Perennial 40-home run hitter Khris Davis avoided arbitration with the Athletics on Friday, per an official announcement from the team. This was Davis’ third and last year of arbitration-eligibility. He’ll make $16.5 million in a one-year pact with the club.
The 31-year-old designated hitter is coming off of one of the most productive seasons of his career to date. He finished eighth in AL MVP voting after slashing .247/.326/.549 in 2018 with a league-best 48 home runs, 123 RBI, an .874 OPS and 2.6 fWAR across 654 plate appearances. While there was some chatter about an extension for the hot-hitting Davis, the two sides have plenty of time to work out the particulars of a long-term deal as he’s not scheduled to enter free agency until the conclusion of the 2019 season.
The A’s also agreed to terms with outfielder Mark Canha ($2.05M), left-hander Sean Manaea (terms not available), and shortstops Jurickson Profar ($3.6M) and Marcus Semien ($5.9M) ahead of Friday’s deadline. According to MLB.com’s Jane Lee, right-handed closer Blake Treinen is expected to go to arbitration with the team.