Former Blue Jays star Josh Donaldson has turned from collecting base hits and RBIs to collecting trading cards.
The man who was known as The Bringer of Rain has revealed that he has a massive amount of memorabilia that he says is worth “about $35 million.”
During an episode of Locker 19 – a podcast and YouTube channel focused on sports memorabilia hosted by former NHLer Scottie Upshall – Donaldson made a surprise appearance.
In a video of the podcast posted on YouTube, Upshall was sitting down in a locker room with NFL legend John Elway, opening some packs of cards, when Donaldson stopped by to check out what the pair had just pulled: A 1984 Dan Marino rookie.
Donaldson showed off a quick bit of trading card knowledge, examining the Marino card and noting it was in “pretty good” condition while also noting that it had been printed “a hair off centre.”
When Elway asked the former third baseman if he “saved cards,” Donaldson replied he has a “huge collection.”
Upshall backed up the comment, confirming it is “really impressive” before Donaldson caught Elway off guard with just how big it is.
“Yeah, my collection is probably worth about $35 million,” Donaldson said, which led Elway to cough and spit out the drink he had just taken a sip of.
What kind of cards does Donaldson collect?
While the value of his collection is quite shocking, perhaps the most surprising aspect is that the former AL MVP isn’t even collecting cards from the sport he once excelled at. Donaldson apparently is all about hoops cards.
“It’s all hoops, by the way,” Upshall then pointed out to Elway, though Donaldson confirmed that he has some football, too.
Elway commented that “everyone likes hoops,” to which Donaldson replied, “that’s why it’s so nuts.”
How much did Donaldson make in his MLB career?
It’s not like Donaldson doesn’t have the money to spend on a hobby that can be as expensive as card-collecting.
According to sports salary-tracking website Spotrac, Donaldson earned an estimated $159 million over the course of his 13-year playing career. That total has him ranked as No. 79 on the list of highest career earners in MLB history.
How good was Donaldson’s playing career?
During his four years in Toronto, Donaldson was a two-time AL all-star and won the American League MVP in 2015, when he batted .297, slugged 41 home runs and led the league with 123 RBIs.
The third baseman posted a career slash line of .261/.358/.489 with 279 home runs and 816 RBIs before officially announcing his retirement from baseball on March 4, 2024.