MLB Rumors: Donaldson problem, Dodgers trade grade, Braves-Ohtani
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Aaron Boone speaks out about Josh Donaldson problem
Josh Donaldson has been benched frequently of late by the Yankees. He has just two non-home run hits this season, and has been rather one-dimensional for a New York team that needs productivity out of its lineup without Aaron Judge.
Aaron Boone met with Donaldson prior to his scheduled press conference, and commented on the looming issues between the two sides. Will the Yankees finally pull the trigger and eat Donaldson’s money, or do they see a future with the veteran slugger contributing to the team on a regular basis?
“He’s gonna (receive playing time),” Boone said, per The Athletic. “This is just a stretch where I felt like I wanted to give him a couple of days to kind of work through. That was just kind of my decision on that through this little stretch, but I expect him to get consistent at-bats.”
Yankees fans are rightly tired of watching Donaldson. Boone and the Yankees front office have routinely been in Donaldson’s corner, however, in what would seem like a ploy to get the most out of their investment. New York already paid the majority of Aaron Hicks’ salary to rid themselves of his services. Doing the same with Donaldson would mean spending over $50 million to DFA two players.
Yes, the Yankees do like to spend money, but preferably for players who are contributing on a regular basis. For now, Donaldson can at least serve as a pinch-hitter when called upon.
“I think he should be an everyday player,” Boone said. “This is a little reset that I decided, a moment in time, that I felt like a couple days were worth it.”
While calling Donaldson an everyday player may be a bit of a stretch, it’s unlikely New York parts ways with him until after the season.