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Atlanta Braves Continue Josh Donaldson Watch, Miss Out On Moustakas

By Deke Lloyd

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Atlanta Braves runs bases during his seventh inning home run against the New York Mets at SunTrust Park on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves won 11-7. (Photo by John Amis/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Atlanta Braves runs bases during his seventh inning home run against the New York Mets at SunTrust Park on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves won 11-7. (Photo by John Amis/Getty Images) /
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Yesterday, Mike Moustakas signed a deal to play for the Cincinnati Reds. Now, with Moustakas off the board, the Atlanta Braves have one less option if Josh Donaldson chooses to sign elsewhere this offseason.

Coming into the offseason, the Atlanta Braves knew one of the proprieties would be resigning Josh Donaldson to a long-term deal or finding his replacement through free agency or on the roster. With Donaldson having a stellar comeback last season, the Braves knew the price would be high for the former AL MVP. Now, as the offseason has progressed, and the rumors of Donaldson signing elsewhere, the Braves could be looking for other options for third base next season.

If Donaldson did decide to move on to Texas or Los Angeles, Mike Moustakas, the former Royals and Brewers third baseman, was viewed as a more affordable option for the Braves. With the news of his signing yesterday, any ideas of bringing Moustakas to Atlanta were quickly snuffed out. Now, the Braves have to resign Donaldson or trot out a player that won’t be nearly as good as Josh Donaldson.

Following the Moustakas signing, the remaining free agents at third base start to decline rapidly. Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson are atop the list with the pair looking for big paydays for their services next season. After those two, Todd Frazier, Asdrubal Cabrera, Pablo Sandoval, and Sean Rodriguez. After that, the remaining free agents take a sharp decline.

If the Braves can no address their third base vacancy through free agency, the Braves will have to find someone that is already with the organization. Yesterday, news broke that Charlie Culberson would not be brought back for next season. That leaves Johan Camargo and Austin Riley as the two players who can play third base still on the roster. However, Riley is listed as an outfielder. After struggling last season, the Braves seem to prefer seeking an option through free agency rather than having Camargo or Riley as the everyday third baseman.

The longer Josh Donaldson waits to make his decision, the fewer options the Braves have moving toward next season. Maybe Alex Anthopoulos knows something we don’t know and is expecting Donaldson to return to Atlanta next season. Let’s hope that’s the case because if not, the hot corner will be distinctly different from what we saw last season with Donaldson.

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