New York Yankees Manager Aaron Boone reveals the thought process behind Josh Donaldson's mid-season release
The New York Yankees have released struggling third baseman Josh Donaldson. Aaron Boone was quick to explain why they did what they did. The news did not come as a shock to many due to his recent lack of play. His injuries had affected his performance on the field, making him a far less effective offensive player.
The surprising move came in during the season, without taking Donaldson off the 60-day Injured List. The Yankees are rarely proactive with their roster construction and any changes are slow to come. However, this move has been made keeping Donaldson's best interests in mind.
Boone was in the middle of a recording with the Talkin' Yanks crew when they received the breaking news, and they shared a clip to Twitter.
"Potentially gets him the opportunity to catch on somewhere. He wasn't going to be able to come off the IL for another couple of weeks. With our situation, and obviously bringing up some of the kids and stuff, there wasn't going to be that playing time, so we just felt like the timing was right" - Aaron Boone
This is clear and concise reasoning from the New York Yankees who know this isn't their season. While Josh will likely be able to sign with any team, assuming he goes unclaimed, not every team will be looking to sign him. His injury history and recent level of play prevent the player from becoming a potential pick as of now.
Based on a report from Mark Feinsand, Donaldson is fully healed and could be looking to sign with a contender.
"The Yankees have released Josh Donaldson. Word is his calf is fully healed, so it will be interesting to see if a contender takes a gamble on him for the final month of the season" - Mark Feinsand
If any franchise is interested in signing him for their playoff run, they won't have to wait long.
The New York Yankees' decision to release Donaldson
The release move by the Yankees benefits all parties involved and could have happened earlier. The Yankees were not getting the expected results from Donaldson, who wanted another chance at a World Series. Teams on the playoff bubble like the Texas Rangers or Toronto Blue Jays may want to take a chance if they want to add a bat.