Chris Davis could be biggest bat in a bountiful year
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- When general managers searching Yankees Womens Youth Mens Jerseys for an offensive upgrade look at Chris Davis, they see an imposing left-handed power hitter with a penchant for home runs and strikeouts -- not necessarily in that order. Not surprisingly, agent Scott Boras focuses more on Davis' selling points than his shortcomings. Boras sees a model of versatility and the premier position player on the market. "Chris Davis grades out as the top free agent because he's the top outfielder, the top first baseman and the top DH," Boras said. "He's all of those. He's three in one. "For a guy like this to hit the market, it's just Wesley Johnson Womens Jersey an opportunity teams don't get: a 29-year-old player who has 40-plus home run power, and he's already hit 50 home runs. You have to go back to Prince Fielder and [Albert] Pujols and Alex Rodriguez -- all these guys with 40-plus home run power. How often are they on the market? And when they are on the market, look at the impact they have." Boras, who is rarely shy about trumpeting the impact of his top clients, makes the claim in a bountiful year for free-agent bats. Justin Upton, already a three-time All Star, is on the open market as he's theoretically hitting his prime at age 28. Jason Heyward, a mere pup at 26, brings a gold-plated glove to the mix and made significant strides at the plate this past season in St. Louis. And Yoenis Cespedes ranks high in the mash-ability factor even though the 2015 season didn't finish quite the way he had anticipated with a .150 batting average (3-for-20) in the World Series. Davis' profile on Baseball-Reference shows he has barely a passing acquaintance with the outfield. He has made 597 career starts at first base, 93 at DH, 85 at third, 57 in right field and 11 in left. Davis logged a minus-3 defensive runs saved in 29 starts in right field this season, according to Baseball Info Solutions research. Still, one Baltimore Orioles insider said Rick Nash Womens Jersey Davis has shown a comfort level in right field in his relatively brief exposure to the position. A National League scout who follows the Orioles extensively said a team could do worse than to park Davis in a corner outfield spot for a year or two until a first-base opening arises. "I'm not a big Scott Boras guy, but I don't disagree with that opinion," the scout said. "I don't think he's selling you a bag of beans on this one. "Let me put it this way: Chris Davis is not Alfonso Soriano in the outfield. If an average grade is a 50, he's a 45. And what I say about 45s is, they don't hurt you. They're going to get everything they should get. Occasionally there's going to be a misplay, but it's not like you're looking up every three weeks and saying, 'Shoot, this guy is killing us.' He's gonna make the plays he should." The bat, obviously, is Davis' principal http://www.authenticbruinsshop.com/authentic-17-milan-lucic-jersey.html attribute. Since the start of the 2012 season, he leads the major leagues with 159 home runs and is seventh among MLB regulars with a .533 slugging percentage.