MLB free agency: Blue Jays place value on Josh Donaldson ahead of extension talks

The Blue Jays have come up with a value for Josh Donaldson if the two parties potentially talk about an extension for star third baseman, according to Shi Davidi and the staff at Sportsnet.

Toronto general manager Ross Atkins revealed the process that helped them obtain the value to Davidi at a Pitch Talks event in Toronto on Thursday. Atkins said the club looks at “objective factors such as historical aging curves and offensive and defensive evaluations.” In addition, the team’s “front office also weighs subjective information such as leadership skills to arrive at a conclusion.”

“That determines a value. We come up with a number and that number is X,” Atkins said in the report. “We do have that number. We have come up with a clear walkaway that we would be willing to commit to him to extend for him to remain a Blue Jay probably for the rest of his career.”

Donaldson will make $23 million this year after he and the Blue Jays struck the record-breaking one-year deal on Jan. 12 to avoid arbitration. He is expected to make more than that if he elects for free agency after the season, barring teams that have any interest in him — such as the Cardinals — try to make a trade for him.

Donaldson has proven he is worth having in the lineup after smacking 33 homers while posting a .270/.385/.559 slash line and a 4.8 WAR in 113 games in a 2017 season that was held back by injury. In the three seasons prior, Donaldson hit 29, 41 and 37 homers, respectively, earning an All-Star selection in all three seasons and was named the AL MVP in 2015.