The Atlanta Braves have signed former Toronto Blue Jays All-Star and 2015 American League MVP Josh Donaldson to a one-year deal worth $23 million ttp://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-tony-wolters-jersey , according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.Donaldson is reunited with Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopolous, the same man who brought the 33-year-old over to Toronto via trade with the Oakland Athletics four years earlier.Nagging calf injuries limited Donaldson to just 52 games in the 2018 season, which diminished his trade and free agent value. The Blue Jays dealt Donaldson to the Cleveland Indians at the deadline for a minor league pitcher. Certainly not enough for one of the game's elite all-around players.advertisingDonaldson finished 2018 with a .246 batting average and .801 OPS, clubbing eight home runs and 23 RBI. He helped the Indians win the AL Central division title for a third straight year, but they were swept by the Houston Astros in the ALDS. Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY SportsA three-time All-Star, Donaldson joins an Atlanta team that won the NL East title this past season, before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. The Braves are loaded with young talent all over the roster, so Donaldson should be a terrific addition to an up-and-coming Atlanta team.That takes one premier free agent off the market, and the Braves got the stalwart third baseman and hitter at a reasonable price.advertisingWhat This MeansGiven his age and recent injury history, Donaldson entered free agency with a diminished value. Donaldson is betting on himself to reset his value for 2019 free agency Kyle Freeland Jersey , where he can hopefully stay healthy, perform like a superstar and land a bigger contract next winter.The Braves are suited well to compete for a World Series championship in 2019, and Donaldson only adds to it. If he can stay healthy, the 33-year-old will be one of the best bargain signings of the 2018 offseason. ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals will open with their surprise 2018 aces as they begin an important three-game series for both teams on Monday night.Miles Mikolas (15-4, 2.99 ERA) will start for the visiting Cardinals, with fellow right-hander Mike Foltynewicz (11-9, 2.66) getting the call for the National League East-leading Braves at SunTrust Park.Although the Braves (83-66) lost two of three weekend games to the Washington Nationals to open their final 10-game homestand of the season, they still lead the Philadelphia Phillies by 6 1/2 games and the Nationals by 7 1/2 with two weeks to play.Article continues below ...The Cardinals (82-68) trail the first-place Chicago Cubs by 5 1/2 games in the NL Central but are tied for the last wild-card spot after salvaging the finale of a four-game home series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.Atlanta, which has a magic number of eight to win the NL East, swept a three-game series in St. Louis on June 29-July 1 Chris Iannetta Jersey , outscoring the Cardinals 22-10.That was before Mike Shildt replaced Mike Matheny as St. Louis manager, though, and the Braves also have played much better on the road than at home all season.The Braves have a 45-30 road record — best in the NL — but are just 38-36 at home after 12 losses in their past 16 games in Atlanta.The Cardinals have the third-best road record at 42-33 and are 35-22 overall since Shildt took over July 15.Foltynewicz comes into the St. Louis series off a complete-game victory at San Francisco in his most recent start. The Braves need a quality outing after Julio Teheran lasted just four innings and Sean Newcomb three in losses to the Nationals that followed a six-game winning streak.“It was the best I’ve felt all season,” Foltynewicz said after allowing a run and six hits against the Giants while striking out seven and walking just one. “It was a big win for us. That whole trip was huge.”Now Foltynewicz needs a comparable follow-up back in Atlanta.“I’m learning how to pitch in September,” said Foltynewicz, who made the All-Star Game for the first time this year. “When you’re in the middle of a playoff race, every inning counts so much.”Pitching in September pressure with the Cardinals is new as well for Mikolas, who spent the last three seasons in Japan.Mikolas, though, allowed just one run in seven innings of his most recent start to beat Pittsburgh and become the first pitcher to win as many as 15 games in his first season with St. Louis since Mark Mulder in 2003.“This is crunch time http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-mcmahon-jersey ,” Mikolas said. “This is time to kind of dig deep… leave it all out there and use everything you’ve got.”Mikolas took the loss against the Braves in the opener of the series at St. Louis but deserved a better fate. He allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings.Foltynewicz won the final game of the series, allowing just one hit in five scoreless innings while striking out nine and walking three.Foltynewicz, who has 186 strikeouts in 166 innings this season, hadn’t fared well against the Cardinals before this season, though. He is 2-2 with a 7.13 ERA lifetime, working just 17 2/3 innings in four career starts.