Chris Davis 2019 and beyond

[jamalshw]

1 minute ago, WI O’s Fan said:

92 million owed for 4 years.   Spring Training has not gone well.  I would tell Davis  to get more gloves and he would be an utility fielder 1b, 3b, rf/ lf & occasionally hitting as a dh.  No reason stealing at bats from others or 1b fielding opportunities from Mancini.  Sunk money anyway.

With the sunk cost mentality, it would make sense to just release him. I would argue that not only are the ABs more valuable elsewhere, but the 40-man spot could be put to much better use. If you're going to keep him beyond Spring Training (and they are) it makes sense to me to give him the ABs to try and show he can rediscover something and be semi-useful. As unlikely as it is, it would a waste to use him in a utility role. I think there's a spot for him at 1B/DH for a while until the team's ready to move up Diaz and/or Hays and slide Mancini to 1B/DH full-time. Once that time comes, I want him gone unless he's miraculously hitting near .700+ OPS which seems nearly impossible.

[LookinUp]

I can imagine defensible plans to:

1. Play him. Make him sink or swim. 
2. Keep him, but not play him. Make him work on the side.
3. Cut him outright now.
4. Play up his aches and pains, put him on the DL and work with him in extended spring training and/or the minors for a bit.

I really can't imagine:

1. Playing him with any regularity at other positions than 1B or DH (in theory).
2. Playing him, watch him sink, and continue to play him for the entire year.

I think they have to give Davis a window of some kind, no matter how poor the odds, but it really would be awesome if Elias has the cajones and ownership support to cut bait this week. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, LookinUp said:

I can imagine defensible plans to:

1. Play him. Make him sink or swim. 
2. Keep him, but not play him. Make him work on the side.
3. Cut him outright now.
4. Play up his aches and pains, put him on the DL and work with him in extended spring training and/or the minors for a bit.

I really can't imagine:

1. Playing him with any regularity at other positions than 1B or DH (in theory).
2. Playing him, watch him sink, and continue to play him for the entire year.

I think they have to give Davis a window of some kind, no matter how poor the odds, but it really would be awesome if Elias has the cajones and ownership support to cut bait this week. 

You play him every day and watch him sink if you think that gets him to accept a buyout.

[WI O’s Fan]

With the utility role, it may cause Davis to rethink about playing/ buyout option.

[LookinUp]

23 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

You play him every day and watch him sink if you think that gets him to accept a buyout.

What do you think a buyout would look like? 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

What do you think a buyout would look like? 

No idea.  I'd be plenty happy with 80% on some sort of payment plan.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

3 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

What do you think a buyout would look like? 

I think Davis gets the whole contract no matter what.  Maybe the terms of repayment is restructured to more benefit the Orioles.

Look out Bobby Bonilla Day! There is a new kid in town. 

[LookinUp]

Is there any reason to think that's possible? Even if Davis wants to do it, is that type of deal even allowable?

[webbrick2010]

3 AB so far today 3 SO's. He doesn't even put the ball in play anymore

The shift has no impact on him because he can't even make hard contact

[makoman]

3 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Is there any reason to think that's possible? Even if Davis wants to do it, is that type of deal even allowable?

It's happened before, to a far lesser extent, so it must be allowed.

https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-cuddyer-mets-reach-buyout-agreement/c-165936318

The union would probably have a fit, but Davis may feel no particular allegiance there if he's retiring. If your options are collect $75M and go home and do what you want, or collect $92M and be forced to travel and embarrass yourself every day, I can see someone preferring the former, even with a much smaller first number. 

[Redskins Rick]

12 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

No idea.  I'd be plenty happy with 80% on some sort of payment plan.

To be honest, I doubt he takes it.

Besides just look at all that per diem he makes while traveling.

[Natty]

1 hour ago, WI O’s Fan said:

92 million owed for 4 years.   Spring Training has not gone well.  I would tell Davis  to get more gloves and he would be an utility fielder 1b, 3b, rf/ lf & occasionally hitting as a dh.  No reason stealing at bats from others or 1b fielding opportunities from Mancini.  Sunk money anyway.

Actually we have to pay Davis until 2037...

[Can_of_corn]

17 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Is there any reason to think that's possible? Even if Davis wants to do it, is that type of deal even allowable?

What would be stopping it?

[LookinUp]

According to Makoman, nothing. I too hope some type of similar deal can be agreed to.

[ShaneDawg85]

He already hurts the team enough offensively, and the one thing that he's at least passable for is his glove at 1st.  Why in the blue hell are we going to hurt the team by moving him around to potentially play several positions where he isn't any good at?  He's not a 3rd baseman, he's not a right fielder, and having played there at different points in year's past doesn't make him a good one now.  If you're not going to release him, you have to play him and play him at a position where he's least likely to be a liability defensively or not one at all.  Seeing as that means moving Trumbo to the field which nobody should want to see, that means 1st base.