[lex24]

His salary is less than $7 mms., so I think he'll actually get picked up. His OPS+ was 103 last year, but 113 for his career, and he is crushing it this spring. The Blue Jays, Mariners, Brewers, Padres and Yankees can all use him, among other teams. Maybe the Mets want him back. Incidentally, since JD beat the Giants in arbitration, his full salary is not guaranteed. My bet is the Mariners.

Be nice if he gets picked up, then the Giants can (hopefully) apply that $7 million towards getting Snell or Montgomery...

My understanding…

If he is claimed, the claiming team is on the hook for his $6.9M salary.  If he is unclaimed, SF pays a portion of the $6.9M as a termination fee and Davis becomes a free agent with the ability to negotiate a new contract. 

Why would a team claim him at $6.9M if they believe they can sign him as a free agent for considerably less money?  Obviously, a claim is a guarantee but teams interested in him may be a willing to gamble to get him at a better price.  

Regardless, it won’t be long before we find out the answer……..

Your understanding is correct. The only reason a team would claim him is if they think (a) he's worth substantially less than the $6.95 million and (b) no other team will claim him. He's a slightly above average hitter and a slightly below average fielder. On the plus side, he hits RHPs and LHPs equally well. 

What might matter is that he absolutely crushed it in the first half, then tanked in July and August, and returned to premium output in September/October. He's claimed that he was hampered by injuries in July and August, and that may well be true. If you take out those two months, his pedestrian (.248/.325/.432/.757) becomes (.278/.401/.463/.864). And his early fielding splits were strong, though I don't recall the actual numbers.

Depends upon which JD Davis you think you're getting. If the latter, well worth $7 mms. If not...maybe you wait and negotiate.

Right now, I think the Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and Mariners are possible landing spots for Davis.

Incidentally, I've noticed that Farhan has a tendency to eliminate players that don't toe the line, that publicly complain or fully go to arbitration. He doesn't like that level of resistance or implied (or overt) complaint. Manaea, Stripling, Davis...gone, gone, gone.

re: arbitration, Zaidi has a policy - if a player doesn’t come to an agreement immediately after the numbers are revealed, he closes the door on future negotiations.  Davis was the first player to win an SF arbitration hearing since the infamous A.J. Piersynski.  

However, I don’t think that is why he was put on waivers.  He was gone once Melvin was hired.  From that point, it was only a matter of time before Chapman signed.

Note: The termination amount the Giants must pay if Davis is not claimed is roughly $1.15 million if released by Mar 12 and roughly $1.725M if released after March 12 and before Opening Day.

I don't disagree. Melvin wanted his guy. But the arbitration win made it easy to put him on waivers, particularly since arbitration wins don't guarantee the annual salary.

Supposedly Snell will consider a short-term deal. Should get interesting.

The question I have is whether one reason the Giants went to arbitration with Davis was for this scenario.

Had he simply signed a contract, they’d be on the hook for his salary if released.  Because they arbitrated, they risk only the pro-rated amount.  And he then becomes a FA (assuming he turns down being assigned to Sac, which he undoubtedly will).

I also wonder what his agent was thinking.  This was a foreseeable outcome.  Chapman was linked to the Giants as early as December.  Once signed, Davis has no spot on the Giants.

Hopefully, Davis finds a nice landing.  He did everything the Giants asked of him.  I get the move.  It’s the smart play for the Giants.  Kind of stinks for Davis.

BTW - I don’t think this has anything to do with Davis winning the arb. I think the Giants wanted arbitration, for this scenario. I also think his agent potentially dropped the ball on this. Time will tell.

[lex24]

His salary is less than $7 mms., so I think he'll actually get picked up. His OPS+ was 103 last year, but 113 for his career, and he is crushing it this spring. The Blue Jays, Mariners, Brewers, Padres and Yankees can all use him, among other teams. Maybe the Mets want him back. Incidentally, since JD beat the Giants in arbitration, his full salary is not guaranteed. My bet is the Mariners.

Be nice if he gets picked up, then the Giants can (hopefully) apply that $7 million towards getting Snell or Montgomery...

My understanding…

If he is claimed, the claiming team is on the hook for his $6.9M salary.  If he is unclaimed, SF pays a portion of the $6.9M as a termination fee and Davis becomes a free agent with the ability to negotiate a new contract. 

Why would a team claim him at $6.9M if they believe they can sign him as a free agent for considerably less money?  Obviously, a claim is a guarantee but teams interested in him may be a willing to gamble to get him at a better price.  

Regardless, it won’t be long before we find out the answer……..

Your understanding is correct. The only reason a team would claim him is if they think (a) he's worth substantially less than the $6.95 million and (b) no other team will claim him. He's a slightly above average hitter and a slightly below average fielder. On the plus side, he hits RHPs and LHPs equally well. 

What might matter is that he absolutely crushed it in the first half, then tanked in July and August, and returned to premium output in September/October. He's claimed that he was hampered by injuries in July and August, and that may well be true. If you take out those two months, his pedestrian (.248/.325/.432/.757) becomes (.278/.401/.463/.864). And his early fielding splits were strong, though I don't recall the actual numbers.

Depends upon which JD Davis you think you're getting. If the latter, well worth $7 mms. If not...maybe you wait and negotiate.

Right now, I think the Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and Mariners are possible landing spots for Davis.

Incidentally, I've noticed that Farhan has a tendency to eliminate players that don't toe the line, that publicly complain or fully go to arbitration. He doesn't like that level of resistance or implied (or overt) complaint. Manaea, Stripling, Davis...gone, gone, gone.

re: arbitration, Zaidi has a policy - if a player doesn’t come to an agreement immediately after the numbers are revealed, he closes the door on future negotiations.  Davis was the first player to win an SF arbitration hearing since the infamous A.J. Piersynski.  

However, I don’t think that is why he was put on waivers.  He was gone once Melvin was hired.  From that point, it was only a matter of time before Chapman signed.

Note: The termination amount the Giants must pay if Davis is not claimed is roughly $1.15 million if released by Mar 12 and roughly $1.725M if released after March 12 and before Opening Day.

I don't disagree. Melvin wanted his guy. But the arbitration win made it easy to put him on waivers, particularly since arbitration wins don't guarantee the annual salary.

Supposedly Snell will consider a short-term deal. Should get interesting.

The question I have is whether one reason the Giants went to arbitration with Davis was for this scenario.

Had he simply signed a contract, they’d be on the hook for his salary if released.  Because they arbitrated, they risk only the pro-rated amount.  And he then becomes a FA (assuming he turns down being assigned to Sac, which he undoubtedly will).

I also wonder what his agent was thinking.  This was a foreseeable outcome.  Chapman was linked to the Giants as early as December.  Once signed, Davis has no spot on the Giants.

Hopefully, Davis finds a nice landing.  He did everything the Giants asked of him.  I get the move.  It’s the smart play for the Giants.  Kind of stinks for Davis.

BTW - I don’t think this has anything to do with Davis winning the arb. I think the Giants wanted arbitration, for this scenario. I also think his agent potentially dropped the ball on this. Time will tell.