Baltimore Orioles: How to handle the Chris Davis contract in 2019

Will Chris Davis be on the Baltimore Orioles’ 2019 roster? He hasn’t been worth his mega-contract so far; how much longer will the Orioles put up with his performance

Most Baltimore Orioles fans didn’t know what to expect when the team signed Chris Davis to that massive, seven-year, $161 million dollar contract in January of 2016.

He had just come off a season in which he led MLB with 47 home runs, but since signing that contract, Davis has been outright terrible.

At this point, it’s likely that the front office regrets that deal. Who knows, but some of that money could’ve been used to possibly give Manny Machado a contract extension.

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The Orioles are stuck with Chris Davis as no team would be foolish enough to trade for a player with that contract. Davis is owed just under $85 million over the next four years.

Plus, there’s the deferred money; $42 million from 2023-2037, which comes to $2.8 million per year for the following 15 years.

It’s a shame because when he didn’t have that long-term contract, he was putting up really good numbers. However, Davis has 807 strikeouts since the 2016 season.

You would think after finally getting some stability with a long-term contract that he’d be able to relax and play without any worry, but Davis hasn’t been relaxed. It seems like he’s pressing too hard each and every game.

Now that the team is going in a full rebuild mode, would the Orioles front office (whoever is in charge in 2019) think about releasing Davis and eating the rest of the contract?

If that ever happens, Trey Mancini would move to first and the Orioles would have an outfield consisting of Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, and D.J Stewart.

In my opinion, it’s time to give Chris Davis a fresh start and move on unless something changes drastically.

Would you be happy if the Orioles ate the rest of the money Chris Davis is owed if they release him in the offseason? What if they optioned him to the minors for most of the 2019 season, would that make a difference?