The Impact of Donaldson and McCutchen Joining AL Contenders

By Matt Loehle, Senior Baseball Analyst

Donaldson becomes part of the Tribe: 2018 has not been kind to the Bringer of Rain, as he has been limited to 36 games this season due to a nagging calf injury. In that span, he’s hitting an underwhelming .234 with 5 home runs. The Blue Jays shipped him out to Cleveland, ending Donaldson’s very productive three year stretch with Toronto. Despite ending his Blue Jays career on a disappointing note, Donaldson is still a fearsome hitter. Cleveland is gambling that 1) he returns healthy for the playoffs, and 2) that he produces like 2016 Josh Donaldson. The Indians immediately put him on the 10-day disabled list, not messing around whatsoever with his calf injury. Donaldson is a free agent at the end of this season, so it is paramount for the Indians to extract the full postseason value out of the slugger.

Donaldson fits in almost perfectly with the Indians. I previously wrote a piece about the Indians potentially acquiring Manny Machado, and how it would be the perfect fit for both parties. Well, Josh Donaldson is the next best thing. He immediately fills a “void” in the infield (Jason Kipnis), making the Cleveland infield the most deadly squad in all of baseball – better than even the Astros’ infield. Donaldson, Lindor, Jose Ramirez, and Edwin Encarnacion will be downright scary for opposing pitchers in the playoffs. Jason Kipnis will predictably move to the outfield to join Michael Brantley (.304 batting average) and Melky Cabrera (veteran presence, .284 batting average). That is right up there with the best offenses in baseball.

This was a good trade for both teams, considering the current positions. Ideally, the Blue Jays should have traded Donaldson earlier and received a better package in return. He’s getting up there in age and likely would not have re-signed with Toronto after this season. However, the prospect they received is a decent 26-year-old pitcher – an arm that can compete for a rotation/bullpen spot next season. There isn’t much trade value in an injured, underwhelming 32-year-old on the final year of his contract and will soon demand a great deal of money. For the Indians, however, he is a worthwhile gamble that can pay off with a World Series win. The prospect traded away was of little value to Cleveland. So – all in all, decent trade for Toronto, great trade for the Indians. Astros and Red Sox better watch out; the Tribe is coming in hot for the playoffs.

McCutchen Becomes a Yankee: Andrew McCutchen joins Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in what will become a big-named outfield. The Yankees are cruising toward a Wild Card spot, but they have their sights on a deep playoff run. McCutchen is no longer the player that can singlehandedly carry a team; and, unlike Donaldson, I don’t think there is any chance that he returns to that level of performance. McCutchen this season has batted .250 with 15 homers and 14 steals. He has assumed leadoff duties since coming over, and has a very straightforward job: get on base. His OBP is nothing special (.357), so his production will have to improve in order to make an honest impact in the Yankees lineup. Perhaps playing in a very hitter-friendly ballpark will help McCutchen pump those numbers up.

Although he is a solid player and will help the offense while Judge is gone, he doesn’t really come close to pushing the Yankees over the edge. If his name wasn’t McCutchen, I don’t think people would be nearly as excited about this trade. Chris Taylor on the Dodgers has similar numbers this season – if he was acquired by New York, it would barely make headlines. The Yankees weakness is still their rotation, and this trade does little to compensate for that. However, it is a cheap and legitimate improvement to their team, and I can’t bash any playoff team for that. Plus, McCutchen’s veteran impact in the clubhouse during the playoffs could be beneficial in immeasurable ways.