Josh Donaldson’s tenure with the Yankees has come to an end, as the team announced that the veteran third baseman was released on Tuesday.
Donaldson will leave New York after two seasons with the franchise. He featured in a total of 165 games with the team, having struggled to produce on offense while also battling injuries in 2023.
The 37-year-old was placed on the 10-day IL with a calf injury on July 16, and he was subsequently transferred to the 60-day IL later that month. At best, Donaldson would’ve been targeting a return to action on Sept. 14, the first day he’d be eligible for activation from the Injured List.
However, with the Yankees falling out of playoff contention and opting to give more opportunities to young players, the team no longer had a role for him to play. New York has been utilizing young talents such as Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza at third base of late, a tactic they figure to deploy throughout the rest of the season.
Donaldson was in the final season of a four-year, $92 million deal he signed with the Twins. He earned $21 million in each of his two seasons with the Yankees and had a mutual option for $6 million in 2024, which won’t be picked up.
The 2015 AL MVP was limited to just 33 games this year, slashing .142/.225/.434 with 10 home runs and 15 RBI.
