SF Giants agree to one-year, $4.21 million deal with J.D. Davis

According to a report by Giants Baseball Insider, the SF Giants agreed to a one-year, $4.21 million deal with J.D. Davis to avoid arbitration.

Marc Delucchi | Jan 13, 2023

SF Giants agree to one-year, $4.21 million deal with J.D. Davis /

In this story:

San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants agreed to a one-year, $4.21 million deal with corner infielder J.D. Davis, a source told Giants Baseball Insider. The Giants acquired Davis in a four-player from the New York Mets for Darin Ruf at this year's trade deadline, and Davis almost immediately became one of the best sluggers on the Giants roster.

SF Giants infielder J.D. Davis jogs around the bases after hitting a home run against the Dodgers. — SF Giants corner bat J.D. Davis rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Dodgers. (2022) / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Players are subjected to several years of arbitration as part of the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and MLBPA before they reach free agency. If a team does not reach an agreement with an arbitration-eligible player, both sides will make a case for a specific salary number for an arbitrator, who will rule in one side's favor. There are obvious reasons for teams to try and avoid going to arbitration. Several players have openly discussed being hurt by arbitration proceedings, where teams are incentivized to make a case that a player is worse and deserves a lower salary.

Davis was a consistent everyday player for the Mets from 2019-2021, hitting .288/.373/.472 with 33 home runs in 269 games over that span. However, his struggles defensively pushed the Mets to pursue other options along the infield. Relegated to a platoon/bench role in 2022, Davis hit just .238/.324/.359 in 66 games with the Mets prior to the trade. Once he arrived in San Francisco, though, things changed.

In 49 games with the Giants, Davis blasted eight homers and hit .263/.361/.496. He also had a solid showing defensively at both first and third base. Moreover, Ruf struggled mightily with the Mets while all of the prospects the Giants acquired had some exciting flashes to finish the season.

Heading into 2023, J.D. Davis is expected to be one of the best hitters on the SF Giants this season. Since the Giants were unable to make a notable acquisition on the infield, Davis could be the team's primary third baseman this season. Although he will also likely see playing time at first base and designated hitter.

Published Jan 13, 2023

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).