Infielder J.D. Davis, who played in Queens from 2019 to 2022, has signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels, according to MLB insider Robert Murray. The Angels will be the fourth organization to employ the 31-year-old since 2024, as the slugger spent the previous season with the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles.
Davis, who began his career with the Houston Astros, was traded to the Mets on January 6, 2019 for prospects Ross Adolph, Luis Santana, and Scott Manea. The ensuing 2019 season would be Davis' first full season as a pro and the best of his career up to this point; in 140 games, he slashed .307/.369/.527 with 22 home runs, 57 RBI, and a 137 wRC+ while spending time at both third base and left field.
However, after a fairly productive 2020 season, Davis was limited to just 73 games in 2021 due to a torn ligament in his left hand. The slugger managed to hit .285/.384/.436 that year, but only had 17 extra-base hits (12 doubles and five home runs) in 211 plate appearances and was heavily prone to strikeouts; he whiffed or got rung up 68 times while only drawing 24 free passes. In 2022, Davis struggled by hitting .238/.324/.359 with only four homers in 66 games, which prompted the Mets to trade him to the San Francisco Giants at the deadline in an ill-fated deal for Darin Ruf.
After the trade, Davis found new life with the Giants and doubled his home run output (eight) in just 49 games; he additionally slashed .263/.361/.496 with a 143 wRC+ the rest of the way. This prompted the Giants to make the slugger their starting third baseman in 2023, and Davis responded by slugging 18 home runs and driving in a career-high 69 runs. However, his slash line dipped to .248/.325/.413, while he struck out 152 times against just 52 walks; despite winning an arbitration hearing during the ensuing offseason, the Giants chose to release him.
2024 would be the worst season of Davis' career as he hit a meager .218/.293/.338 in 46 games. He spent the first 39 games with the Athletics before being designated for assignment on June 18; Davis was traded to the Yankees five days later, but only went 2-for-19 (.105) with one RBI in seven games before being DFA'd again on August 2. The Orioles eventually scooped him up on August 7, but Davis would spend the remainder of the season with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.
With the Angels, Davis will look to rediscover the impressive form he showed with the Mets back in 2019. However, he'll be competing for a bench role, as Anthony Rendon and Nolan Schanuel currently hold the third and first base jobs, respectively.