MINNEAPOLIS _ Josh Donaldson had a lot of suitors as one of baseball's high profile free agents this winter, but the veteran third baseman finally found a home with the Twins.
"He had choices in the free agent market," Twins vice president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said, "and he chose to come here."
The 34-year-old third baseman will go from a Twins nemesis to another powerful bat in a lineup that set a major league record for home runs last season. Donaldson owns the highest batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage of any opponent in Twins history, and signed the largest free-agent contract in team history at $92 million guaranteed over four seasons.
"There's a long list of reasons," Donaldson said during a news conference at Target Field on Wednesday. "Did a lot of investigating, did a list of pros and cons, being in the American League, being in the Central, great travel, how successful this team was last year, great talent ... personal success that I've had here, enjoying the times when I have been here, all that meant a lot to me.
"Lot of people involved with this moment, and sacrifices made, from when I was in high school until now. A lot of sacrifices have been made to get to this moment today.
"When I saw ... the amount of ability that was here and the exuberance for the game and an overall talented team that was tough to play against, that was what drew me to be a Minnesota Twin.
"My first All-Star Game was in this stadium, Derek Jeter's last All-Star Game ... to come full circle is really something."
Donaldson donned a No. 24 jersey; he'd worn 20 at past stops, but that number belongs to left fielder Eddie Rosario with the Twins. "There are still conversations to be had," Donaldson joked.
"There's a small subset of players in free agency who can supply this kind of impact," said Falvey. "We're happy to have him."
Known for his competitive nature, Donaldson said, "I enjoy winning ... I don't enjoy losing."
Donaldson hit 37 homers for the Atlanta Braves last season and joins a team that had five 30 home run hitters and hit 307 home runs last season.
The former Athletic, Blue Jay, Indian and Brave valued his familiarity with the American League, where he has played his entire career except 2019. His initial conversation with the Twins included manager Rocco Baldelli in December, he said, and lasted two-and-a-half hours.
Shortly after entering free agency, he said, he told agent Dan Lozano, "Hey man, I want you to call the Minnesota Twins. I want to be there."
Said Baldelli: "Sometimes when you talk to guys who are feeling out the free agent process, those conversations are about five minutes long. We were talking, might have been a couple of hours, we touched on everything you could ask for. We felt really good after the conversation.
"It took a little while after that to make the decision, but the wait was worth it."
Donaldson was drafted as a catcher out of Auburn by the Cubs in 2007, but switched to the corner infield positions once he reached the major leagues with Oakland in 2012. He flourished with the Blue Jays, winning the American League MVP for his 41-homer, 123-RBI season in 2015 and leading Toronto to the ALCS.
"He's a tremendous third baseman ... he does it all over there and does it well," Baldelli said. "That was not lost upon us in any way. He helps us solidify our group in lot of ways defensively.
Calf and shoulder injuries limited Donaldson to 113 and 52 games in 2017 and 2018, but he came roaring back last season, winning the National League Comeback Player of the Year award for his season with the Braves, one that included a .900 OPS.
Donaldson's contract will have annual salaries of $21 million for four seasons. There is a fifth year option for $16 million; if the Twins buy out that 2024 season, the payout would be $8 million.
"It's a very successful feeling," he said. "I can't put it into words ... It's something I worked my whole career for."
