Aaron Boone's latest Josh Donaldson comments reaffirm ridiculous Yankees stance

Josh Donaldson’s time as a New York Yankee is not coming to an end just yet. In fact, it seems as though he will play a big role with the club in 2023.

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke glowingly about Donaldson, saying, "I think you're crazy to think that a bounce-back is not in there offensively.”

You might say Boone is crazy to think a bounce-back is in there offensively.

In fairness to Boone, it’s hard to be much worse than Donaldson was in 2022, so even a slight improvement would technically be a bounce back. 

In 132 games last season, Donaldson posted a .222/.308/.374 slash line with just 15 home runs. Donaldson struck out in 27.1% of his at-bats, the 11th highest rate in baseball. His 1.6 WAR (wins above replacement) ranked 20th among MLB third baseman, according to Fangraphs. The Yankee third baseman ranked three spots below Gio Urshela, the player he was traded for.

Fangraphs projects Donaldson to post a .224/.320/.401 slash line with 16 home runs over 99 games in 2023, just slightly better than 2022.

The Yankees' continued faith in Donaldson is puzzling. The Bronx Bombers are known for their home run prowess, something Donaldson clearly does not provide. Donaldson’s slugging percentage dropped over 100 points last season. His 15 home runs were the lowest full season output of his career.

Donaldson’s play has dropped off the proverbial cliff. 

The Yankee third baseman has also proven to be a bad leader. Yankees fans will forever remember Donaldson doing home run trots on balls that failed to leave the park, resulting in him getting thrown out on the base paths. It's also hard to forget that he was suspended last season for calling White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson “Jackie.”

The Yankees are likely to open the season with rookie Oswald Pereza at shortstop, and there is a chance fellow rookie Anthony Volpe could also be on the roster. Donaldson is the last guy that should be teaching young players. 

Starting Donaldson at third base is the fastest way to ensure the Yankees' World Series drought will extend to 14 seasons.