Baltimore Orioles: Why Chris Davis Might Be the Biggest Bust of All Time
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has come a long way since finished 3rd in the AL MVP voting back in 2013. Why he might just be the biggest bust in the history of the game.
Entering Saturday’s matchup with the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles 1B Davis is hitless in 6-games. His stat sheet is nothing short of pathetic, featuring 11 Ks in 21 PAs and 4 BB, resulting in a baffling .190 OBP.
It’s no surprise either. Last season, Davis had the worst fWAR among all qualified MLB players at -3.1. He created a league-worst 46 wRC+, hit an MLB-worst .239 wOBA, and struck out 36.5% of the time, the worst in baseball.
Things haven’t always been so bad for the first baseman, however.
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From 2012 – 2015, Chris Davis was arguably the best player on the Baltimore Orioles. Despite striking out a ton, Davis made up for it by hitting an average 40 HR per season, with 103 RBI, while slugging .533.
In that span, Davis made 2 All-Star appearances and featured a season in which he finished 3rd in the AL MVP voting. That season, 2013, Davis smacked 53 HR and put together a staggering 1.004 OPS.
All of this resulted in one of the worst mistakes any organization has ever made. After giving Chris Davis a 7-year, $161M deal, the Baltimore Orioles are now stuck with Davis and his albatross contract, and the ramifications of it will be felt for 18 more years.
Why, well because Davis’ contract will not only pay him $17M per season for the life of the deal, until 2023, the rest of the contract is deferred. After 2023, he’ll receive $3.5M per year until 2032, and then $1.4M per year until 2037.
This is Bobby Bonilla‘s contract with the New York Mets on steroids.
It’s unfathomable that Davis still has 5-years, including 2019, remaining on this deal. You have to wonder if the Baltimore Orioles would be better off severing ties with the first baseman.
Next. Orioles add pitching depth with Dan Straily. dark
The Orioles take on the Yankees at home today at 7:05 PM EST. Will Davis’ hitless game streak reach SEVEN, you’ll have to tune in to find out.