3 Yankees players who need to step up before it’s too late

Josh Donaldson

The media had the audacity to ask Josh Donaldson about his status for the 2024 season when he's still yet to find his footing in 2023 after his worst career campaign in 2022. Why are we even breathing life into the Yankees potentially picking up his team option for next year when he's yet to positively contribute one bit since arriving in New York?

Donaldson is making $21.75 million this season and the reason he needs to turn it around before it's too late is because, if the Yankees have a shred of dignity, they should consider designating him for assignment within the next five weeks if he continues to flail at 94 MPH middle-middle fastballs. Donaldson's at-bats are the equivalent of the worst kind of slasher movie for Yankees fans because of how agonizing they are.

Not only that, but his defense can be replaced by DJ LeMahieu, who is an equally competent glove at the hot corner. DJLM's been struggling with his bat, too, but nowhere near the level of Donaldson's futility (.213 AVG, .683 OPS since joining the Yankees).

And again, with Oswald Peraza tearing it up at Triple-A, what's the point of keeping him there for a majority of this season when things really can't get worse with Donaldson at the moment? The Yankees hummed along without him from April 6 until June 1. There was a noticeable difference in the team's performance. Nobody even noticed he was gone. And now everybody notices he's back for all the wrong reasons, particularly for his recent defensive gaffes.

If he's not hitting the ball a month from now, he should be the second massive DFA of the 2023 season for the Bombers.