3 potential trade partners for J.D. Davis

Chicago Cubs

Back at the 2021 trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs dealt Kris Bryant, one of the top third baseman in the MLB, to the San Francisco Giants, and are now tasked this off-season to find an replacement for him at third.

They could try to bring back Bryant, as at the time of writing he is a free agent, but Kris will likely command a high salary and lengthy deal, in a year where the Cubs are set to be rebuilding with younger players for the future, and a player like JD Davis may better fit their strategy.

This off-season, Davis is entering his first year of arbitration and is set to be under team control for the next 3 years. While he won't be getting paid the league minimum any more, he will likely be getting paid a fraction of what Bryant will sign for, along with the potential for excellent offensive production.

Making the move for Davis to bring him in to either play third base or left field would address one of Chicago's biggest needs this off-season, and after the "fire sale" they had at the 2021 trade deadline, they certainly have more than enough prospects to tempt JD away from New York.

The Cubs are entering this off-season with the 18th ranked farm system in the league, and Chicago has several talented minor leaguer's in their top 30 who the Mets could certainly use, either to replenish their own farm system or to flip in a future trade.

Alternatively, Chicago does have several talented players at the Major League level, such as Kyle Hendricks, who the Mets could attempt to trade JD Davis in a packaged deal in an attempt to address on of this off-season's biggest needs: starting pitching.

Regardless of what this hypothetical trade would end up being, the Cubs would certainly welcome a player with Davis' talents, and would be arguably the Mets' top trade partner for him.

Chicago White Sox

While the Cubs could certainly be interested in trading for JD Davis, their cross time rival White Sox also appear to potential suitors for him this off-season.

Unlike the Cubs, the White Sox were player off-contenders in 2021, finishing first in the AL Central and making it to the divisional round of the player-offs before they were eliminated by the Houston Astros.

While the Cubs are rebuilding, the Sox will likely be contenders once again in 2022, and while they already have a very capable, young third baseman in Yoan Moncada, they could stand to improve their starting left fielder and designated hitter, which are roles JD could easily fill.

While the White Sox could go after one of the many free agents to improve the aforementioned positions, Chicago came into the off-season with the 4th highest payroll in the MLB, so a player with Davis' price tag and offensive potential is a very tempting alternative.

Pursing Davis could give Chicago a steady bat and keep money free to make improvements in other areas of the team, while the Mets could make a move for one of their prospects or major league talent in an attempt to better themselves.

Who exactly the Mets could look to receive in this hypothetical trade at this point would be nothing more than speculation, but one thing I can safely say is that if JD Davis is available, the White Sox would certainly be interested.

Los Angeles Angels

One team that has very quickly become the bane of many Mets fans' existence is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as early on this off-season they poached two of the Mets' biggest free agents in pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Loup.

While some fans may be harboring hard feelings for the Angels, business is business and right now, the Angels are looking to make big moves for a potential run at the post-season in 2022, and are currently in the market for both a third baseman and left fielder, making them ideal candidates for JD Davis.

Prior to the 2020 season, the Angels signed All-Star third baseman Anthony Rendon to a 7 year contract, but last year, he only appeared in 58 games as he had to undergo season ending hip surgery half way through the year.

Rendon's primary replacement Jack Mayfield came nowhere close to replicating his offensive output, as he finished the year batting .224 with a .282 OBP. The Angels also saw their starting left fielder Justin Upton struggle at the plate, as in 89 games, he only hit .211 with a .296 OBP.

With Rendon's health status uncertain coming into 2022 and the Angel's alternatives at third and left field both struggling mightily last season, LA would be wise to bring a player that can cover either third base or left field in the event one or both of these positions need to be covered.

JD's defensive versatility and offensive production would certainly address that need nicely, and with the Angels already spending big money on the likes of Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Syndergaard and Rendon, hit low projected salary makes him an attractive option for the Angels.

While many Mets fans may not be jumping at the idea of the Angels taking yet another one of our players this off-season, they certainly meet the criteria as a landing spot for JD Davis.

Whether or not a trade ends up being made at all remains to be seen, but the Angels are certainly a team to watch.