Josh Donaldson signs with the Minnesota Twins

This just in: editor Heath is destroyed as Josh Donaldson foregoes a chance at a World Series in Braves country to chase one down with Minnesota, instead:

Here’s the dollar amount:

So, Atlanta didn’t want to spend $100 million. I suppose I get it. But now my beloved Braves desperately need a cleanup hitter. Might sound crazy, but if Dansby Swanson returns to his first half form of 2019, I could see him batting in the two-hole against right-handers while Albies bumps down to cleanup. That would certainly extend the lineup a bit.

The proverbial door is also wide open for an Austin Riley revival in Year 2. That would also deepen the lineup, but it’s tough to bank on that rolling into a year full of expectations. I’ll be curious to see what move(s) the Braves have up their collective sleeves in a ridiculously competitive NL East. I haven’t ranked shortstops yet, but Swanson is going to be one of my targets this year at his 275 ADP. You’re not spending anything to see how sustainable his first half was last year.

As for Donaldson—I mean, this is supposed to be about him—his move to the Twins would appear to bump Miguel Sano to first base and Marwin Gonzalez into a utility role. Here’s one projected lineup:

With Kepler and Polanco likely occupying the top two spots in the order, it should be a combination of Eddie Rosario, Josh Donaldson, and Nelson Cruz filling the 3-4-5 spots. Sano and Mitch Garver would then do battle for the 6-7 spots. That’s not a huge deal for Garver, a catcher. But for Sano this seems like a bit of a ding to his value. The 6-spot is probably the best he can hope for on a regular basis, but he’s got some competition there in Garver, Luis Arraez, and Byron Buxton. My gosh, what a stacked lineup the Twins have.

Donaldson’s ADP of 105 or so is going to rise with this new clarity. He should leap over Mike Moustakas (101), Matt Chapman (86), and Jeff McNeil (85) fairly easily. And I don’t see why folks would consider Max Muncy (77) without considering Donaldson (unless they were hunting for a second baseman and/or Muncy’s positional flexibility). In my opinion, Donaldson belongs in that Eugenio Suarez (61) and Manny Machado (63) grouping. The ADP around 100 seems pretty crazy to me. For fantasy baseball purposes, Donaldson is closer to Machado than he is to Moustakas...

What say you all? This is obviously a huge move for the Twins. But what can the Braves do after missing out on this opportunity? Vote in the poll below for what my cleanup-hitter-starved Bravos should do next!