masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSo I guess that Chris Davis’ offer was not very far off the table. It obviously was still out there for him as the Orioles and Davis have reached an agreement on a seven-year, $161 million deal.
To me, this is a surprise ending. It sure appeared the team was moving away from Davis and maybe had decided to move on with the news of the contract offer to Yoenis Cespedes. That certainly spurred action from Davis’ side.
But now their first baseman is back and the next question is how much will…

So I guess that Chris Davis’ offer was not very far off the table. It obviously was still out there for him as the Orioles and Davis have reached an agreement on a seven-year, $161 million deal.

To me, this is a surprise ending. It sure appeared the team was moving away from Davis and maybe had decided to move on with the news of the contract offer to Yoenis Cespedes. That certainly spurred action from Davis’ side.

Chris Davis orange smile.pngBut now their first baseman is back and the next question is how much will remain in the budget to upgrade the starting rotation, which has lost Wei-Yin Chen? Also, do they still look to add to the outfield?

We’ll also find out if the protracted negotiations with Davis have done anything to hurt his relationship with the Orioles fans. I would guess as soon as he starts smashing home runs, that part will get taken care of.

In 2015, Davis hit .262 with 47 homers and 117 RBIs. Since the 2012 season, Davis ranks first in the majors in homers (159) and fourth in RBIs (412). Davis ranks ninth in slugging (.533) and 15th in OPS (.876) since the start of the 2012 season. His bat is one of the most productive from a power standpoint over that four-year stretch.

MLB home run leaders since 2012:
159 – Chris Davis
151 – Edwin Encarnacion
135 – Nelson Cruz
134 – Mike Trout
131 – Miguel Cabrera
130 – Jose Bautista

The O’s offseason took a wild turn this morning and something happened probably not a lot of fans ever thought they would see: The Orioles handed out a contract worth $161 million.

This is the fourth-largest contract this winter:

* $217 million, seven years – David Price with Boston
* $206.5 million, six years – Zack Greinke with Arizona
* $184 million, eight years – Jason Heyward with the Chicago Cubs
* $161 million, seven years – Chris Davis with Baltimore

What is your take on the Davis agreement?