 50 games, but I felt like it was one my better seasons I’ve had in the big leagues. People look at it as — I missed 50 games, he was injured. But it wasn’t anything super- major. It was a soft muscle tissue.”
As for the Jays, Donaldson believes they’re going to surprise some people this season.
“I wouldn’t say that we’re on anybody’s radar at this point,” he said. “Which is fine. I believe this team has confidence in itself. And we believe that we’re very capable of doing damage throughout the season this year as far as winning a lot of games.”
Donaldson also believes Toronto’s rotation is one of the best in baseball and that the bullpen will come together.
“Just look at what the ( guys) have done in the past. Aaron Sanchez two years ago was probably top three, top five Cy Young Award type pitcher. J. A. Happ is one year removed from 20- game winner. I believe our starting pitching is definitely there,” he said, adding that he figures the biggest improvement this season will be offensively. Last year the Jays finished last in the AL in runs scored ( 693).
Donaldson avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one- year, $ 23 million contract for the 2018 season earlier this month.