Farhan Zaidi hints at the SF Giants making a move or two before the end of camp

After adding Matt Chapman, the SF Giants have a surplus of corner infielders. Team president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi recognized this and told Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area that the Giants could make a move or two to shore up this surplus.

Farhan Zaidi hints at the SF Giants making a move or two before the end of camp

Of course, the Chapman addition impacts a couple of players directly. Young third baseman Casey Schmitt will likely spend considerable time in Triple-A after collecting 253 plate appearances in the majors last season. There is a chance he could serve in a utility role, but he is blocked from the bulk of the playing time at third base with Chapman now on the roster.

On the other hand, it could mean that the Giants decide to move J.D. Davis. Davis went into camp as the incumbent third baseman but will be supplanted by Chapman. Davis has experience at first base, but they have coverage at that position with both LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores.

It is a bit of an odd position for Davis. At this point, there is no avenue for playing time at any of the positions he plays without an injury occurring. He will continue to see playing time in spring training, but he likely is auditioning for the remaining 29 teams.

Davis is coming off of a solid 2023 season in which he registered a .248/.325/.413 line (104 wRC+) with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, and 61 runs in 546 plate appearances. This includes a 9.5 percent walk rate, 27.8 percent strikeout rate, and a .165 ISO. The righty bat got off to a solid start to the year, but his production dipped in the middle of the season. He did rebound in September.

For years, the 30-year-old posted solid offensive numbers but did not have a position in the field. He had experience at first base, third base, and left field. However, the defensive metrics did not paint a favorable picture of him at either third base or left field. That said, he did show improvement with the glove at the hot corner last year.

Davis is entering his final year of team control. He went to arbitration with the Giants and won, setting his 2024 salary at $6.9 million. That is a reasonable rate given his production and he can play several positions. The Giants should have no problem in moving the veteran bat.