J.D. Davis was acquired by the New York Yankees from the Oakland Athletics along with cash on Sunday for minor league infielder Jordan Groshans. New York went for first base depth after Anthony Rizzo broke his forearm and Giancarlo Stanton strained a hamstring. Davis hit .236 with four home runs and five RBI in 135 plate appearances for the A’s. He signed a $2.5 million contract in mid-March with Oakland and designated him for assignment on Tuesday. Davis defeated the San Francisco Giants in arbitration and was awarded a $6.9 million salary as part of a non-guaranteed contract. However, he was ultimately released by the Giants.
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired infielder J.D. Davis and cash considerations from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for infielder Jordan Groshans.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees have transferred RHP Nick Burdi to the 60-day injured…
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 23, 2024
Yankees Acquire J.D. Davis from Athletics for Jordan Groshans
His run with the A’s didn’t go so smoothly. Davis lost a few weeks to an adductor strain and appeared in 39 games. Davis needs to be an above-average hitter to provide value to a team like the Yankees. He’s a limited baserunner and defender who has spent the majority of his time at first base this season.
Davis has 97 innings at third base with 148 frames at first base. His defensive grades haven’t been so great. His workload this season is a small sample, something that’s in line with Davis’ track record as a middling defensive third baseman.
Davis has been solid for most of his career. He was an above-average hitter from 2019-22, hitting a collective .276/.363/.457 slash in more than 1,200 plate appearances between the Mets and Giants. Davis walked a strong 10.5 percent rate to offset a 27.3 percent strikeout clip in that stretch. He even had a league average of .248/.325/.413 line with 18 home runs in a career-high 144 games in his final season with the Giants.
With Rizzo and Stanton out, Davis figures to see action at first base, maybe even splitting time with Ben Rice, and maybe DH for the Yankees. Davis’ club control will expire after this season.
Main Photo: © Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
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