Report: Orioles, Davis agree to 7-year, $161M deal
Chris Davis is reportedly heading back to Baltimore.
Though the Orioles had reportedly grown frustrated with the 29-year-old of late amid an apparent impasse in contract negotiations, the two sides agreed on a seven-year, $161-million deal Saturday morning to keep the two-time home run champion in Baltimore, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
The deal, which is pending a physical, doesn't contain any opt-out provisions, but includes a full no-trade clause, a source told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Buster Olney of ESPN also noted that the agreement contains $42 million in deferred monies to be distributed in annual installments through 2037, with Davis to receive $3.5 million each year from 2023-32 and $1.4 million per year from 2033 through 2037.
Earlier this week, the Orioles seemed prepared to move on from Davis - there had been almost no signs of progress in contract talks since he balked at a seven-year offer worth $150 million after deferred monies - and had reportedly turned their focus to fellow free agent Yoenis Cespedes. As the dynamic Cuban reportedly mulled over a five-year offer from Baltimore, however, the Orioles grew inclined to sweeten their proposal to Davis, according to MASN's Roch Kubatko, and the former All-Star pulled the trigger after the club increased the deal's annual average value to $23 million.
Davis, once considered among the top prospects in the game, landed in Baltimore in 2011 following a frustrating tenure with the Texas Rangers, who selected the hulking first baseman in the fifth round of the 2006 draft. In his first full seasons with the Orioles, though, Davis began in earnest to realize the potential scouts had raved about, hitting 33 homers with an .827 OPS in 139 games in 2012.
The following summer, Davis emerged as one of baseball's elite sluggers. In 2013, Davis led the majors with 53 homers while posting a 1.004 OPS over 160 games, earning his first career All-Star berth and Silver Slugger award while finishing third in American League MVP voting. Regression hit Davis hard in 2014, when he stumbled to a .196/.300/.404 line (96 OPS+) with a 33 percent strikeout rate, but he rebounded impressively this past season, once again leading the majors with 47 homers (notwithstanding his unrelenting strikeout problems) while hitting .262/.361/.562 (146 OPS+) in 160 contests.
Despite his volatility at the plate, Davis ranks 17th in the majors with 13.4 wins above replacement since 2013, leading the majors in home runs (126) and isolated power (.292) while posting the eighth-highest strikeout rate among qualified hitters over that span (31 percent).