Athletics, Davis avoid arbitration with reported $10.5M deal
Khris Davis has turned another 40-homer season into a big raise for 2018.
The slugging outfielder avoided arbitration with the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year contract, the team announced. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, it will pay Davis $10.5 million next season - a $5.5-million raise against his 2017 salary.
He was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $11 million in arbitration had the two sides not settled.
That dollar figure will also make Davis the highest-paid player on the Athletics' roster next season, per Cot's Contracts.
Davis has been a bright spot in Oakland's lineup for the last two seasons, but truly broke out as an elite power hitter in 2017. The 30-year-old slashed .247/.336/.528 (130 OPS+) across 153 games, and his career-high 43 homers was ranked second among all American League hitters. In addition, that home-run total made him just the second player in Athletics history to record consecutive 40-homer seasons, joining Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx.
Since joining the Athletics via trade in 2016, Davis owns a .247/.322/.526 slash line with 85 homers, 52 doubles, and 212 RBIs, while accumulating 4.7 wins above replacement, per Fangraphs.
Davis has one more year of arbitration remaining after this season, and is not scheduled to reach free agency until the winter of 2019.