4 Yankees offseason mistakes so far, and how to fix them

4) Yankees offseason mistake: Unwilling to eat the Josh Donaldson contract

It’s hard to mention the Yankees and not bring up the clichéd definition of insanity about doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. The Yankees are re-defining sameness. Not much has changed with them. It’s a problem.

The front office already has some regrets about the Josh Donaldson trade. They’re doubling down on it, though, keeping him on the 2023 roster. He’ll be there at third base with his .222/.308/.374 slash line from last year. His fading power and other abilities will be present. All the while, the Yankees will pay him $21.75 million.

On a different team, Donaldson might be a more effective player. On this roster, he’s another low average guy. The fact that he didn’t even hit for much power last year is a concern. Has that skill left his arsenal?

With the 2023 salary plus the $8 million buyout in 2024, there is a lot of money this ball club is on the hook for. But these are the Yankees. They are supposed to eat bad salaries and improve the team. The New York Mets sent Robinson Cano away last year and remain willing to spend money to find replacements. Not everyone can work like the Mets. At the very least, we could see the Yankees attempt to improve their ball club.

Instead, keeping Donaldson around will lead them to the same ending. They wouldn’t even have to spend a lot of money to replace him. Throw LeMahieu into the starting lineup at third base and see how you can improve the freed roster spot another way.

Donaldson should be on the DFA bubble this year. A performance like last season isn’t something fans can tolerate any longer nor should they.