JD Davis lands with Giants rival after team drama

Apr 18, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets third baseman J.D. Davis (28) looks on in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

JD Davis won’t have to go very far after his ugly split from the San Francisco Giants.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Friday that the veteran infielder Davis is signing with the nearby Oakland Athletics. The deal is one year and $2.5 million with an additional $1 million in incentives for Davis, who will be playing third base for Oakland.

Davis, 30, was one of the top power hitters for San Francisco last season, leading the team in RBIs with 69 and finishing second in home runs with 18. But he was released by the Giants just last week after winning an offseason arbitration hearing against them. Davis’ release means that he will only see a fraction of the money he was awarded from the Giants. As a result, Davis’ agent then blasted the Giants for seemingly negotiating in bad faith.

With the Athletics, Davis will be able to recoup some (but not all) of that money. It is also somewhat poetic as he lands with the old team of the guy that the Giants essentially replaced him with.