Baltimore Orioles Sign Former A's Third Baseman

Jason Burke | Aug 8, 2024

May 21, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics designated hitter J.D. Davis (5) celebrates with team mates after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles are signing former Oakland A's third baseman J.D. Davis, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner is reporting that this is a minor-league deal.

This will be Davis' fourth MLB organization this year. He began 2024 with the San Francisco Giants, and made it through a good bit of Spring Training with the club before they signed Matt Chapman, leading the club to release him. The A's swopped in and signed him to a one year, $2.5 million deal with $1 million in incentives.

Davis had a good first couple of series offensively with the A's in '24, but then hit a bit of a rough patch in early April and landed on the IL with a right adductor strain in mid-April, causing him to miss about three weeks. In that time, Abraham Toro caught fire at the plate and took over the hot corner, leaving Davis more or less without a regular position to play when he returned. He was playing mostly at first base and served a few games at the DH spot, but those opportunities weren't consistent.

At the beginning of June, former top prospect Tyler Soderstrom caught fire for the A's while playing first base, which hurt Davis' playing time even more. He started four games from June 1-17, and was DFA'd on June 18.

Oakland traded him to the New York Yankees in exchange for former first-round selection Jordan Groshans. Davis started six games for the Yanks from June 25 to July 27, and was DFA'd again on July 28.

Davis has hit a combined .218 with a .293 OBP this season, with four homers and a .631 OPS in 46 games.

The play here seems pretty straightforward. Baltimore just lost All Star third baseman Jordan Westburg to the IL with a right hand fracture. The hope is that he's back at some point before the end of the regular season. Another one of the many outstanding prospect the O's have, Coby Mayo, is taking over at third for the time being, and while his 0-for-13 start isn't concerning long-term, the Orioles are trying to win now.

Baltimore and New York are tied for the lead in the NL East at 68-47, so they are searching for a boost any way they can get one. Davis has struggled this season, but he's a veteran, and may be able to stabilize the hot corner for Baltimore until Westburg is able to return. This move is purely about insurance for Baltimore.