So unbelievably bad right now. As in, borderline record-setting bad at the plate.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26465739/davis-now-0-44-closing-futility-mark

Quote:

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He is 0-for-23 with 13 strikeouts this season and is hitless in 44 at-bats since a second-inning double off James Shields of the Chicago White Sox last Sept. 14.

Davis is two shy of the record for consecutive hitless at-bats by a position player, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

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There was an article late last year where he basically admitted he was a head case and couldn't figure out what to do. I guess he still hasn't.

The Orioles just need to write him off as a sunk cost at this point and play somebody else. They are going to have to pay him regardless so they might as well put somebody on the field who can get a hit every once in a while.

They should send him to the minors

They are stuck with him no matter what forever, no one will claim him

Send him to single A and let him try to figure it out

I have to believe that he would accept that assignment, he can't retire and lose that guaranteed money

W said:

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this is why MLB players are not sympathetic figures when they whine about free agency --- they still get paid no matter what

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Well, most of them have to wait 9+ years of being a professional to get there so I still have some sympathy.

PDEMDHC said:

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He's ADD and baseball has banned his medication since last year correct?

Surprise this isn't discussed more...

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DallasAg94 has discussed it plenty. He thinks his success is all because of Adderall.

He was on adderrall in 2014 (we know because he got suspended), but still sucked.

He then got on Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) in 2015. I don't recall when he was/was not allowed to use it, or if its even banned in the first place.

I don't think there is a significant connection. I think Baltimore way jumped the gun on a guy who had struggled a lot already in his career and has issues beyond ADHD.

I wonder if he wasn't just taking Adderol, but was mainlining it like a coke addict.

He probably did abuse it. I just know there are some periods where he was taking it and he wasn't a good player.

I'm never one to assume big contracts are doomed, but this was egregious. He basically had a crazy good first half of 2013 and second half of 2015 and Baltimore gave him the keys to the city.

L7

0 for 2

0-3. There's the record.

Is the Commissioner in attendance?

First, I was a big fan of Chris Davis.

Soap Box One
The Rangers had:
Chris Davis: Born 3/17/86; Drafted 2004. Made debut at 22 (2008)
Mitch Moreland: Born 7/6/85; Drafted 2007. Made debut at 24 (2010)
Then drafted in 2008 (11th pick):
Justin Smoak: Born 12/5/86; Made debut at 23 (2010).

Fans gave up on Davis for the new shiney Smoak, whom I've never liked. Davis was only 9 months younger than Smoak, but because he had made his debut 2 years before either Moreland or Smoak, most people dogged on Davis, even though he was well within their ages.

Soap Box Two
Having said that... I've been very critical of his use of Adderral. ADHD is a made up disease that only requires 3 people to say you have it, in order to be diagnosed. It is a scam. As one poster on here noted, it makes the ball come in looking like a beach ball.

Soap Box Three
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/chris-davis-suspended-25-games-for-positive-amphetamine-test/
Chris Davis had an exemption for Adderral.

It was announced in Sept 2014, that he had tested positive, and that he had failed to submit his request before the season so that he could legally take

2011: .250 / 3 HR / 59 Games with Texas
2011: .276 / 2HR / 31 Games
2012: .270 / 33 HR / 139 Games
2013: .286 / 53 HR / 160 Games (age 27)
2014: .196 / 26 HR / 127 Games <- Didn't get exemption, and tested positive
2015: .262 / 47 HR / 160 Games
2016: .221 / 38 HR / 157 Games <- Signed 7yr / $161M deal
2017: .215 / 26 HR / 128 Games
2018: .168 / 16 HR / 128 Games (age 32)
2019: .000 / 0 HR / 8 Games

There is no question Chris Davis benefitted from Adderral. We know between 2012 and 2016, he had one bad year and it was the year he didn't get an exemption to use it, but tested positive. We know he confessed in 2014 that he had exemptions in the past. At a minimum, that was probably 2013. I don't know if 2012 he had an exemption... but one would assume it likely. Some indicated that Davis struggled in 2014 without the Adderral and felt the pressure to contribute and started to take it during the season, to help the O's for a playoff run.

I don't know what he has taken, or how he feels about it, or how it affects him. He may or may not be comfortable taking substances. He could have tried in 2014 to show he didn't need the TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption), or maybe didn't like the way it affected him. You could argue once he signed the 7yr deal for $161M, he no longer needed to take anything because the money was guaranteed. He may have a clause in his contract regarding chemical use... I don't know. But, as long as he keeps showing up to the park, he'll get $23M through the 2022 season.


I also don't know... did MLB ban additional drugs that no longer fall under the TUE? If so, I was unaware.

Some clubs have eaten massive bad contracts the last couple of years. Boston ate like $48MM for Sandoval a couple of years ago. I just can't see anyone eating $96MM. As several have mentioned sending him down seems like the easy call. I wonder if they can't. Either out of options or some weird deal where a guy with so many years or service can't be sent down.

K looking

0 for 4

mathguy86 said:

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Some clubs have eaten massive bad contracts the last couple of years. Boston ate like $48MM for Sandoval a couple of years ago. I just can't see anyone eating $96MM. As several have mentioned sending him down seems like the easy call. I wonder if they can't. Either out of options or some weird deal where a guy with so many years or service can't be sent down.

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Seems like if he wants to continue being a baseball player he has to accept going to the minors

He is stuck in the Orioles organization

KS

0 for 5

He hammered at least two balls tonight too.

They can try and send him down but he doesn't have to accept the assignment. Any player with more than 5 years of service has the right of refusal. They may very well be stuck with him.

Then they would just release him

He isn't helping the organization by taking abs from others

And Davis went 7-37 in spring training with 3 homers

.750 OPS

They can't release him. They owe him $96MM. If they cut him lose they still have to pay him.

mathguy86 said:

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They can't release him. They owe him $96MM. If they cut him lose they still have to pay him.

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I know, but at some point (not now) they will have to consider it lost investment

He is taking away ABs from other players

Yeah. At some point they'll have to admit it's a sunk cost and move on.

Chris Davis gets paid til 2037

would the players union allow Davis to negotiate a settlement with the Orioles and retire?

and of course Davis is another example...in a long, long, long line of examples as to why you don't sign players to long-term deals in their 30's. The dropoff can come quickly.

(he's signed thru his age 36 season)

W said:

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and of course Davis is another example...in a long, long, long line of examples as to why you don't sign players to long-term deals in their 30's. The dropoff can come quickly.

(he's signed thru his age 36 season)

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He's an example of why you don't do that with a guy who already flamed out for one team and has had inconsistent success with your's.

You can't not sign many players on these types of deals. Otherwise it's bye bye every one of them.