Milwaukee Brewers: 4 Possible Third Base trade targets
By Kenny Jilek
J.D. Davis – New York Mets
J.D. Davis is the lone right-handed hitter on this list, but his talents certainly would warrant him being in the lineup every day. His career arc is somewhat similar to Ruiz, as he was a third-round pick of the Houston Astros who just got his first consistent playing time last season in 2019. The difference is that Davis was a lot better than Ruiz last season, posting a slash line of .307/.369/.527 while hitting 22 homers and finishing with an OPS+ of 138.
He’s followed that up with a 2020 campaign that’s been just as good. He’s not hitting for as high of an average, but getting on base more with a .410 on-base percentage. That’s kept him a well above league-average hitter at a 143 OPS+, even while his power has lagged behind and he’s only hit four home runs and two doubles, causing his slugging percentage to fall 70 points from a year ago to .457.
Davis also possesses some positional versatility as he’s started seven games and played 52 innings in left field this season. He’s a slightly below-average defender at both positions, but nothing that would deter Craig Counsell from throwing him in the outfield from time to time. Remember, we tried to play Eric Thames there occasionally for three years to get his bat in the lineup.
Davis’ contract situation is almost exactly the same as Ruiz, with one more year of pure team control in 2021 followed by three years of arbitration, making him another cheap guy that would be here for multiple years.
The trade price may be high as Davis has proven success in the MLB, but while the Mets are still in the playoff race, they may look to retool for the future with their current record of 12-16. Also, it may be worth it to have a versatile piece to put in the lineup every day for the next few years who has shown he can hit well in this league.