Josh Donaldson Makes Huge Decision About His Future

 He's a former MVP and three-time All-Star, and now after 13 major league seasons, Josh Donaldson has decided to hang up the cleats and call it a career.

Josh Donaldson has announced his retirement after 13 seasons, three All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger Awards, and 2015 AL MVP honors. pic.twitter.com/7XUZDZ4PxS

— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2024

Donaldson won the AL MVP in 2015, helping lead the Toronto Blue Jays to the ALCS, after a season in which he batted .297 with a .939 OPS, and a 151 OPS+ . He blasted 43 homers with 123 RBIs and 122 runs in one of the great Blue Jay seasons of all-time. 

But that wasn't his only dominant season, as he finished in the Top 10 in balloting for MVP four times. In four seasons in Toronto, he had an OPS+ of 148, and to start his career with the Oakland A's, he compiled a 125 OPS+ in four years there as well. 

The end of his career, however, was marked more with controversy than anything else. His abrasive personality rubbed many teammates the wrong way, especially in the Bronx, where his performance with the New York Yankees was indicative of a career that was quickly winding down. He batted just .207 in New York, including a .142 mark to begin the 2023 season, before being released by the Yankees, and then not faring much better with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he batted .169 in 17 games. 

He finishes his 13-year career with  279 home runs, 1,310 hits, and .847 OPS and a 129 OPS+.

Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports