Josh Donaldson announces his retirement from baseball

On Monday, veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson announced his retirement from baseball via “The Mayor’s Office” podcast with former MLB player Sean Casey.

Donaldson spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, rising to the top of the game with Oakland in 2013. That would mark the beginning of Donaldson’s rise to prominence as one of baseball’s top all-around players in the 2010s.

From 2013 to 2019, Donaldson had six seasons with 5 fWAR or more, placed in the top 11 of the MVP voting five times, and won the 2015 AL MVP with the Blue Jays.

Donaldson’s last highly productive season was with the Atlanta Braves in 2019. Donaldson arrived in Atlanta as a free agency on a one-year, $23 million contract, making him perhaps one of Alex Anthopoulos’ better signings while he was the Blue Jays’ general manager.

He proved to be a valuable acquisition to the Braves, anchoring the middle of their order with 37 home runs and a.900 OPS in a season worth 5.2 fWAR.

Donaldson finished 11th in the NL MVP vote that season, helping the Braves win the NL East, make the playoffs for the second straight season, and truly establish themselves as one of baseball’s top teams.

He probably had the second best one-year The longest stint by an offensive player with the Braves since 2000 (second only to JD Drew’s outstanding 2004 season).

Following his time in Atlanta, Donaldson would play for four different clubs over the next four years, including the Twins and Yankees. Donaldson produced less last season due to injuries and natural decline, playing only 50 games.

Despite his desire to continue his career in 2024, Donaldson chose to retire.

While Donaldson may not be a Hall of Famer, he has been one of baseball’s top players over the last decade. He also made the most of his time in Atlanta, and he was consistently one of Alex Anthopoulos’ best purchases in his career as a general manager.

Despite his brief tenure with the Braves, he made a significant contribution to the team’s advancement into the force they are now, including serving as a mentor to Austin Riley, his successor at third base.