The Blue Jays have 10 days to extend Josh Donaldson before arbitration

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Josh Donaldson and the Blue Jays submitted arbitration figures that were so, so close: Donaldson at $11.8 million, and the Jays at $11.35 million. Somehow, they didn’t just work out this difference of $450,000 yet, and they are now headed for an arbitration hearing on February 15 -- those hearing dates are supposed to be confidential, but Ken Rosenthal is good at his job. The only thing that will stop this from going to actual arbitration is a multi-year contract, as the Jays have given no indication of an interest in negotiating a one-year deal before the arbitrator is forced to pick between the two sides. There are just 10 days left to make a multi-year deal happen.

Donaldson won’t be going anywhere after those 10 days, of course: he’ll just play for either $11.8 or $11.35 million in 2016, his second of four arbitration years before free agency. It’s in the Jays’ best interest to try to lock Donaldson in at a set price for those three years, though, especially if they can also throw in an option or buyout some early free agency seasons of Donaldson’s. It’s also a bad look to go to arbitration with the reigning AL MVP over less than the cost of a minimum-salary player.

This is the first of three major negotiations the Jays have to navigate over the next few months. Edwin Encarnacion is a free agent at season’s end, and isn’t going to negotiate an extension once the season begins. Jose Bautista hasn’t made any such demands, but even at his age, with his track record, re-signing him isn’t going to be an easy task -- especially not with all the money floating around the game these days.