J.D. Davis defeats SF Giants in arbitration, to receive $6.9 million salary

The SF Giants went to court to argue that slugger J.D. Davis wasn't as good as he thinks he is only to lose the $350,000 dispute.
J.D. Davis defeats SF Giants in arbitration, to receive $6.9 million salary
J.D. Davis defeats SF Giants in arbitration, to receive $6.9 million salary /
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The SF Giants lost their arbitration case against third baseman J.D. Davis. The Giants were unable to come to terms on a contract with the veteran slugger earlier this offseason, and so the two sides let an arbitrator decide his 2024 salary. The Giants had filed at $6.55 million while Davis had filed at $6.9 million. Since the arbitrator ruled in Davis' favor, he will receive $6.9 million.

SF Giants third baseman J.D. Davis throws the ball during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on June 20, 2023.
SF Giants 3B J.D. Davis throws a ball to first base against the Padres. (2023) / Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Davis, 30, was the primary third baseman for the Giants this past season. He got off to an excellent start, showcasing vastly improved defense at the hot corner alongside an OPS north of .800. However, late in the season, perhaps due to several minor injuries, Davis' offensive production took a significant step back. Nevertheless, he was a solid everyday player overall. He finished the season hitting .248/.325/.413 with 23 doubles and 18 home runs in 546 plate appearances (144 games).

Davis remains at the center of one of the best trades of Farhan Zaidi's tenure in San Francisco. Relegated to a bench role on the New York Mets, Davis was included in a four-player package that New York sent to San Francisco for Darin Ruf at the 2022 trade deadline. While Ruf would struggle mightily in New York and end up released, Davis emerged as a viable everyday player with the Giants while the trio of pitching prospects (Thomas Szapucki, Carson Seymour, and Nick Zwack) have all had some promising moments in the team's farm system.

The Giants have been consistently tied to free agent third baseman Matt Chapman (#7-ranked free agent), which would leave Davis without a clear spot in the lineup. While he could make an excellent bench bat/backup, it's easy to envision the Giants potentially moving Davis in a trade, especially if they make multiple additions this offseason and prioritize getting below the luxury tax threshold.

This marks the second time since Zaidi became the Giants president of baseball operations that the team will head to arbitration with a player. The team won an arbitration case over a $650,000 disparity with infielder Donovan Solano following the 2020 season. Solano's case was the first arbitration hearing the SF Giants had had with a player in nearly 20 years.


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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).