New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone dropped a strong take on third baseman Josh Donaldson before the start of spring training games, wrote MLB Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch in a Tuesday tweet.

“I think you’re crazy to not think there’s a bounce back in there offensively,” Aaron Boone said.

Donaldson logged 106 hits, 15 home runs and 62 runs batted in during the 2022 season. He earned 546 plate appearances, just three more than he had in his final year with the Minnesota Twins and 165 less than his career high of 711 in the 2015 season.

The Yankees first acquired Donaldson from the Twins in an early 2022 trade. The Yankees sent over catcher Gary Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela for Donaldson, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and catcher Ben Rortvedt. The Yankees became responsible for Donaldson's $21 million salary in each of the next two seasons, plus a $16 million mutual option for 2024 with a $6 million buyout if it is declined by the team, according to the Associated Press.

Donaldson last earned an All-Star selection in the 2016 season, when he tied his career high of 122 runs and earned fourth place in American League MVP voting with the Toronto Blue Jays. He took 11th place in National League MVP voting in 2019, earning more vote points than then-Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story and now-Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal.

Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson said he still has faith in Josh Donaldson, nearly echoing Boone's statement in an early-February article from the Athletic.

“For a guy that’s had as long of a career as he’s had and has done things offensively that you know that he has,” Lawson said, “For him to still be motivated says a lot about him as a person.

“I fully expect for him to have this bounce-back season.”

The Yankees will face the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday at 1:05 EST in BayCare Ballpark. The game will be broadcasted on NBC Sports Philadelphia.