Red Sox: What outfielder Rajai Davis brings to the table
The Boston Red Sox acquired outfielder Rajai Davis from the Oakland A’s in an August waiver wire deal. Here’s what he brings to the table.
Dave Dombrowski has reunited with another old acquaintance by acquiring Rajai Davis from the Oakland A’s to bolster the outfield depth of the Boston Red Sox. Davis spent two seasons with the Detroit Tigers when Dombrowski served as general manager for the organization, so he’s familiar with the veteran outfielder’s skill set.
Red Sox fans who have limited exposure to seeing Davis in action may be wondering what he brings to the table. While he’s not the game-changing star that Dombrowski has developed a reputation for chasing, Davis does have the ability to make his presence felt on this team.
The timing of the trade can’t go overlooked, as it comes mere hours after we found out that Jackie Bradley, Jr. was placed on the disabled list with a thumb injury. X-rays were negative and an MRI revealed no ligament damage. A sprain may only sideline Bradley for a couple of weeks, but Davis can take over center field in the meantime and provide insurance in the event of a setback or other injuries.
Davis will be a free agent at the end of the season, so there are no long-term ramifications to this trade. As far as the rest of this season, there is plenty that he can offer.
Hitting
The career .264/.313/.384 slash line for the 12-year veteran won’t jump off the page, but as far as fourth outfielders go it’s certainly acceptable.
Davis joins the Red Sox carrying a .233 batting average that represents his lowest since his brief introduction to the big leagues in 2006. While age may have deteriorated his swing a bit, it’s unlikely he’s truly declined to this extent. His .288 BABIP is well below his career rate and league average.
Some of that misfortune can be chalked up to playing half his games in Oakland, where the spacious foul territory leads to many outs that would fall harmlessly into the stands at Fenway Park. Davis owns an infield fly percentage of 8.4 percent, which is about league average. Many of those shallow pop ups turned into outs in foul territory, but those outs will decline by escaping the pitcher’s park in Oakland.
His bat has also started to heat up since the All-Star break. Davis is hitting .303 with an. 848 OPS over his last 76 at-bats, compared to .210 with a .578 OPS over 224 at-bats in the first half. You could argue that the larger sample size is a better indicator of his abilities, but at least the Red Sox are getting him at the right time.
Davis doesn’t provide much pop, but he’s also spent most of his career in pitcher-friendly parks. That changed last year when he was with the Cleveland Indians, leading to a career-high 12 home runs. The move to Fenway could give his power numbers a boost, similar to how Eduardo Nunez suddenly started mashing home runs as soon as he escaped San Francisco.
Defense
Davis has started to decline a bit in the field with age, but he’s still about average defensively.
He’ll primarily patrol center field while Bradley is sidelined, which is the position he’s played for the majority of his career. He’s certainly comfortable in that role, even if he’s not nearly the defender that Bradley is. Red Sox fans are a bit spoiled by watching the wizardry of Bradley’s glove. Davis is an adequate fill in, just don’t expect the highlight reel plays that JBJ makes look routine.
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Davis has -1 defensive runs saved as an outfielder this season, putting him slightly below average. He’s only committed two errors, posting a .988 fielding percentage that ranks 9th in the AL among center fielders who have played at least 75 games. His five outfield assists are sixth most in the league at the position, one spot ahead of Bradley. Granted, most opposing runners have learned not to run on JBJ at this point, limiting his opportunities. Still, Davis still has the arm to gun down runners trying to take an extra base.
His -2.8 UZR ranks last in the league among outfielders (minimum 600 innings). That’s somewhat concerning, although Fenway’s outfield doesn’t have as much ground to cover as other ballparks. Davis will also be protected by playing beside Mookie Betts, whose 22.2 UZR is double that of the next closest outfielder.
When Bradley returns, Davis can still be utilized as a backup for all three outfield positions. While center may be his preferred spot, Davis has well over 100 career games at all three outfield spots.
Base Running
The base paths are where Davis can really shine. Last year he led the AL with 43 stolen bases. He’s not quite on that pace this season, but his 26 steals are still the fourth most in the league. Betts leads the Red Sox with 18, putting him well behind.
Davis immediately steps in as the biggest base stealing threat on the roster. When he’s not starting in the outfield, he can be utilized in a pinch-runner role. Red Sox fans are well aware of how valuable speed off the bench can be in the postseason. That attribute made Dave Roberts a legend in this town. Davis can fill a similar role with his wheels.
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Base running isn’t confined to stolen bases. Moving from first to third on a base hit, scoring from second base or advancing on a wild pitch are all examples of ways a runner can make a difference. BsR, or base running runs above average, encompasses these factors along with stolen bases to quantify a runner’s value on the base paths. Davis ranks 6th in the league among hitters who have played at least 100 games this season with 6.6 BsR. He trails only Betts on the Red Sox, who leads the league with 8.0 BsR.
Davis also has the speed to beat out an infield single. His 13 infield hits this season ties him for only 24th in the league, although keep in mind that has come in only 300 at-bats. Xander Bogaerts leads the Red Sox with 23 infield hits but has done so in 446 at-bats.
The Red Sox rate fairly well on the base paths as a team, ranking third in the league in steals with 78 and fifth with a 0.8 BsR. Davis will help improve those marks, although his true value may be in his veteran experience. Boston’s aggressiveness has a habit of backfiring, resulting in a major league-leading 67 outs on the base paths. Davis can pass along his knowledge to the younger players to help teach them to avoid those mistakes.
Postseason
Despite playing in the majors for 12 seasons, Davis has only been to the postseason twice. He played for the Tigers team that lost in the 2014 ALDS to the Baltimore Orioles, then made it to the World Series with the Cleveland Indians last year.
His postseason resume is a small sample size, one which isn’t all that encouraging. Davis has hit a measly .175 with a .484 OPS in 18 playoff games.
However, his postseason experience is not without its memorable moments. Davis crushed a game-tying two-run homer off Chicago Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning of Game 7 of last year’s World Series. It doesn’t get much more clutch than that.
Assuming the Red Sox outfielders are healthy in October, Davis won’t be counted on to start playoff games. His primary task in the playoffs will be to jump in as a pinch-runner late in games, where he can utilize his speed to get into scoring position. Davis stole three bases in the World Series alone last year and he’s a perfect 4-for-4 in career postseason attempts.
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Star players fill the spotlight, but teams need role players who can do the little things. A clutch hit, a stolen base, a great defensive play. Davis is capable of doing that. The veteran savvy of Davis will be an asset to the Red Sox, especially when the postseason rolls around.