Oakland A's ship former SF Giants corner infielder to New York Yankees

The J.D. Davis era in Oakland did not go as planned. The A's shipped the former SF Giants infielder to the New York Yankees in exchange for cash and minor league infielder Jordan Groshans according to the team's transaction log.

Oakland A's ship former SF Giants corner infielder to New York Yankees

Davis served as the Giants' everyday third baseman in 2023, slashing .248/.325/.413 (104 wRC+) with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, and 61 runs in 546 plate appearances. He showed improved defense at the hot corner as he posted +5 Outs Above Average (OAA).

Nevertheless, the Giants went into last offseason with strong ties to veteran third baseman Matt Chapman. Those rumors persisted all offseason until he eventually signed with the club at the beginning of March. With the additions the Giants had made, it was clear that Davis no longer had a role with San Francisco.

The righty bat continued to train with Giants in spring training before he was eventually released. Things took a weird turn as Davis won his arbitration case and was awarded a $6.9 million salary for 2024. However, because he did not agree to a deal previously, the Giants were only on the hook for a small portion of that amount. The optics of the move were poor.

However, the right-handed bat had plenty of interest in free agency and eventually landed with Oakland. This felt like a natural fit given that the A's third basemen combined to post a .608 OPS in the previous season. Davis has not generally been a solid defensive player, but he has had several seasons of offering above-average production.

Unfortunately, he only tallied a .670 OPS with four home runs and five RBI in 135 plate appearances with the A's before he was designated for assignment.

Davis joins a Yankees team that has recently dealt with injuries to Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton. Plus, they have struggled to get any offensive production from their third base position. Davis could slot in at first base or third base.

On the other side of the transaction, Jordan Groshans heads to Oakland and has been assigned to their Double-A affiliate. He was originally a first-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2018 draft. In six minor league seasons, he has registered a .267/.352/.369 line with an 11.4 percent walk rate, 17.7 percent strikeout rate, and a .102 ISO.