The 2024 season hasn’t gone as planned for J.D. Davis. He is about to suit up for his third big-league team of the season, with the Baltimore Orioles apparently signing the 31-year-old corner infielder after he was released by the New York Yankees on August 2, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The Yankees recently acquired Davis from the Oakland Athletics. On June 23, 2024, New York traded Jordan Groshans for Davis in order to use the veteran as a depth piece amid the Yankees’ infield injury problems. Davis, on the other hand, did not appear in many games with the Yankees. He only appeared in seven games and had 22 plate appearances, batting.105/.227/.158 before being dismissed.
The Yankees would rather not see J.D. Davis figure things out with the Orioles, of all clubs. At the moment, New York leads the AL East division by half a game over Baltimore; with infielders Jordan Westburg and Jorge Mateo on the injured list, the Orioles needed some depth, which Davis appears to give, along with some power potential.
J.D. Davis has always had some pop in his bat, dating back to his time with the New York Mets. Davis hit the ball 22 times in 2019, and his power production accounted for the majority of his value, owed in large part to his weak defense.
Davis appeared to be a one-season wonder, as he was unable to repeat that level of power production in subsequent years. But by 2023, it appeared like the 2019 version of himself had returned. He blasted 18 home runs and drove in 69 runs for the San Francisco Giants, making him a decent, if unspectacular, daily player. However, by 2024, Davis had only provided negative value.
It’s unclear how Davis would fit in with the Orioles, assuming he makes the major league roster. Baltimore recently called up top prospect Coby Mayo, and players like Gunnar Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle, and Jackson Holliday appear to have their positions locked up. Ramon Urias may be the most likely to miss out on playing time, but Mayo, not Davis, will get at-bats at third base.
