Insider Urges Yankees to Change J.D. Davis Usage Plan

An MLB insider is suggesting a different utilization of the Yankees' new infielder.

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 New York Yankees are still deciding how to utilize their newest acquisition.

On Sunday, the Bronx Bombers traded for J.D. Davis from the Oakland Athletics, and plan for him to help solidify the first base and DH positions in the lineup. With Davis batting right-handed and highly regarded prospect Ben Rice batting left-handed, the Yankees can run an effective platoon at first base; on the other hand, Davis can also rotate with Aaron Judge at DH to mitigate the loss of Giancarlo Stanton.

However, MLB insider Jon Heyman has another idea: to use Davis at third base.

"[The Yankees] got J.D. Davis, which makes perfect sense for them because right now, third base is a question, first base may be a question... they certainly have some offensive questions," Heyman said on MLB Network. "They've talked about how Davis could be a platoon at first base, but I can see him playing some third base right now, the way that's going."

.@JonHeyman joins #MLBCentral to discuss the Giancarlo Stanton injury and where new acquisition J.D. Davis will fit into the Yankees' plans. pic.twitter.com/Qs1944U9qX

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 24, 2024

Davis's positional versatility in addition to his solid bat is what makes him a useful addition to the Yankees, as there are holes at both the corner infield positions; while Davis has seen more time at first base this year with Oakland, he played 116 games at third base last year with the San Francisco Giants, which also makes him a viable option there.

New York's third base situation at the moment is less than ideal, to say the least. DJ LeMahieu has struggled immensely since making his season debut on May 28, as he's only hitting .185 with no extra-base hits and a 44 wRC+ in 76 plate appearances. Oswaldo Cabrera has slumped badly after a fantastic start to the year, as his OPS has fallen to .620; his additional defensive prowess at many other positions also makes him better suited as a superutility player than as an everyday player at one position.

Although Ben Rice has only played six games so far at the major league level, he's put up good at-bats so far in his brief time, and the Yankees can hopefully see even more development as his playing time increases at first base. While platooning him with Davis on a righty-lefty basis is a useful strategy, allowing Rice to face left-handed pitching is the best way for him to improve against them, thus being more beneficial in the long run.

The Yankees can do a lot with Davis, who can hit for power and play in two positions of need for the team; if they can decide on the best way to utilize him, then the Bronx Bombers should have an infield asset for the rest of the season.