There appears to be a rot in the Mets club that has spread to past players, particularly Athletics third baseman JD Davis.
There is a rot in the New York Mets organization that appears to be spreading to former members. One former Mets player in particular, infielder J.D. Davis, has been facing low point after low point since leaving the team in 2022, and he appears to be nearing the bottom of his big-league career. On Monday night, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Oakland Athletics had designated Davis for assignment, despite the fact that he was only half a season into his contract.
The Athletics attempted to buy low on Davis after the San Francisco Giants dismissed him during Spring Training, allowing them to pay only $1.1 million of his $6.9 million contract in 2024. Davis then signed with Oakland for $2.5 million, but if the A’s don’t find a suitable trade partner within the next week, he’ll be sent to the minors or become a free agent.
Davis’ bat has always been his strong suit as a player, but he is currently having his worst professional season from the batter’s box since 2018, when he was a bench player for the Houston Astros. At 31 years old, there is little upside in continuing to offer at-bats to a man who has a.670 OPS while playing subpar defense at the hot corner. With the Athletics sitting dead last in the AL West with a 26-48 record, Davis’ continued employment made little sense.
JD Davis peaked with the Mets in 2019… but five years later, he’s expendable
When the Mets acquired JD Davis for three minor leaguers in 2019, it appeared that they had found a hidden gem. Davis was coming off a disastrous 2018 with the Astros, but the Mets saw something in him — and their gamble paid off soon. The best thing is that none of the Mets’ prospects traded for Davis have advanced to the majors.
Davis had the best season of his career in 2019. He hit 22 home runs and drove in 57 runs during his age-26 season, implying that this output could be sustained going forward given that he was in his physical prime. Davis, on the other hand, has been extremely unreliable since, hitting only 15 home runs in his final two and a half seasons with the Mets.
While Davis’ power output fluctuated, he appeared to be creating a solid floor for himself in terms of production. He was getting on base frequently and walking at a double-digit rate, which allowed him to preserve some semblance of worth.
Nonetheless, the Mets dealt JD Davis for Darin Ruf in 2022, hoping to improve their lineup’s performance against left-handed pitching during their 101-win season. Davis was prolific with the Giants. He blasted 26 home runs and drove in 83 runs for San Francisco, but in an unusual turn of events during the winter, he was released despite winning arbitration. Davis became expendable with the acquisitions of Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman, and the Athletics acquired him.
We all know how things went out for the Athletics. Can Davis turn things around when he eventually joins another team? Only time will tell.
Is Abraham Toro the future for the A’s?
The Athletics are counting on Abraham Toro, a versatile 27-year-old third baseman, to fill in for Davis while he is out of the lineup. Toro has a.679 OPS, which is not significantly higher than Davis’, but his defense is far superior to the former Met’s. It will be fascinating to see whether team has room to bring Davis in, as he may be a valuable utility player for a team in need of some strength off the bench.
Toro is on course to make his most plate appearances in a single season, and he appears to be a much-improved Athletics player. Toro, who was acquired in a trade this winter, is proving himself deserving of some decent playing time, despite the fact that he does not appear to be a long-term keeper due to his limited offensive upside as a third baseman.
Nonetheless, Toro has improved this season, and at the age of 27, he may still have plenty of room for improvement. He’ll have all of third base to himself now that JD Davis is leaving the team.
