By all means, you could have called it dead the second the season ended — no way the Indians were going to be able to bring him back in 2019 and beyond — but it officially came to a close earlier today when the Atlanta Braves inked him to a one-year, $23 million bombshell of a deal.
It didn’t quite result in the finish the Indians dreamed it would, but everything about how they handled Donaldson showed why this front office has built such a strong, contending team for several seasons.
Right from the start, you can look at how and when they acquired the three-time All-Star.