3 potential trade partners for J.D. Davis

The New York Mets front office was certainly hard at work over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, as last Friday, they brought in 3 free agent hitters in the form of outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha, and infielder Eduardo Escobar.

The arrival of these three into Queens is a sign that the Mets plan on being serious contenders this season, hoping to improve on their offensive woes from 2021. However, this does put several other players' futures in New York into flux, one of whom is 3B/LF J.D. Davis.

Davis originally joined the Mets prior to the 2019 season in a trade from the Houston Astros. Originally slated to be a reserve infielder, JD has shown flashes of his true potential while with the Mets, and at various times has found himself as a member of the everyday lineup.

Over his 3 years in New York, Davis has appeared in a total of 269 games for the Mets, hitting a total of .288 with a .384 OBP, along with 33 home runs and 99 RBI. In addition to that, Davis has also shown to be versatile defensively, able to man both third base and left field for New York.

Despite Davis' upside and potential as a ball player, for one reason or another, the Mets have had difficulty finding a consistent place for him in the line up, either due to his defense in the field or simply by being blocked by another player the Mets prefer over him.

The arrival of these 3 new free agent hitters, namely Eduardo Escobar, was an All-Star third baseman in 2021, may be taken as an ominous sign for Davis' future as a starter. Given his defensive versatility and track record as a utility man / pinch hitter, Davis would still be an excellent hand to have on the bench.

However, if the Mets don't plan on using Davis as a starter despite his potential and if they are in a "win-now" mindset, then they may be wise to explore the market for JD Davis in an attempt to improve a different position on the team.

Which teams would be good trade partners for the New York Mets to deal J.D. Davis to?

Ideally, whichever team the Mets would look to partner with should be in the market for either a third baseman or a left fielder, or in the case of an American League team, an opening for a new designated hitter.

As for what the Mets should look for in return, the best case scenario for a trade would be to acquire players that address the teams’ biggest needs, which are either outfielders or starting pitching, either at the major or minor league level.

With all that said, here are 3 teams would be ideal trade partners for the New York Mets:

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.