Third baseman Josh Donaldson, a former Auburn baseball player, has agreed to a one-year, $23 million dollar contract with the Atlanta Braves, the organization announced Monday evening.
Donaldson entered the offseason as a free agent after spending the 2018 season with both the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians.
While at Auburn, Donaldson played as both a catcher and third baseman. During the 2005 season, he hit .294 with seven home runs. In his sophomore season he led the team with ten home runs, hitting .276. As a catcher that year he threw out 15 of 38 base stealers and had seven pickoffs. In 2007, he was named a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American.
As an MLB player, Donaldson has won two Silver Slugger Awards, been elected to three All-Star games, and was named the 2015 AL MVP.
His career batting average is .275 with 182 home runs and 551 RBIs.
Donaldson was drafted by the Chicago Cubs as the 48th overall pick in 2007 MLB Draft. Donaldson was called up to the Majors on April 20, 2010, with the Oakland Athletics.
He played for the Athletics from 2010 to 2014. He was elected to his first All-Star game in 2014 as the starting third baseman for the American League team.
He was traded to the Blue Jays during the 2014 offseason. During the 2015 season he was elected to his second All-Star game, participated in the Home Run Derby, won the Hank Aaron Award, won a Silver Slugger Award and was selected as the American League Most Valuable Player. He hit .297 with 122 runs scored, 123 RBIs, and 41 home runs that year
During the 2018 season, Donaldson was plagued with multiple injuries. His struggled with several calf strains and dead arm syndrome. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians on August 31, 2018.
He played in only 52 regular-season games in 2018, and spend time on both the 10-day disabled list and the 60-day disabled list. He averaged .246 with eight homers in 219 plate appearances.
The Braves finished the 2018 season with a 90-72 record and were first in the National League East.
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