A's to Sign Former S.F. Giants Third Baseman

Davis is the fifth former Giant the A's have added this winter

The Oakland A's just can't stop adding former San Francisco Giants to their roster this winter, with J.D. Davis reportedly set to sign with the team according to Robert Murray of FanSided. 

Davis was released by the Giants on March 11 following the team's addition of Matt Chapman at third base. San Francisco is also under some scrutiny for releasing Davis, a decent Major League player, to avoid paying his salary. This is something they can technically get out of since they went to arbitration and Davis won his hearing for $6.9 million, but will receive just $1.1 from the Giants. 

Last season with the Giants, Davis hit .248 with a .325 OBP and 18 home runs, good for a 104 wRC+, or four percent better than league average. The right-handed hitter will be entering his age 31 season with the A's in 2024. 

With the addition of Davis, that likely means that he is the club's starting third baseman on Opening Day. Last season he was a pretty solid defender at the position, collecting +5 outs above average according to Statcast. The only other position he has recent experience in playing is first base, though he did also play a bit in left field earlier in his career. 

With the addition of Davis, Abraham Toro will be the team's utility player and Darell Hernaiz will either be starting off in Triple-A Las Vegas, or as the team's starting shortstop. Shortstop Nick Allen hasn't seen game action since March 1. 

With Ángel Felipe undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier in the day, the A's will have an open spot on the 40-man for Davis to slide right into without losing anybody once Felipe is added to the 60-day IL. 

One thing to keep an eye out for with Davis is that he has been smoking the ball the past two seasons. The average exit velocity around baseball has been 88.4 miles per hour, and in 2022 Davis was clubbing 'em at 92.4 mph. He followed that up last year by connecting at 91.1 mph. That's right in line with Brent Rooker and Ryan Noda, the two A's last season with the highest exit velocities. 

According to Ken Rosenthal, Davis' deal will be a one-year pact worth $2.5 million with $1 million in incentives.