The New York Yankees decided to move on from a former American League MVP winner. On Tuesday, the team released third baseman Josh Donaldson after two years with the team. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reported the big news on Tuesday afternoon.
“The New York Yankees have released third baseman Josh Donaldson,” Passan said.
The New York Yankees have released third baseman Josh Donaldson.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 29, 2023
Donaldson went 2-for-16 with three walks over his last five games with the Yankees. He muscled a home run across that span, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep him in pinstripes.
In two years with the Yankees, he slashed .207/.293/.385, good for an OPS of just .678. He hit 25 home runs, 15 last year, and 10 this year.
This season, Donaldson slashed .142/.225/.434 for an OPS of a wobbly .659.
At the time of the trade, Donaldson looked to be declining. He was involved in the trade that sent Gio Urshela to the Minnesota Twins and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to New York, as well. IKF and Donaldson have both not really panned out and Yankee fans have shared great displeasures with both of them for the past two seasons. However, IKF has gotten a lot less heat this season, as the entire team has really struggled.
Having said that, the release of Josh Donaldson doesn’t come as much of a surprise. He clearly wasn’t getting acclimated, and his performance also dramatically suffered. His two seasons in New York are the worst of his career.
