Chris Davis Should Not Be On Baltimore Orioles Opening Day Roster

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Chris Davis #19 of the Baltimore Orioles walks to the dugout after striking out in the seventh inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 11, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Chris Davis #19 of the Baltimore Orioles walks to the dugout after striking out in the seventh inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 11, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Fans are frustrated with Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis and some, including contributing writer Jesse Morrison, believe it is time to cut ties.

Chris Davis had a brutal 2018 season for the Baltimore Orioles. It was the talk of Baltimore all of last year and his seven-year/$161 million contract signed before the 2016 season has been labeled one of the worst contracts in professional sports.

It was my opinion early in the offseason that despite Davis’ 2018 season in which he hit a meek .168, good for the worst batting average of all-time by a player who qualified for the batting title, that the Orioles should bring him back for one more year.

He is still the guy who had a whopping 53 home runs in 2013 and 47 in 2015. He is a likable guy as well who is great in the community with the charity events he has staged throughout the years in Baltimore with his wife Jill. I thought if he had a solid spring training and showed that he could be somewhat of a threat to do damage again then it would be a bad idea to keep him off the roster in 2019.

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However, it has been more of the same from Davis this spring. He is hitting just .190 in his nine spring training games, with a measly .679 OPS and .333 slugging percentage. He has struck out 11 times in 26 plate appearances while hitting for next to no power (just one home run and no doubles or triples so far). Other than an impressive five walks this spring, he is showing to be the same old 2018 Chris Davis.

This is why he should not make the 25-man opening day roster. He just isn’t good anymore. He does not help the ballclub, at all. This isn’t a knock on him as a person, but as a baseball player, it’s time to move on.  I think his baseball skills are entirely gone. The shift, along with age and pitchers figuring him out has killed his career and I think it is the best move for the Orioles to pay Davis the $23 million he is owed this year to not play for them.

The Birds need to focus on their rebuild and their future and Chris Davis should not be a part of that.

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