Trade rumors are heating up with J.D. Davis. The San Francisco Giants and Matt Chapman had mutual interest throughout the offseason before getting a deal done last weekend. Now that Chapman is with the Giants, Davis will lose his spot in the lineup. There’s speculation that a trade might be in the works.
“I don’t really want to put my foot in my mouth because I don’t really know what the game plan is and what Farhan wants to do or how he wants to go about it,” Davis said to The San Francisco Chronicle. “I felt like I proved myself this last year, having just 30-35 bad games and not really wanting to take the back seat. However, I want to win games. I want to do what’s best for the team, and we’ll just go from there.”
There are three possible outcomes for his current situation with the Giants: He gets traded, he moves to a bench role, or he keeps his starting spot at third, with Chapman shifting over to play shortstop. Both players are familiar with each other from their time together as Cal State Fullerton teammates.
J.D. Davis Caught Off Guard with Chapman Signing
Davis is overqualified for a bench role. He can pursue an everyday third base job in free agency next winter but has few options. Davis said he was willing to do “whatever the team needs,” even after he called the signing “definitely surprising,” stating that he was unaware that the team was adding Chapman before the news hit publicly.
He has regularly played with the Giants and New York Mets over the past five seasons. Although, last year’s .248/.325/.413 slash line was his weakest since he became a regular. He even received some criticism for his glove. There was a split in his defensive grade in 2023 as Defensive Runs Saved considered him one of the worst third basemen in the league with 11 runs below average. There needs to be consideration of how Davis is comparable to Chapman with the glove. However, pairing average or improved defense with his power potential would make him a good everyday player for certain teams.
Potential Landing Spots
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are stocked with sluggers at multiple positions. For a team looking to return to October baseball, upgrades will always be a welcoming idea. Could the Yankees soon add more to the roster in a trade for Davis? It might a win-win for both teams. The utilityman would provide depth at both infield corners and at third base. New York may come calling for Davis, as some of their infield positions are precarious yet inexperienced.
Seattle Mariners
Third base plans for the Seattle Mariners could be a platoon option in Josh Rojas and Luis Urias. It is the ideal option for Opening Day, but not so much down the line come late July. Adding someone like Davis would be a significant upgrade over Urias as a third base platoon. If both teams agree to a trade, then Davis would be Seattle’s best option at the position regularly.
Toronto Blue Jays
Surprisingly, the Toronto Blue Jays needed help finding a way to bring back Chapman. That leaves a glaring hole for the Blue Jays as they’ll go with Isiah Kiner-Falefa at the hot corner. It might be weird to some to replace a Gold Glover with the guy Chapman displaced in San Francisco. It shouldn’t be the case because they need to improve the team slightly. Davis would be an upgrade and push Kiner-Falefa back to where he fits best, in a utility role.
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