It’s been 10 years since the Toronto Blue Jays traded for Josh Donaldson.

On November 28, 2014, the Blue Jays traded Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman, and Franklin Barreto to the Oakland Athletics for Donaldson.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueJays</a> have acquired JOSH DONALDSON from the Oakland Athletics for BRETT LAWRIE, SEAN NOLIN, KENDALL GRAVEMAN and FRANKLIN BARRETO.
&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/538536684879896577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At the time, the Blue Jays had missed the postseason for 21 consecutive seasons, the longest drought in any of the big four North American sports leagues. On July 30, 2014, the Blue Jays held on to the final Wild Card spot and were in contention for the American League East lead, but didn’t make any trades at the trade deadline and missed the postseason by five games.
As he was one to do, Blue Jays general manager, Alex Anthopoulos opened the 2014-15 off-season in a big way, moving a package to acquire Donaldson.
<h2>Josh Donaldson’s tenure with the Blue Jays</h2>
Donaldson was already a pretty darn good ball player when the Blue Jays acquired him, as he posted a 147 wRC+ and a 7.2 fWAR in 2013, as well as a 130 wRC+ and a 5.7 fWAR in 2014. However, the 2015 season was the best of his career.
In his first season with the Jays, Donaldson slashed .297/.371/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs in 711 plate appearances, with a 154 wRC+ and an 8.7 wRC+. Donaldson’s performance earned him the American League’s Most Valuable Player, the second player in Jays’ history to win the award (George Bell did it in 1987).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Josh Donaldson becomes the 2nd player in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> history to win AL MVP <a href="https://t.co/np37gyXhI0">pic.twitter.com/np37gyXhI0</a>
&mdash; Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNstats/status/667489770709385216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On top of that, the Blue Jays broke their longstanding postseason drought, making the American League Championship Series where they fell in six games to the eventual World Series winners, the Kansas City Royals. Donaldson slashed .244/.354/.537 in that run, with three home runs in 48 plate appearances for a 143 wRC+.
The 2016 season wasn’t too shabby for Donaldson either, as he slashed .284/.404/.549 with 37 home runs in 700 plate appearances for a 157 wRC+ and a 6.8 fWAR. Once again, the Jays made the American League Championship Series where they fell to Cleveland. However, one of the most memorable moments from the 2016 postseason was “Donaldson Dash”, where he scored the game-winning run against the  Texas Rangers in the American League Divisional Series.
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="TEX@TOR Gm3: Donaldson hustles home, clinches ALDS" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NqrOFMb46Vk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Donaldson’s final full season with the Jays came in 2017, where he slashed .270/.385/.559 with 33 home runs in 496 plate appearances for a 151 wRC+ and a 4.9 fWAR. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays were facing a rebuilding, and Donaldson’s 2018 season was filled with injuries. In the end, the Jays traded him for Julian Merryweather, who didn’t have much success with the Jays.
<h2>But how did the players in the package fare</h2>
Brett Lawrie was the Blue Jays’ third baseman from 2011 until the trade and was coming off a season where he slashed .247/.301/.421 with 12 home runs in 282 plate appearances for a 103 wRC+, his best season since his rookie year.
However, Lawrie only played two more seasons in baseball, slashing .255/.303/.410 with 28 home runs in 986 plate appearances with the Athletics and the Chicago White Sox for a 94 wRC+. Lawrie attempted a comeback in 2019, signing a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, but he didn’t appear for the team.
The Blue Jays selected Sean Nolin in the sixth round of the 2010 draft and he pitched just 2.1 innings with the team in 2013 and 2014. After the trade, he started six games for the Oakland Athletics, posting a 5.28 ERA and a 5.13 FIP in 29 innings pitched before being designated for assignment.
After bouncing around the minor leagues, independent ball, and Japan, Nolin returned to the big leagues in 2021 with the Washington Nationals, posting a 4.39 ERA and a 5.31 FIP in 26.2 innings pitched. Nolin signed for a Korean Baseball Organization team, before returning to the big leagues with the Miami Marlins in 2023, pitching three innings.
Franklin Barreto was a top 10 Blue Jays prospect at the time of the trade but never lived up to the hype. From 2017 until 2020, he slashed .175/.207/.342 with nine home runs in 237 plate appearances with a -1.2 fWAR and 45 wRC+. Barreto never had more than 100 plate appearances in a season, but he signed with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Former (and I mean waaaay back) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> prospect Franklin Barreto has signed a MiLB deal with the Baltimore Orioles per the tracker.
Now an outfielder, Barreto was part of the trade package for Josh Donaldson back in 2014.
&mdash; Tyson Shushkewich (@Tyson_MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tyson_MLB/status/1861369594671177923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Lastly, we have Kendall Graveman, the only player the Jays gave up in this deal who had any type of success in the big leagues. As a starter with the Athletics from 2015 until 2017, he had a 4.11 ERA and a 4.44 FIP in 407 innings pitched.
Since transitioning to a full-time reliever in 2021, Graveman has a 2.74 ERA and a 3.87 FIP in 187.1 innings pitched, along with a 24.5 K% and a 10.4 BB%. With the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros in 2021, Graveman had a 1.77 ERA and a 3.19 FIP in 56 innings pitched.
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As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.
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It’s been 10 years since the Toronto Blue Jays traded for Josh Donaldson.



On November 28, 2014, the Blue Jays traded Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman, and Franklin Barreto to the Oakland Athletics for Donaldson.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/538536684879896577

At the time, the Blue Jays had missed the postseason for 21 consecutive seasons, the longest drought in any of the big four North American sports leagues. On July 30, 2014, the Blue Jays held on to the final Wild Card spot and were in contention for the American League East lead, but didn’t make any trades at the trade deadline and missed the postseason by five games.

As he was one to do, Blue Jays general manager, Alex Anthopoulos opened the 2014-15 off-season in a big way, moving a package to acquire Donaldson.
<h2>Josh Donaldson’s tenure with the Blue Jays</h2>
Donaldson was already a pretty darn good ball player when the Blue Jays acquired him, as he posted a 147 wRC+ and a 7.2 fWAR in 2013, as well as a 130 wRC+ and a 5.7 fWAR in 2014. However, the 2015 season was the best of his career.

In his first season with the Jays, Donaldson slashed .297/.371/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs in 711 plate appearances, with a 154 wRC+ and an 8.7 wRC+. Donaldson’s performance earned him the American League’s Most Valuable Player, the second player in Jays’ history to win the award (George Bell did it in 1987).

https://twitter.com/SNstats/status/667489770709385216

On top of that, the Blue Jays broke their longstanding postseason drought, making the American League Championship Series where they fell in six games to the eventual World Series winners, the Kansas City Royals. Donaldson slashed .244/.354/.537 in that run, with three home runs in 48 plate appearances for a 143 wRC+.

The 2016 season wasn’t too shabby for Donaldson either, as he slashed .284/.404/.549 with 37 home runs in 700 plate appearances for a 157 wRC+ and a 6.8 fWAR. Once again, the Jays made the American League Championship Series where they fell to Cleveland. However, one of the most memorable moments from the 2016 postseason was “Donaldson Dash”, where he scored the game-winning run against the  Texas Rangers in the American League Divisional Series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqrOFMb46Vk&amp;ab_channel=MLB

Donaldson’s final full season with the Jays came in 2017, where he slashed .270/.385/.559 with 33 home runs in 496 plate appearances for a 151 wRC+ and a 4.9 fWAR. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays were facing a rebuilding, and Donaldson’s 2018 season was filled with injuries. In the end, the Jays traded him for Julian Merryweather, who didn’t have much success with the Jays.
<h2>But how did the players in the package fare</h2>
Brett Lawrie was the Blue Jays’ third baseman from 2011 until the trade and was coming off a season where he slashed .247/.301/.421 with 12 home runs in 282 plate appearances for a 103 wRC+, his best season since his rookie year.

However, Lawrie only played two more seasons in baseball, slashing .255/.303/.410 with 28 home runs in 986 plate appearances with the Athletics and the Chicago White Sox for a 94 wRC+. Lawrie attempted a comeback in 2019, signing a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, but he didn’t appear for the team.

The Blue Jays selected Sean Nolin in the sixth round of the 2010 draft and he pitched just 2.1 innings with the team in 2013 and 2014. After the trade, he started six games for the Oakland Athletics, posting a 5.28 ERA and a 5.13 FIP in 29 innings pitched before being designated for assignment.

After bouncing around the minor leagues, independent ball, and Japan, Nolin returned to the big leagues in 2021 with the Washington Nationals, posting a 4.39 ERA and a 5.31 FIP in 26.2 innings pitched. Nolin signed for a Korean Baseball Organization team, before returning to the big leagues with the Miami Marlins in 2023, pitching three innings.

Franklin Barreto was a top 10 Blue Jays prospect at the time of the trade but never lived up to the hype. From 2017 until 2020, he slashed .175/.207/.342 with nine home runs in 237 plate appearances with a -1.2 fWAR and 45 wRC+. Barreto never had more than 100 plate appearances in a season, but he signed with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.

https://twitter.com/Tyson_MLB/status/1861369594671177923

Lastly, we have Kendall Graveman, the only player the Jays gave up in this deal who had any type of success in the big leagues. As a starter with the Athletics from 2015 until 2017, he had a 4.11 ERA and a 4.44 FIP in 407 innings pitched.

Since transitioning to a full-time reliever in 2021, Graveman has a 2.74 ERA and a 3.87 FIP in 187.1 innings pitched, along with a 24.5 K% and a 10.4 BB%. With the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros in 2021, Graveman had a 1.77 ERA and a 3.19 FIP in 56 innings pitched.

<hr />

As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

<hr />

<h2 style="text-align: center;">Nation Gear Black Friday Sale</h2>
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Black Friday is HERE, Nation Citizens! 🏒 Score 15% off all your favorites, including the brand-new "My City" Collection and fresh drops you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re gifting a die-hard fan or upgrading your own game-day fit, Nation Gear has you covered. Spend over $200, and enjoy free shipping, too! 🛍️ But hurry—this one-week-only deal is live now! Shop exclusively at nationgear.ca and make this holiday season unforgettable!

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