Third baseman JD Davis was released by the San Francisco Giants on Monday, after winning a salary arbitration case against the team last month. Instead of earning the $6.9 million in salary that he was awarded by a three-person panel, Davis will receive just over $1.1 million in severance pay.
The arbitration panel had awarded Davis the higher salary, despite the team’s offer of $6.55 million. Under the collective bargaining agreement, negotiated contracts for arbitration-eligible players are guaranteed, but salaries decided by the arbitration panel are not. This allowed the Giants to release Davis and provide him with a 30-day severance package.
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi stated in a video call, “We negotiate all of our arbitration cases in good faith and try to reach an agreement with all of our arbitration-eligible players, including him. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Davis, who will turn 31 next month, played his first full season with the Giants in 2022, hitting .248 with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs. He also has experience playing first base and in the outfield. However, the Giants recently signed third baseman Matt Chapman to a three-year, $54 million contract, making Davis expendable.
During this year’s spring training camps, Davis impressed by going 6-for-15 (.400) with two home runs and six RBIs in six games. Zaidi mentioned that the team already has Wilmer Flores, who offers a similar defensive profile and role to Davis, as well as a full-time designated hitter in Jorge Soler.