Josh Donaldson was the canary in the coal mine to the Yankees’ 2023 season.
When the Yankees traded for Donaldson from the Twins in March 2022, they happily assumed the $50 million over two years on his contract, even at 36 and 37 years old. After all, Donaldson’s exit velocity in 2021 (94.1 mph) was higher than in ’15, when he won the American League MVP award (92.5).
But what happened to Donaldson—the Yankees released him Tuesday as the franchise’s third-worst hitter ever—is a lesson in why teams better be careful with exit velocity and age.
