SF Giants should take a flyer on oft-injured, former Cubs top prospect

The SF Giants could still use an infusion of talent in the organization and one opportunity just opened up. On Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs designated former top outfielder prospect Brennen Davis for assignment according to a team announcement.

SF Giants should take a flyer on oft-injured, former Cubs top prospect

I realize this idea sounds like one from the Farhan Zaidi era and will probably be met with some groans. With that being said, teams find talent through the waiver wire and Rule 5 processes all the time.

The Giants had success with it when they traded for Thairo Estrada from the New York Yankees in 2021. Estrada had been on waivers and the Giants swung a trade to jump ahead of the waiver priority line. Over the next couple of seasons, the middle infielder proved to be one of the team's more valuable players until falling off completely this past season.

This is a channel the Giants should not shun away from entirely, especially since the farm system is still light on impact talent. That is where Brennen Davis comes into play.

The outfield prospect was drafted by Chicago in the second round of the 2018 draft out of Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona. Due to being a high school draftee and the canceled 2020 season, Davis' pro career did not take off until 2021.

During that season, the right-handed bat registered a .260/.375/.494 line with 19 home runs, 53 RBI, and 66 runs in 416 plate appearances while reaching as high as Triple-A in his age-21 season. This included a 12.0 percent walk rate, 28.4 percent strikeout rate, and .234 ISO.

Davis would rocket up the prospect rankings following that season, ranking as high as No. 15 according to MLB Pipeline before the 2022 season. The Cubs expected that he would be part of their future for years to come.

However, development is never linear and Davis experienced a handful of injury setbacks in recent seasons. This includes undergoing back surgery in 2022 and an ankle fracture in 2024. He has been limited to just 179 games over the past three seasons and his numbers took a downward turn as well.

When Davis was healthy in 2024, he was beginning to regain the form that once made him an intriguing prospect as he registered an .828 OPS with 11 home runs and 28 RBI in 181 Triple-A plate appearances.

This is one of those moves that the Giants should not overthink. It is a no-risk idea with the opportunity to pay dividends down the road if the outfield prospect can find a way to stay healthy. Plus, he has one minor league option year remaining.

Davis would offer more upside than some of the other outfield options on the 40-man roster at the moment. At worst, he would serve as optionable depth on the 40-man roster in case a need arose. This is the type of move that the Giants should still consider even with Buster Posey running the front office now.