Milwaukee Brewers Free Agent Targets: 3B Josh Donaldson

With the Milwaukee Brewers needing to fill the third base position this offseason, one name that should be their top target is former AL MVP, Josh Donaldson.

With Mike Moustakas now a free agent along with the uncertainty surrounding Travis Shaw in 2020, adding a new third baseman to the roster through free agency is a must this offseason. While the Milwaukee Brewers could still bring Shaw back, who is projected to make $4.7 million through arbitration, that comes with some risk after an abysmal 2019 and not knowing how he will bounce-back.

So either way, GM David Stearns should be looking to upgrade the third base position in 2020 and free agent Josh Donaldson should be a top target.

After an injury filled 2018 season that limited Donaldson to just 52 games, he bet on himself last offseason by signing a one year – $23 million deal with the Atlanta Braves and the gamble sure paid off.

For one, although injuries were an issue for Donaldson in 2017 and 2018, he was perfectly healthy in 2019, playing in 155 games. Donaldson would have a fantastic season at the plate as well, slashing .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs, 94 RBIs and a wRC+ of 132. He’s also finish with a fWAR of 4.9, which was the sixth best among third basemen, and he walked 15.2 percent of the time.

On thing of note was the discrepancy between Donaldson’s numbers at home verse on the road. At Sun Trust Park he would bat .283 with a 1.037 OPS and an OPS+ of 130. Meanwhile on the road, those numbers would plummet to .238, .785, and 75, respectively. The positive for the Milwaukee Brewers is that Miller Park is a more hitter friendly park for right-handers than Sun Trust Park is, so Donaldson could be even better as a Brewer. However, that’s a big drop in production when on the road, but by no means is that a deal breaker given his overall numbers.

As far as his defense goes, Donaldson was one of the better fielding third basemen in all of baseball last season. He finished with 15 defensive runs saved, which was second best overall, and his rPM (Plus/Minus runs saved above average) of 13 was second best as well.

While there will be less expensive options on the open market than Donaldson, such as Moustakas who could fall in the $10-$12 million per year range, there isn’t a better bat third base. Meaning Donaldson will come with a hefty price tag. According to Spotrac, Donaldson is projected to sign for three years at $18 million per year, while MLB Trade Rumors has him signing for three years at an average of $25 million per year.

At 34-years-old with his recent injury history, there is some risk involved for the Brewers in making this signing. However, with what we saw from Donaldson in 2019 in regards to his health, play at the plate, and his defense, he has earned this upcoming contract and it appears that the injuries are now just a part of the past.

Coming off of their second straight playoff appearance, the Milwaukee Brewers World Series window is still open, however, they are going to have to spend some money this offseason to maximize it. And bringing in a player of Donaldson’s caliber would be a great first step.

All stats via Baseball Reference and Fangraphs