The messy goodbye
Donaldson, Jays turned page on each other a while ago; now fans will have to let go
In the case of Josh Donaldson vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, parting was not such sweet sorrow. Divorce is never easy in any situation and, during the process, there are things said by both sides that they later regret — or at least should.
At one time it looked like the Jays and Donaldson had a future together, but after the team failed to contend and the player couldn’t stay healthy, what was said in good faith in the spring was not what was said in the days leading up to the trade.
Both sides rolled the dice and the results came up snake eyes. The Jays had believed they could compete in 2018 and that winning would be a part of selling the future to their star third baseman when it came to a new contract. Would they have signed lefty Jaime Garcia as a fifth starter for $10 million if they didn’t believe?
Donaldson in January believed that the Jays’ concept regarding the length of an extension was short. Given a full season of good health, he believed his power and production stats would speak for themselves and he would be able to cash in on his one, most lucrative kick at the free-agent can, whether with the Jays or elsewhere.
There was a mutual understanding in January, and heading to spring training, and the plan on each side seemed clear. GM Ross Atkins and the Bringer of Rain had spoken over golf and agreed that there was genuine interest in bringing the MVP third baseman back for the long term. Donaldson listened, but was intent on playing out the season before revisiting a contract with Toronto.
The Jays were on board. They did not want a repeat of the Edwin Encarnacion fiasco following the 2016 season in which they made a solid offer at the opening of free agency but pulled it off the table when he decided to explore the market.
Encarnacion found a cold free-agent market for aging sluggers and went on to sign a contract with the Indians that was, by all accounts, less than what the Jays originally had on the table.
With Donaldson, what started out as a player-club relationship, if not of affection, then of mutual respect, turned sour as the summer went on, ending with a backs-to-the-wall deadline deal with Cleveland for a player to be named later. The stress was palpable.
The relationship had spiralled beyond even the once-reasonable idea of making an $18million qualifying offer in order to gain draft-pick compensation. Atkins could not make the offer and take the chance of Donaldson accepting, thus continuing a relationship that had already been shattered.
So the general manager hurriedly reached out to take the best player offer at the 11th hour, tapping into an Indians organization with a farm system inventory with which he was personally familiar, and with front-office executives whom he would have to pull off a last minute-deal and make the best of it.
Donaldson had been on the Jays’ disabled list with calf problems from May 29 and, in order to be traded by Aug. 31, he was required to play in rehab games in the minors to prove he was healthy enough to qualify for trade waivers. That waiver period lasts 48 hours.
With Sept. 1 fast approaching. Donaldson, who was setting his own agenda, finally agreed to play on Tuesday, was put on waivers the last possible day Wednesday, when Dunedin was rained out, played on Thursday, cleared waivers at 1 p.m. Friday and was traded during the Jays game at Marlins Park with the deadline mere hours away.
By that time, the marriage was over. There was no thought of a qualifying offer or a long-term connection.
In Donaldson’s media brief- ing on the final day of the 2017 season at Yankee Stadium, he declared he was not a big fan of the Jays’ new high-performance folks how they had handled his injuries that season.
That sentiment of isolationism when it came to fixing his own body continued into 2018 as Donaldson basically chose to rehab himself.
And at a time when the Jays’ high-performance team believed Donaldson was healthy enough to play, he continued to slow-play rehab games until push came to shove at the deadline. There was conflict and frustration.
It was a wound that was never going to heal.
Donaldson has been a huge part of every decision that involved him. When he played hurt earlier in the year, it was his decision. His rehab schedule was always on his terms. When he was traded Friday night, he was consulted.
After the deal was completed, he was immediately reinstated from the 60-day disabled list and added to Cleveland’s expanded Sept. 1 roster. But after consultation with the Indians, he was placed back on the 10-day disabled list with a calf injury and sent to Triple-A Columbus to play more rehab games, thus missing out on any chance for Toronto fans to show their appreciation during a four-game weekend series at Rogers Centre. His decision. Wait until next year when the Indians visit July 22-24.
Never forget what Donaldson did for the Blue Jays in his time in Toronto.
He carried the team through the first four months of 2015 and continued his dominance as the Jays ended their 22-year playoff drought. In 2016, he continued to be the best player on the field, scoring the decid- ing run against the Rangers in the AL division series to send the Jays to their second straight AL championship series. He was a reason for coming to Jays games and a reason the stadium was rocking again.
It is always painful when a star athlete leaves the city in which he established himself and forged a bond with fans — Robbie Alomar in 1995, Roger Clemens in ’99, David Wells in 2001, Carlos Delgado in ’05, Encarnacion in ’17 and Jose Bautista in ’18.
It’s painful with Donaldson, but it’s time to turn the page.