Will Josh Donaldson be more than a straggling bat for Cleveland?

The Cleveland Indians acquired Josh Donaldson fresh off the DL, so will he be boom or bust?

The Cleveland Indians do not have to sweat, as they are arguably in the worst division in baseball. They haven’t had to worry about the division crown since May. But, the team got foreseeably better on paper when they got Donaldson out of Toronto’s hands. The third baseman has only played 36 games so far this season, and now he’s getting into a pennant race now.

So, he really is going to have to get adjusted quick back into the major league game. The slugger used to be an MVP(8.7 WAR in 2015), so there’s no reason he couldn’t get back to that level. With that said, third base is his to have, considering Jose Ramirez will shift to second. That should give Donaldson the confidence to get back to his star self. Unfortunately the timing isn’t all that great.

In his limited time on the field, the infielder hit .234 with 5 home runs and 16 RBI. His production was a huge decline from previous seasons, so it was obvious something was wrong. Now, presumably he is back to 100% or at least 85%. Will he be a straggler for Cleveland, or back to his normal productive self?

With enough at bats, Donaldson should round back to form, but it would be better if it was July and not September. In the playoffs, all he’ll be facing is dominant pitchers for the most part. So, hopefully for Cleveland, he can be a threat in the lineup and not a shell of what he once was.

Overall, Donaldson with enough experience could be a threat at the dish once again. This could be one of the best trades of the season if all goes well. We’ll just have to wait and see as the season progresses to the end of the regular season.