Here's What it Will Take to Sign Josh Donaldson This Offseason

The Atlanta Braves could lose their cleanup hitter if veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson decides to skip town. The defending NL East champs have reportedlh offered the slugging third baseman a three-year deal, but that might not be enough to prevent him from leaving -- potentially for a division rival in the New York Mets or Washington Nationals.

Anthony Rendon's huge Angels contract surely set the market for sweet-swinging third basemen, and Donaldson's payday shouldn't be terribly far behind on a per-year basis given his production. With 37 home runs and plus defense last season, somewhere in the $20-$25 million range annually for a player of his caliber seems like a fair market value.

Until recently, the Braves were unwilling to give the 32-year-old Donaldson a long-term deal, but going up to four years might be the only way for any team to woo him. The Nationals, a division rival with a need at third now that Rendon is out, would be willing to add that fourth year. If they can go where the Braves and others won't, they'll be clearing a path of the Bringer of Rain to make his way to DC.

Four or five years at $25 million per year might seem like overkill, but Donaldson's power and experience in the middle of a batting order is a huge boost, and worth the price for plenty of teams.