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Josh Donaldson is likely to be the next big name free agent off the board and MLB.com’s Mike Petriello took a closer look at which teams need him the worst. Unsurprisingly the Braves made the Top 3 along with the Nationals and the Rangers.
While the bidding has reportedly exceeded what Texas was willing to spend, it appears to be the Braves and the Nationals who are battling it out for his services. Atlanta needs Donaldson’s bat to solidify their middle of the order while Washington is looking for someone to plug the hole left after Anthony Rendon left for the Angels.
More Braves News
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden hands out midterm offseason grades with the Atlanta Braves earning a B+ with the additions of Will Smith, Cole Hamels and Travis d’Arnaud. That is the second best mark in the division trailing only the Phillies who received an A-.
Hot Stove
The Houston Astros agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with free-agent reliever Joe Smith. Smith made 84 appearances and posted a 3.06 ERA over the last two seasons in Houston.
The St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with Korean pitcher Kwang-Hyun Kim. The deal also reportedly includes up to $1.5 million in incentives.
The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly have a deal with Japanese pitcher Shun Yamaguchi. The deal is reportedly a two-year pact that is worth a combined $6 million.
More MLB News
ESPN’s Steve Richards dives into the new three-batter-minimum rule that will go into effect for the 2020 season.
The Minnesota Twins are hiring Mike Bell to serve as bench coach replacing Derek Shelton. Bell previously served as the Diamondbacks’ farm director/Vice President of player development.
The Detroit Tigers will retire Lou Whitaker’s number in a ceremony at Comerica Park on August 29. He will be the 10th Tiger to have his name and number retired.