Third baseman Josh Donaldson and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a US$23-million, one-year contact, a $6-million raise for the 2015 AL MVP.
The 32-year-old three-time all-star, who was eligible for arbitration, becomes the highest paid player on the Jays.
Donaldson rebounded from an injury-slowed 2016 to hit .270 last season with 33 homers and 78 runs batted in over 113 games. The sure-handed infielder missed time from April 14 through May 25 with a calf injury, which also hampered him during spring training.
Donaldson was coming off a $28.65-million, two-year deal. He is eligible for free agency after this season.
Donaldson has a .285 batting average with 111 home runs and 300 RBIs over three seasons in Toronto.
Earlier, the Jays announced they have avoided arbitration with outfielder Ezequiel Carrera and left-hander Aaron Loup, signing the pair to one-year contracts for 2018.
Jays, Donaldson avoid arbitration with $23M deal. MORE: https://t.co/Dj5iAqGXTK pic.twitter.com/7OF6cRQxyN
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 12, 2018