Yankees acquire J.D. Davis from Athletics

06/23/2024 02:09 PM

With the injury bug making its way through the Bronx, the Yankees made a low-risk reinforcement move.

First Anthony Rizzo was placed on the 60-day injured list, and earlier today it was announced that Giancarlo Stanton was headed to the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. Suddenly, the Yankees lineup looked a lot thinner and they needed reinforcements fast. The team announced Oswald Peraza was called up to take Stanton's spot on the roster, but he's had an underwhelming season in the minors and the options on the major league roster weren't quite promising either, as both DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera have struggled to get going at the plate this year. Enter: J.D. Davis.

Davis was designated for assignment by the Athletics just this past Tuesday, and Oakland had until today to find a trade partner for him before he could become a free agent. So rather than lose him for nothing, they agreed to a deal with the Yankees. In 39 games with the A's, Davis slashed .236/.304/.366 with four home runs, good for an OPS+ of 96. He's likely not going to be some miracle savior at the corner infield for New York, but he's at least been better at the plate than Cabrera (75 OPS+), LeMahieu (42 OPS+), and Rizzo (78 OPS+).

Davis has played mostly first base this season but also spent a fair share of time at third base, so at least they have some flexibility. It remains to be seen what this means for rookie Ben Rice who was initially called up to take Rizzo's spot on the roster, but expect to see some different lineup possibilities that include some combination of Davis, Rice, LeMahieu, and Cabrera for the foreseeable future.

In exchange for Davis, the Yankees sent infielder Jordan Groshans to Oakland, along with cash considerations. In 50 games split between the Yankees' AA and AAA teams this year, Groshans hit .232/.310/.280 with one home run.