“The Twins are better for dumping Josh Donaldson, on and off field” - MLB analyst thinks the Minnesota Twins were smart to rid themselves of the controversial New York Yankees third baseman
New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson isn't winning any popularity contests right now. He's been up to his neck in bad publicity ever since he called Chicago White Sox infielder Tim Anderson Jackie on May 21. The MLB fined Donaldson an undisclosed amount of money and suspended him for one game, which Donaldson is appealing.
The 36-year-old apologized to Anderson and to the family of baseball legend Jackie Robinson but has maintained that he intended his comments to be nothing more than a joking reference to a 2019 "Sports Illustrated" story that compared Anderson to Robinson. Anderson didn't agree and said that Donaldson tried to provoke him with the comment.
Yankees star Aaron Judge reacted last night to Josh Donaldson's suspension after the Tim Anderson incident over the weekend:
"Joke or not, I just don't think it's the right thing to do there ... [Anderson's] a big part of MLB and what’s going on and how we can grow the game." https://t.co/mij6DDFQRN
"Yankees star Aaron Judge reacted last night to Josh Donaldson's suspension after the Tim Anderson incident over the weekend: 'Joke or not, I just don't think it's the right thing to do there ... [Anderson's] a big part of MLB and what’s going on and how we can grow the game.'" - @ The Recount
As this unfolds, the Minnesota Twins are quietly rolling along without Donaldson. They traded the third baseman to the New York Yankees this off-season in a package deal that also included shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and backup catcher Ben Rortvedt. In exchange, the Twins received catcher Gary Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela.
The Minnesota Twins are 32-24 this season, putting them first place in the American League Central. Last season, they finished dead last in their division with a 73-89 record. Aaron Gleeman, a staff writer for "The Athletic" covering the Twins, thinks the Donaldson deal made all the difference.
MLB analyst thinks the Minnesota Twins were smart to rid themselves of controversial New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson
Gleeman isn't pretending that Donaldson hasn't helped the New York Yankees this year. They've emerged as the league's top squad with a 39-15 record. Donaldson certainly has been a big reason for their success. Offensively, he's contributing modestly with a .229 batting average, a .737 on-base plus slugging percentage, and five home runs.
But when you compare Kiner-Falefa and Donaldson's output to that of their trade counterparts, Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela, the pros and cons become murkier. Sanchez is thriving with his new team. His .229 batting average and .735 OPS are the highest he's posted in two years, and they just about tie Josh Donaldson's numbers. Sanchez is hitting with more power than Donaldson. The 29-year-old is slugging .446 with seven home runs. Donaldson is slugging just .400.
Are the #Yankees better off without Gary Sanchez, or
Gary Sanchez is better off without the Yankees?? #RepBX https://t.co/YhI6hIGokd
"Are the #Yankees better off without Gary Sanchez, or Gary Sanchez is better off without the Yankees??" - @ Sportskeeda Baseball
Gio Urshela has also been a fantastic addition for the Minnesota Twins. He's batting .268 with a .722 OPS over 164 at-bats. It's a tight comparison between his production and Isiah Kiner-Falefa's. Kiner-Falefa is batting .274 this season, but lacks power. He's slugging just .321 with an OPS of .646.
One of the biggest reasons the New York Yankees brought in Josh Donaldson and Kiner-Falefa was for their defense, which has been excellent this season. They both own fielding percentages over .960 and have combined for just nine errors.
However, Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez combine for an even higher fielding percentage and fewer errors. Urshela's fielding percentage checks in at .965 and Sanchez's at .994. They've combined for just five errors. What's more, Sanchez has improved remarkably behind the plate. His strike rate is higher this season than New York Yankees backstop Kyle Higashioka's, who is considered a defensive catcher.
@Steve_Smith24 And look at this:
Gary Sanchez strike rate: 47.9% (24th among catchers)
Kyle Higashioka strike rate: 45.4% (35th among catchers)
"And look at this: Gary Sanchez strike rate: 47.9% (24th among catchers) Kyle Higashioka strike rate: 45.4% (35th among catchers)" - @ Matt
Even if the trade looks somewhat even on paper, the Minnesota Twins clearly helped themselves in dealing away Josh Donaldson. Their record tells the whole story.