Baltimore Orioles: Would O’s DFA Chris Davis if he struggles next year?

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has struggled ever since signing that huge contract after the 2015 Season

It’s no secret that the Baltimore Orioles will have trouble moving Chris Davis due to the money that is remaining on his contract, but that doesn’t mean they can’t DFA him if he’s struggling; no team is going to claim that contract off waivers based on how he’s played recently.

In each of the last three seasons since signing that seven-year deal, Davis’ home run totals and batting average have fallen significantly. You can say that injuries have plagued him in 2017 and 2018, but that’s still not an excuse.

Has the contract made him not care anymore? Ever since getting the mega deal, Davis’ focus has seemingly been elsewhere.

Just look at his numbers from 2016-2018: His batting average was at .221 in 2016, then dipped to .215 in 2017, and it fell to .168 in 2018. His power numbers have been the same: in 2016, Davis hit 38 homers. In 2017, he had 26, and in 2018 he had only 16.

The only positive thing going for Davis is that his raw strikeout totals declined from 2017 to 2018. Can we really say that that’s a positive thing? I guess striking out less than 200 times in a season is a positive thing, but his 36.8% strikeout rate was still the worst in the major leagues.

We know General Manager Mike Elias is going to be keeping a close eye on Davis throughout Spring Training and during the season, but in his position, Elias can only do so much.

Would it be possible for the Orioles to DFA a struggling Chris Davis during the season and send him down to the minors once he clears waivers? Sure, Davis would probably be upset, but it could help him out in the long run.

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Any type of help that Chris Davis could get would do wonders for him, his confidence, and the Orioles organization. And he’d be under significantly less pressure in Norfolk than he currently is in Baltimore.

If Baltimore does decide to DFA Davis, Trey Mancini could move to first base and DJ Stewart could play left field. Stewart has the talent to be an everyday player, but he needs to get playing time in order for him to produce on the field. With Davis out of the picture, Stewart would benefit.

Who knows, Davis could end up having a monster first half and then a contender might be willing to trade for him if the Orioles eat some of the remaining money.

Would you be okay if the Orioles DFA Chris Davis if he starts out the season struggling again?