According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, the SF Giants completed a difficult move on Monday by dismissing veteran third baseman J.D. Davis. It’s difficult to justify the action, yet it will save the corporation almost $5.8 million.

SF Giants deserve criticism for releasing J.D. Davis in cost-cutting move

The third-party arbiter decided in favor of Davis earlier in the offseason, determining his compensation to be $6.9 million in 2024. The Giants are only liable for a prorated sum because his contract was not guaranteed by proceeding to arbitration.According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, the pro-rated sum equals roughly $1.1 million.

The corner infielder’s torturous offseason comes to an end with the decision to release Davis. The first included initially taking the matter to arbitration. After Matt Chapman’s signing, he was replaced at third base, and now he’s been released with a meagre portion of the money he worked so hard to acquire.

The Giants attempted to trade Davis but were unable to find a suitor. Although $6.9 million is a small sum in comparison to a team’s entire budget, it may indicate that teams do not value the seasoned bat at that price.

However, this late in the season, teams are typically hesitant to add that much payroll. Additionally, the majority of teams currently have players who fit Davis’ position. Finally, most clubs, if not all of them, were aware that if Davis were released, they could probably sign him for less money than $6.9 million.

For the upcoming season, the right-handed hitter ought to have no trouble finding a team. Baseball’s treatment of players who are eligible for arbitration is peculiar. It’s one of the few places where teams can cut and contain expenses. Davis’s salary will not exceed the $6.9 million he was initially projected to earn, but it should be quite close given what the Giants are paying.

After all, the seven-year veteran just finished a strong 2023 season in which he finished with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, and 61 runs in 480 plate appearances, posting a.248/.325/.413 line (103 OPS+). Despite his reputation as a bat-first player, the seasoned infielder did record +5 Outs Above Average (OAA) at third base in the prior campaign.

His 2.2 fWAR from the previous season was more than the third base spot on fifteen other teams. He can undoubtedly assist a club at first base, third base, or designated hitter.

That he was let go and only received a prorated portion of his 2024 pay is unjust. This is the kind of action that gives the company a bad reputation. This is part of the business, of course, and when Chapman signed, he will have no further position in the company. Even though there are good reasons, the organization nonetheless comes across badly.

Ultimately, I simply do not believe that they truly attempted to relocate Davis. In order to arrange a deal, they might have been able to take over a portion of his income, allowing him to keep his $6.9 million compensation. At $6.9 million in 2024, Davis offers excess value, and he will only become much more valuable if the Giants are willing to pay a premium to close the deal.

After all, they paid Tommy La Stella $10.7 million in 2023 even though they severed their relationship with him during the previous summer, and they are paying Ross Stripling $3.25 million this coming season to not play for the team. assuming that some of the expenses that Davis incurred would not have been quite as unnecessary as they turned out to be.

The company had a chance to act morally in this situation, but they chose to go with the cheaper option. This is made possible by the CBA, and the Giants behaved in accordance with its terms, but was that the proper course of action? Yes, they made some financial savings in the process, but is it really worth the unfavorable publicity that this regime has all too frequently brought about?