On Monday, former Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson announces his retirement, who was also a $50 million bust in his two seasons in the Bronx.
ESPN’s Michael Kay calls out ‘one of the worst trades’ Yankees’ Brian Cashman has ever made https://t.co/Z0ICCfUPpc
— Bobby Milone (@BobbyMilone29) March 5, 2024
Donaldson’s MLB career recorded a remarkable peak performance from 2013 to 2016 and ended in a stint with the Yankees in 2022-23.
It was in March 2022, that the Yankees traded infielder Gio Urshela and catcher Gary Sanchez and acquired Donaldson, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and catcher Ben Rortvedt.
Donaldson had acknowledged the challenges of adapting to the team’s environment and the pressures of playing in New York.
Following his retirement announcement, ESPN radio host Michael Kay and also Yankees play-by-play announcer on YES Network seize the moment to roast GM Brian Cashman.
Kay said on Monday afternoon,
"If you think about that deal with the Twins — and everybody who listens to the show, I get a lot of grief for it … I think that Brian Cashman does a very good job — but that trade with the Minnesota Twins is one of the worst trades he’s ever made."
Evidently, for two years, Donaldson had failed at the plate with fans booing him, the Yankees released Donaldson before the end of last season, and he was signed by the Brewers.
ESPN host Kay added on his radio show,
"Just think about how it worked out: Josh Donaldson, you got to pay him $50 million for two really bad seasons and that clogged up third base for you to do anything else. You brought in [Isiah Kiner-Falefa] to play shortstop. It was an epic failure. He ended up being somewhat valuable to you when he could play all over the diamond, but as a shortstop that wasn’t happening, and he didn’t even start at shortstop in the postseason that year. And then the second year of that, he played all over the diamond."
