Mets having serious talks with J.D. Davis in telling Brett Baty, Mark Vientos sign
NY Post
JUPITER, Fla. — Talk to a Mets official and they will publicly praise the work of Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. They will say both are making the team out of spring training regardless of whether they make a late addition.
And yet, they are, at minimum, considering a late addition.
Top team executives met again Thursday to discuss if J.D. Davis fits their roster and 2024 agenda — and they are not doing it just as a due diligence exercise. They have real interest in a reunion with the righty-swinger, who was officially released on Monday by the Giants not long after they signed Matt Chapman to play third base. The Mets had spoken multiple times to Davis’ representative, Matt Hannaford. A decision where Davis goes is expected in the next few days.
Davis was due to make $6.9 million with the Giants in 2024, but instead received termination pay of $1.1 million. As a righty with some power, an ability to play first or third and a 103 OPS-plus last year, and 118 OPS-plus over the last five, Davis is drawing interest beyond just the Mets, for whom he played 335 games from 2019 until an ill-fated deal to San Francisco at the 2022 trade deadline.
“We always could use more help and I am not going to be one to turn my nose up to more good hitters and more offense and more depth, but ultimately it’s not my decision,” Brandon Nimmo told my colleague Mike Puma, who asked about Davis. “But I will definitely love it if it happens.”
The Mets began the offseason envisioning that Ronny Mauricio could be their 2024 third baseman or at least fight it out with Baty and Vientos. But he tore his ACL in December and is probably lost for the season. The Mets have praised the work of Baty and Vientos, but scouts that have followed the team this spring have been more dubious if either has the defensive chops to handle the position. With Baty, there is wonder if he is also still playing too edgy and putting too much pressure on himself, which was an issue last season.
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