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Chris Davis Announces Retirement

By Steve Adams | August 12, 2021 at 9:36am CDT

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has announced his retirement from baseball. In a statement issued via the team, Davis said:

After an extended time dealing with my injury and recent hip surgery, I informed the Orioles about my decision to retire effective today. I want to thank the Orioles partnership group, led by the Angelos family, the Orioles organization, my teammates and coaches, the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital with whom I will continue to involved following my retirement and, of course, Birdland. Thank you for all the many memories I will cherish forever.

The Orioles issued a statement of their own, thanking Davis for the 11 years he’s given to the organization and his considerable charity work in the Baltimore community:

Athletes have the power to change lives and better their communities, and Chris and his family have done just that. We admire their dedication to those most in need, with hundreds of hours of community work completed, millions of dollars donated, and countless other charitable efforts performed, often without fanfare. For every inning played and home run hit, hour of service completed and amount donated, the Davis family has made an immeasurable impact on our city and on Orioles baseball. We send our best wishes to Chris, his wife Jill, and their daughters Ella, Evie, and Grace, each of whom will forever be part of our Orioles family.

The announcement from Davis comes at a time when he still has one year remaining on the franchise-record, seven-year, $161MM contract he signed with the Orioles in the 2015-16 offseason. That contract calls for a $23MM salary to be paid to Davis next year, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports he’ll still receive that salary (Twitter links). As part of the agreement to pay out that final year, however, he’s agreed to some form of restructuring, per Heyman.

Chris Davis | Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Davis’ deferral-laden contract had originally pushed out $6MM of his $23MM salary each year. He’d been set to receive $3.5MM payments on July 1 each year from 2023-32 and $1.4MM payments on July 1 from 2033-37.

While there’s no change to Davis’ 2021 salary and deferrals, a source tells MLBTR that the size of the 2022 deferral will increase from that previously scheduled $6MM mark. He’ll now have about half of next year’s salary deferred and paid out over the three subsequent years, further stripping down the payroll in 2022, lowering the present-day value of the contract and allowing them to free up a 40-man roster spot sooner than originally scheduled. Davis, meanwhile, will still get the full $23MM, albeit a bit more slowly than originally called for. He’ll also retain his benefits and insurance with the Orioles through the 2022 season.

It was a massive commitment to Davis, who was at the time one of the premier sluggers in all of baseball. Davis led the Majors twice — 53 in 2013 and 47 in 2015 — and was baseball’s top home run hitter by a wide margin in the four years leading up to that contract. From 2012-15, Davis hit 159 home runs, was eight more than Edwin Encarnacion’s second-place mark of 151 and a whopping 24 more than Nelson Cruz, who was third-highest with 135.

Strikeouts were a clear concern for Davis, whose 2014 season looked to be a red flag. He slashed just .196/.300/.404 that year while fanning in 33 percent of his plate appearances. A huge rebound campaign in 2015, however, saw Davis turn in a .262/.351/.562 slash and position himself for a major payday upon reaching the open market.

The move hasn’t paid off, of course. Davis swatted 38 home runs in the first season of the contract but did so with a diminished overall .221/.332/.459 batting line. His production dipped below the league average in 2017 and continued a steady decline in subsequent years. Davis hasn’t batted above .200 or posted an OBP above .300 since 2017, and his hip condition has prevented him from taking the field at all in 2021. On the whole, he’s batted just .196/.291/.379 in 2118 plate appearances since putting pen to paper on that extension.

Injuries played a notable role in his decline, as in addition to the current hip issue he’s also spent time on the shelf with forearm, oblique, back and knee injuries. It’s been the recurring hip troubles that proved insurmountable, however. Davis has been bothered by left hip pain for years and underwent arthroscopic surgery earlier this season in hopes of putting the issue behind him. Unfortunately, doctors determined that Davis’ hip condition was degenerative, per Dan Connolly of The Athletic (Twitter link), leaving little to no chance of him returning to the condition necessary to take the field.

Davis will be remembered in many circles more for the ill-fated contract than his legacy on the field, which is frankly a bit of a shame. While his peak wasn’t especially lengthy, he spent a half decade as the league’s leading home run hitter and posted a combined .249/.340/.518 batting line in that time. The three-true-outcomes skill set which Davis embodied has grown increasingly common and increasingly polarizing in recent years, but even his detractors would have a hard time denying that during that five-year run, Davis was among the game’s most prominent offensive players.

That 2012-16 run coincided with some of the Orioles’ best years in recent memory, as the O’s made three postseason appearances along the way and reached the American League Championship Series in 2014.

In the end, Davis will retire as a career .233/.315/.459 hitter with 295 home runs, 228 doubles, five triples, 19 stolen bases, 707 runs scored and a 780 runs batted in. He made an All-Star team, won a Silver Slugger Award and finished third in 2013 MVP voting.

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Baltimore Orioles Newsstand Chris Davis Retirement

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181 Comments

  1. Grade_1_teacher

    4 years ago

    He’s a little late but with a contract like that one, I think we all would’ve milked it for as long as possible. Congratulations and happy retirement, Crush.

    33
    Reply
    • PapiShango

      4 years ago

      I think this way he gets paid but the O’s get it back through insurance.

      4
      Reply
      • brandons-3

        4 years ago

        That or a buyout of sorts so the Orioles wouldn’t have to pay the full amount. I think for insurance to kick in would be for a doctor to say his injury has to medically retire him a la Prince Fielder.

        6
        Reply
        • cwsOverhaul

          4 years ago

          Correct. Insurance companies are in business to make money just like the owners/players. It takes a lot to get payback, otherwise these monster contracts would be uninsurable for the risk involved.

          3
          Reply
        • layventsky

          4 years ago

          MLB doesn’t allow buyouts like the NHL does, but the player and team can agree to restructuring in the form of deferrals.

          2
          Reply
        • Comrade Tipsy McStagger

          4 years ago

          Well, despite Chris Davis’ down year in 2020, he still had 6 more hits and one more RBI than I did. But I showed him. I hit just as many home runs as he did that year. Can you believe it? Me, Mister Nobody, hit just as many home runs in 2020 as Chris Davis. I’m pretty darn proud.

          2
          Reply
        • pbfog

          4 years ago

          Same as everyone else. So what?

          Reply
    • emac22

      4 years ago

      Not everyone is capable of being a complete loser on TV every night for years just to make some more money.

      I’m not saying I’ve met anyone else like me but I have to assume…

      17
      Reply
      • casorgreener

        4 years ago

        Lmao! Epic

        1
        Reply
    • FredMcGriff for the HOF

      4 years ago

      Too bad MLB took his Adderall exemption away. ADHD is real.

      17
      Reply
      • JohhnyBets67

        4 years ago

        Davis had his TUE taken away for one season. I have no idea whether he is on it now or not but he was able to get it back.

        The shift, slowed down bat speed and speculatively Chris in his own head killed him. But he’s not the first guy to fall off a cliff. He just happened to have a boatload of money left on his deal

        6
        Reply
        • dpsmith22

          4 years ago

          He got caught once, lied about it. Got caught a second time and was suspended. MLB suspends only after a second failed test. He was selfish and got suspended when we needed him. Happy trails.

          1
          Reply
        • miltpappas

          4 years ago

          And, like Nomar Garciaparra and Ken Griffey, Jr. his body dismantled from steroid abuse. People never learn. Too bad, really. I had $50 on him to pass Reggie as the all-time strikeout king.

          Reply
        • curtiss

          4 years ago

          So you just gonna accuse ken Griffey of steroid use

          3
          Reply
        • Poster formerly known as . . .

          4 years ago

          Unless you have evidence to support your claim that those three players juiced, it’s immoral and unethical to state your suspicions as if they were facts.

          So, if you’re not immoral and unethical, share your evidence with everyone here.

          1
          Reply
      • justkidding

        4 years ago

        I thought he did not apply for the exception that year, did not want to take the adderall, then when he was terrible he started taking it again and got busted. That exception is one of baseball’s dirty little secrets, kind of like the sticky stuff was until this year.

        3
        Reply
      • jdeucem2

        4 years ago

        These guys are at fault themselves for not completing their paperwork. Miguel Tejada was a similar situation. Continued use without providing the proper prescription. If they happen to allow it, have to make sure to stay on top of what you can control.

        There have been rumors for years that Mike Trout has a therapeutic use exemption for HGH to help him with a thyroid issue.

        Reply
      • btcharpied

        4 years ago

        ADHD is indeed real, but not at the levels that MLB players get diagnosed at. 4.4% of the American population are diagnosed with ADHD. 10% of MLB players are diagnosed with the same. That’s not being honest with what is a real issue, that is a backdoor way of taking amphetamines. I don’t know whether Davis fits into that b.s. boat or not, but there is about a 60% chance that he does…

        4
        Reply
        • truthlemonade

          4 years ago

          Yeah. But MLB players are probably a rambunctious group. It seems likely that they are more likely to have ADHD.

          1
          Reply
        • Thomas L

          4 years ago

          There are WAY more left handed players than the American general population too

          5
          Reply
        • SalaryCapMyth

          4 years ago

          That’s a good point, Thomas.

          It’s hazardous to compare percentages on small samples, such as major league players and the population as a whole. That’s why scientists try to get large samples of around 10k. Otherwise you have a greater chance of getting figures that aren’t representative of the population the sample size lives in.

          Also, I’m seeing a lot of stats flashed around with no sources. I don’t know about everyone else but I’m not in the habit of just taking people’s word for it when they start quoting statistics.

          Reply
    • keysox

      4 years ago

      He has the greatest agent of all time.

      1
      Reply
      • keysox

        4 years ago

        What amounts count against the cap?

        Reply
        • OurPadreWhoArtInSD

          4 years ago

          There is no “cap” in MLB. There is a luxury tax threshold ($210 million) that if teams exceed will have to pay a tax of the amount over the threshold, which effectively acts as a ‘cap” but isn’t one.

          Either way, the Orioles have a payroll of $53 million and could essentially spend as much as they wanted if they actually wanted to spend money. The only guaranteed money is Chris Davis’ deferments and a few other players’ deferred money.

          3
          Reply
        • carlos15

          4 years ago

          Baseball doesn’t have a cap, come on man

          Reply
    • detroitdave84

      4 years ago

      Hard to walk away from guaranteed money. In baseball, they are underpaid for the first 5 years & overpaid the last 5 years.

      2
      Reply
  2. Eovaldismemes

    4 years ago

    O El Retiro

    1
    Reply
  3. MilwaukeeStrong

    4 years ago

    Hes got a better chance of getting a hit in retirement than he did while playing

    17
    Reply
  4. hrush28

    4 years ago

    end of an era

    Reply
    • Timster428

      4 years ago

      Or error

      8
      Reply
  5. artiefufkin

    4 years ago

    overall slash of the contract.. .196/.291/.379

    24
    Reply
    • clrrogers

      4 years ago

      Ouch!

      5
      Reply
    • gbs42

      4 years ago

      Nice copy-and-paste job from the article…

      Reply
      • artiefufkin

        4 years ago

        The article wasn’t complete when I commented. I copied-pasted from baseball reference before MLBTR was able to copy-paste from baseball reference.

        4
        Reply
        • gbs42

          4 years ago

          Fair enough. I forget how often they put up short posts and follow up with more detail. They may have used your comment to help flesh out the article.

          Reply
        • Dustyslambchops23

          4 years ago

          Who cares either way, you can’t plagiarize numbers

          Reply
  6. sportsfan_1091

    4 years ago

    This is sort of surprising because I thought he might finish the last year of his contract and then retire but then again I do understand why he retired cause this injury would be hard to come back from. Wish you the best and hope you recover soon! You had a good career!

    1
    Reply
    • When it was a game.

      4 years ago

      I know he is worth millions but is human. He’s been taking a beating for years over that contract. Now he doesnt have to hear about if not part of the team.

      Reply
  7. CalcetinesBlancos

    4 years ago

    For his sake, I’m glad he did this. I don’t think it would be good for him mentally to keep playing.

    4
    Reply
    • douglasb

      4 years ago

      or not playing. which is the same thing he’ll be doing now.

      Reply
  8. spitball

    4 years ago

    So, do the Os buy him out in some way, or is he just nice enough to forget the remaining money on his contract?

    Reply
    • SoxRewl

      4 years ago

      In a contest between new-money millionaires and generational billionaires, I side with the millionaires. Good for Crush for squeezing every last dollar he could out of that monster season.

      6
      Reply
      • JohhnyBets67

        4 years ago

        Peter angelos is a hated man by baseball fans. But the man isn’t a generational billionaire.

        He managed to make his fortune by fighting against corporations in class action lawsuits. (Big time asbestos cases for one) He earned his own money.

        Davis is a great guy off the field though. Both parties agreed to the deal. He got what was owed to him.

        6
        Reply
      • dpsmith22

        4 years ago

        pure genius. The kids thank you for your ‘siding with the millionaires,’. I guess you aren’t smart enough to realize that’s why ticket prices are so high.

        1
        Reply
        • gbs42

          4 years ago

          I guess you aren’t smart enough to realize there is little correlation between player contracts and ticket prices. It’s supply and demand. When teams slash payroll, do ticket prices get slashed also?

          3
          Reply
        • HalosHeavenJJ

          4 years ago

          Exactly. Teams will sell tickets at current prices as long as we keep buying them. Player salaries are more set by ticket prices than the other way around.

          Reply
        • brodie-bruce

          4 years ago

          i’m also going to throw this in and i’m not sure how many teams this applies too, but i know my birds fox/bally sports pays 100% of the players salary. at least with the cards ticket sales, concession sales and merchandise sales is where the cards make there money. i’m sure there are a lot of teams that are in the same boat. if the mlb wasn’t profitable then billionaires wouldn’t be lining around the block to buy a mlb team.

          1
          Reply
    • racosun

      4 years ago

      The article you’re commenting on says he’ll still get his $23M.

      8
      Reply
      • johnrealtime

        4 years ago

        People who ask questions that are clearly answered in the post aren’t the types to come back to the comments section a second time to read replies

        4
        Reply
        • bhambrave

          4 years ago

          And then there are people who ask questions when the post is originally posted, before any details are included. Don’t be a hater.

          Reply
        • johnrealtime

          4 years ago

          Wasn’t the case here

          Reply
  9. 2012orioles

    4 years ago

    Still will always love Chris Davis.

    1
    Reply
  10. 7734

    4 years ago

    That’s a LOT of money. He should have tried to play it out or come up with some fake injury to ride it out on the DL if he couldn’t play anymore. He could have donated that money to charity, but now it goes back to the Orioles since he’s retiring.

    2
    Reply
    • A.D. 37

      4 years ago

      “Jon Heyman reports he’ll still receive that salary.”

      7
      Reply
    • IHLgulls

      4 years ago

      No, it doesn’t.

      3
      Reply
    • bigguccisosa300

      4 years ago

      He gets at least 1.4 million dollars every july until 2037 I’m sure he will be fine.

      3
      Reply
      • ClevelandSpidersFromMars

        4 years ago

        Yes, but Bobby Bonilla will be jealous

        1
        Reply
        • tstats

          4 years ago

          Can we get a Chris Davis day??? Today is the first one!

          1
          Reply
  11. dopt

    4 years ago

    Well so sad. He won’t be MVP if he doesn’t play

    1
    Reply
  12. Brennen

    4 years ago

    Kind of sad he’s hanging them up. He was so good for so long. Great trade for Davis and Strop which we’re spare parts for Texas at the time for Koji. Really thought he was going to finish out this contract. It drove myself and probably other O’s fans that he didn’t make any swing adjustments over the past few seasons. Very stubborn approach in my opinion. Was thinking that the past few years since he wasn’t going to hit he should have become more defensively versatile. Some 3B, 1B, RF, and mop up pitching in blow out situations. Happy Trails CD

    1
    Reply
    • Ted

      4 years ago

      Honestly though, he had two great seasons (2013 and 2015) that added up to *more* than his career WAR total. Everything else was a net negative. He just wasn’t a very good baseball player overall.

      2
      Reply
      • cmjustice85

        4 years ago

        You can’t say he wasn’t a very good baseball player overall lol he played how many years in the majors? comments like this are just stupid.

        1
        Reply
        • GASoxFan

          4 years ago

          He wouldn’t have been in the majors all those years without that contract though…

          There’s such a thing as “we stink, he stinks,, we owe him tons of money, keep playing him and hope he gains some value where we can offload him.”

          3
          Reply
      • Yankee Clipper

        4 years ago

        Ted has a valid point; without his medication(?) and his contract guarantees there’s no way he would’ve made his tenure in the Majors. Not bashing Davis for making it, but to use the fact that he existed in MLB isn’t a convincing argument for his talent.

        Reply
  13. bobtillman

    4 years ago

    O’s will use the same Fedex driver to deliver Davis’ checks as the Mets use for Bobby Bonilla’s.

    Hope the driver outlives the checks.

    5
    Reply
    • Grade_1_teacher

      4 years ago

      If Bonilla and Davis are still getting paid not to play, the least they can do is drive themselves to the bank and pick up the checks themselves.

      3
      Reply
      • YankeesBleacherCreature

        4 years ago

        Bonilla does actually do this every year as stated in a recent podcast. Appears like a genuine good dude.

        3
        Reply
        • tstats

          4 years ago

          Honestly a lot of Bonillas hate is unwarranted. Sure he said some things and lied a bit to the public but he was all around a good guy and the METS signed him for about what he was worth at the time. Overrated hate

          Reply
  14. Badfinger

    4 years ago

    Here’s a crazy idea. Read the article before commenting.

    17
    Reply
    • batman123

      4 years ago

      Don’t be crazy why read on the internet

      1
      Reply
    • A'sfaninUK

      4 years ago

      Really wish MLBTR would IP ban anyone who doesnt read the article but posted a negative comment that is easily answered or rebuked by the article itself.

      3
      Reply
      • 7734

        4 years ago

        Everybody makes mistakes, and the first time you didn’t have your caffeine in the morning and posted something and got banned? No thank you. The “writers” make less than minimum wage as it is and get less than 3% of the subscription fees, so who would donate extra time to enforce a nonsensical policy?

        On the other hand, manipulating or switching an IP is so easy to do. Why do you think ol’ Egon here is on his 19th username? 😀

        4
        Reply
        • gbs42

          4 years ago

          Egon, I’d love to know where that 3% figure comes.

          Reply
        • Comrade Tipsy McStagger

          4 years ago

          Egon spengler is back.? The very same Egon who keeps accusing me of changing my username so I can have conversations with myself? And then posts a link from 2018 (long time for a grudge) that is just weird jargon, in order to back up his accusation? That Egon.? I love that man. God I love him. Here that Egon? I love you!

          1
          Reply
        • tstats

          4 years ago

          Why does the end of this sound like something Eminem would say

          1
          Reply
        • Yankee Clipper

          4 years ago

          @tsats: I can’t help it, man… I love reading your comments. I usually get a good laugh I need out of at least a couple responses. Thank you for those.

          Reply
        • Deleted_User

          4 years ago

          @Tipsy We have hard evidence of you doing exactly that. And you even admitted to it, so I wouldn’t go there if I were you.

          Oh. And A. J. Preller 100% would have still traded for Fernando Tatis Jr had he not traded away Trea Turner.

          Reply
      • blahable

        4 years ago

        This is AMERICA. Not the land of queens and princesses, and castles and fairy tales, where they muzzle free speech hon.

        5
        Reply
        • math

          4 years ago

          This isn’t America, it’s the internet.

          1
          Reply
        • mdg1019

          4 years ago

          Try actually reading the 1st Amendment sometime. This site is not run by the government. Therefore, your right to free speech under the Constitution doesn’t apply here or on any other privately owned website.

          2
          Reply
        • Rsox

          4 years ago

          @blahable You mean twitter…

          Reply
      • bhambrave

        4 years ago

        You can ban him yourself, if what he says annoys you. It’s called a MUTE button.

        MLBTR usually posts just enough initially to get the news out there, then comes back and fills in the details later. A lot of times people are posting based on the initial post rather than the updated one. That could explain why what they questioned seems obvious after the fact.

        2
        Reply
    • MannyPineappleExpress9

      4 years ago

      You mean the headlines, and the crazy stories we come up with in our minds aren’t how it works?
      Hmm, then these “insiders” all over might be out of work. How could we live without their.079 batting average..I mean accuracy..in reporting?

      Reply
    • tstats

      4 years ago

      Agreed BUT some people comment when it still says “More to come…”

      Reply
  15. hetzel01

    4 years ago

    They are paying him this year as well as the $23 mil next year. They just aren’t making him show up any more.

    2
    Reply
  16. RDOZ

    4 years ago

    Guy had all the potential in the world and then….snap. He wasnt the same player.

    Reply
    • Lars MacDonald

      4 years ago

      It’s called PEDs.

      2
      Reply
      • Dustyslambchops23

        4 years ago

        Lazy comment.

        Baseballs a really hard game. Sometimes the league figures something out and you aren’t able to adjust.

        PEDs is not a magic potion that makes players superstars

        6
        Reply
        • JoeBrady

          4 years ago

          He had two great seasons, sandwiched between 11 seasons of a -0.3 WAR.

          If there were a million $$$ on the table, and you had to correctly guess whether he took Peds, or whether he didn’t, which would you choose?

          I would choose yes, and wouldn’t even spend a split-second thinking about it.

          Reply
        • dpsmith22

          4 years ago

          or unwilling to adjust which seemed to be in his case. same loopy swing same cement head.

          Reply
        • Yankee Clipper

          4 years ago

          JoeBrady is 100% on the money.

          Reply
        • JoeBrady

          4 years ago

          I like the $1M on the table concept. Folks will always object to some unproveable guesses, and usually covering for their own player. I’m guilty of that myself.

          Once you put the $1M on the table, and you have to choose yes or no, no rational person is going to say no.

          Reply
  17. Sour Bob

    4 years ago

    Has to be between him and Ryan Howard for worst contract ever.

    3
    Reply
    • hiflew

      4 years ago

      Don’t forget Vernon Wells.

      4
      Reply
      • Lars MacDonald

        4 years ago

        Or Josh Hamilton

        5
        Reply
        • douglasb

          4 years ago

          Or Albert Pujols. Or Miggy.

          Reply
      • smuzqwpdmx

        4 years ago

        The Vernon Wells contract was a good deal for the Blue Jays, since the Angels ended up paying it (and sending players back too).

        Reply
    • jakec77

      4 years ago

      Definitely Davis, if for not other reason that he cost more.

      Each team got one good year out of the contract, then a disaster. But Davis bad years were worse- you can argue that was only because the O’s were so determined to roll him out there that he was able to accumulate a lot of negative WAR whereas a more reasonable team would have sat him down, but those stats remain.

      I think the Davis contract reigns as the all time worst contract (at least in my book I don’t include those where most of the years get wiped out by a serious injury, like David Wright- insurance ends up covering a lot of that).

      Reply
    • dirkg

      4 years ago

      Gary Matthew’s Jr is holding on line 1.

      1
      Reply
    • some guy 2

      4 years ago

      Ooh, sounds like a good contest. Maybe Ellsbury is a contender?

      3
      Reply
    • beknighted

      4 years ago

      **Giancarlo Stanton has entered the chat**

      4
      Reply
      • dpsmith22

        4 years ago

        lol he could be he would get hurt doing it.

        2
        Reply
    • No Soup For Yu!

      4 years ago

      Howard’s worst OPS+ over the course of his contract was 85. I’m not going to pretend an 85 is good, especially considering Howard’s other limitations, but it’s a hell of a lot better than an average OPS+ of 50 that Davis put up in his contract’s final 3 years. At least Howard could imitate competence at the plate.

      3
      Reply
      • 7734

        4 years ago

        Thank you! Everybody please provide relevant sabermetrics and other statistics to make your case for each player having the worst contract.

        2
        Reply
      • tstats

        4 years ago

        One element should be $/WAR. I think it was SportsStorm on YT that made a video like MVP to worst contract and they lost money and lost wins with him at an absurdly high rate (the Phillies)

        Reply
    • Never Remember

      4 years ago

      No way. Pujols and Cabrera and hosmer much worse than Howard.

      Reply
      • Say Hey Now Kid

        4 years ago

        But didn’t the teams get lots of value in the first half of those contracts?

        1
        Reply
        • stoops

          4 years ago

          One of them, maybe.

          Reply
        • JoeBrady

          4 years ago

          No, Pujols and Cabrera both had one good season on the last contract.

          Davis = $161M for a -2.6 bWAR.
          Miggy -$240M for 4.4 WAR
          Pujols – $240M for a 12.8 WAR
          Zito? – $125M for 2.4 WAR

          1
          Reply
        • HalosHeavenJJ

          4 years ago

          It takes some doing to make the Albetross contract look good.

          1
          Reply
        • Chipsss

          4 years ago

          Zito earned a pretty good chunk of that during the 2012 playoffs though. Dude was nails right when the Giants needed him. I don’t speak for the entire fanbase by any means, but I’d say there is a generally warm feeling towards him after that WS victory. It wasn’t our money after all

          1
          Reply
    • Rsox

      4 years ago

      “Last M.F’r to rob the Sox like this was Jack Clark”

      Reply
    • Say Hey Now Kid

      4 years ago

      Am I wrong, I thought Howard had some great years early in that contract

      Reply
    • Eatdust666

      4 years ago

      Jacoby Ellsbury has entered the game.

      Reply
  18. CKinSTL

    4 years ago

    This is good for everyone.. Davis gets to retire, opposed to being DFA’d. The injuries and poor performance have to take a toll on him mentally. The O’s free up a roster spot and get to push some of that money back a few years.

    Despite having several very good seasons.. his biggest claim to fame will likely be that he had one of the worst contracts ever given to a ballplayer. Oh well, $161 million will take the sting outta that.

    1
    Reply
  19. greatgame 2

    4 years ago

    Retiring and still getting paid? Ridiculous! The Davis and Cobb contracts were a disaster for the Orioles

    2
    Reply
    • A'sfaninUK

      4 years ago

      Retiring due to injury, and getting paid via insurance, or having insurance cover his salary.

      Reply
      • mcmillankmm

        4 years ago

        Assuming they’ve got it

        Reply
    • CKinSTL

      4 years ago

      I mean, there were not a lot of alternatives..

      The O’s could have DFA’d him.. but he still gets paid.
      He could continue to play and be a waste of a roster spot and still get paid.

      Instead, Davis and the O’s came to a compromise.

      2
      Reply
    • Grade_1_teacher

      4 years ago

      They need to fire the personnel that okayed both those deals. The Ubaldo contract was pretty dreadful too.

      Reply
      • jimmertee

        4 years ago

        Owner approved both deals. Many would love to fire him.

        2
        Reply
      • JoeBrady

        4 years ago

        DD has already been fired.

        Reply
        • dpsmith22

          4 years ago

          sadly too late. 2015 was the worst roster management in baseball history. broke records for most RF and LF starters, 13 and 12. All of this after going to the ALCS year before…

          Reply
  20. hiflew

    4 years ago

    I think the best thing for us to do today is to remember the best part of Chris Davis’s career, not the worst. He was a good enough player that someone OFFERED him a $161 million contract in the first place. Whether he lived up to it shouldn’t matter. Same with Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder.

    Sports retirements are a lot like a funeral. At the end, they were not as productive as they were when they were younger, but it’s best to remember them in their primes instead of at the end. Good luck in retirement to one of the better power hitters in the game for a few years, Chris Davis. You gave me enjoyment watching you play the game.

    5
    Reply
    • JohhnyBets67

      4 years ago

      It was a bad deal the day it was signed. Angelos essentially bid against himself. Told Duquette that this money would go to Davis or it wouldn’t be spent. So, he only has himself to blame for this. But someone was going to give him way more than he would wind up being worth anyway. He was a great slugger in his best years but even then he was an inconsistent one.

      Great guy. Does a lot of work with charities in Baltimore. He and his wife will continue to put that money to good use. The O’s weren’t going anywhere in the time period of this boat anchor contract.

      1
      Reply
    • mcmillankmm

      4 years ago

      Yeah, except Davis has been going downhill for a while…Prince was still good when he got hurt

      1
      Reply
  21. mhsaltz1963

    4 years ago

    The winner for worst free agent signing in the history of the MLB is…..

    2
    Reply
    • hiflew

      4 years ago

      probably not even signed yet. Davis might be the worst so far, but with $300+ million dollar deals being handed out like candy, I think Davis deal will be a footnote before too long. Tatis’s deal is just getting started and he is already so injury prone that they are already moving him off SS. He is a good player, but how long can the human body withstand the punishment he has absorbed at just age 22.

      Reply
  22. steveguy13

    4 years ago

    I don’t understand the economics of this. If the o’s were still gonna be on the hook for the salary why didn’t they just cut him earlier this year once it was clear there was going to be a full 2021 season?

    Reply
    • mikep2k

      4 years ago

      Because if they don’t come to the compromise they owe him the money as was originally stated in the contract. The agreement allows the Orioles to spread the money owed over multiple years reducing year to year payroll.

      Davis saves some face and still get his money albeit over more years.

      The Orioles get a roster spot back and lower their year to year commitment to Davis.

      4
      Reply
    • Rsox

      4 years ago

      I imagine the Orioles valued his 40 man roster spot over the winter more than his remaining salary, which is likely mostly covered by insurance anyway. When it appeared that Davis would not be able to play this season they probably started negotiating a buy-out.

      1
      Reply
      • steveguy13

        4 years ago

        I’d really love to understand how insurance works when it comes to these contracts.

        Reply
  23. bucketbrew35

    4 years ago

    I couldn’t even imagine getting $3.5 million per year or even $1.3 million. But I would certainly take that deal any day of the week. Smart to have money coming in every year for 16 years. That’s going to be some cushy living.

    1
    Reply
    • Dustyslambchops23

      4 years ago

      With inflation he’s technically losing money by accepting that but I’m sure that he’s more than comfortable with or without the future paydays which is why he agreed to these terms

      2
      Reply
  24. Rsox

    4 years ago

    Better than Albert Belle sitting on the DL for two years collecting his full salary.

    Davis is definitely a cautionary tale in paying big money longcterm for feast-or-famine sluggers. Good luck to him in retirement

    Reply
  25. jimmertee

    4 years ago

    Goes to show that many big money longterm contracts are bad decisions. Yet owners still give these things out. Go figure.

    1
    Reply
  26. sdbaseballguy

    4 years ago

    For a season or two he was the worst hitter I ever saw. How someone can lose the ability to hit overnight, is just amazing. I think a lot of folks would have respected him if he had gone to AAA and worked out his issues (like Ankiel) but he chose to embarrass himself in the big leagues. Now he’ll just be remembered as the worst contract in baseball history, who went more than a month, STARTING, without getting a hit.

    2
    Reply
    • jimmertee

      4 years ago

      PED guy. Goo ogle “tor star adderall Kennedy” for an article on Chris Davis PED of choice.

      Reply
      • JohhnyBets67

        4 years ago

        ProScout Jimmer. Chris Davis got his adderall back later on. It didn’t matter.

        You have no idea whether or not he truly has ADHD anyway so whatever nonsense you’re spewing is just that. And please spare me that you have an inside source or other such nonsense.

        1
        Reply
      • JoeBrady

        4 years ago

        I’m not sure how accurate that article is. It cites ADHD in 4-6% of the population, and 10% in baseball. But not everyone in the general population gets tested for ADHD. When you have a $million$ contract at risk, 100% of the people get tested. When you’re from The Bronx, and can’t focus in school, you get told to pay more attention.

        1
        Reply
  27. driftcat28 2

    4 years ago

    O’s fans rejoice!

    1
    Reply
  28. gary55wv

    4 years ago

    It be interesting for someone to put out numbers as to Davis’s career after the new contract.

    Reply
  29. jimmertee

    4 years ago

    Good on the Orioles to work out a deal to get this guy off the field.

    1
    Reply
  30. martevious

    4 years ago

    He led the league in strikeouts the year before his big contract. He hit .196 the year before that. This is on the Orioles. They went out on a limb to sign him to such a huge contract.

    1
    Reply
  31. Dave4585

    4 years ago

    Living proof you only have to be Good in life for a short period in order to reap the benefits of a life time. We all have to find our way to easy money.

    Reply
  32. joncoley

    4 years ago

    He was never the same after they popped him for Adderall.

    Reply
  33. NWMarinerHawk

    4 years ago

    What a delightfully bizarre career he had. I remember when the Mariners traded Cliff Lee, they had the choice of Smoak or Davis in the deal and I was upset when we chose Smoak.
    Ahhhh, memories

    1
    Reply
    • mopaniac

      4 years ago

      Good thing we got smoak over davis especially the money we saved .

      Reply
  34. findingnimmo

    4 years ago

    The next Bobby Bonilla situation like the mets have. Orioles will celebrate Chris Davis day each year !

    1
    Reply
  35. blahable

    4 years ago

    It was cute… imagine what could have been done with that money.

    Marketing homers and giving him a cute nickname was more important for the Orioles though.

    Now they lose 100 games a year, have give away free tickets and candy for kiddies and discounted beer for grandpa who dragged the kiddies to go see a AAAA team.

    1
    Reply
  36. BaseballBrian

    4 years ago

    Should’ve won MVP in 2012.

    1
    Reply
    • BaseballBrian

      4 years ago

      Doh! 2013.

      Reply
  37. BashBroJoe

    4 years ago

    Will always be a fan. Great guy. Great family. Dedicates a nice chunk of time to the UofM children’s hospital. Plus he was a huge part of some of my favorite seasons as an Orioles fan. Wish him the best in his retirement.

    1
    Reply
  38. NattyBroh

    4 years ago

    Best O’s news we’ve had all season!

    Reply
  39. Happyfoolsteve

    4 years ago

    While many will focus on what he didn’t do, I will always be a fan and appreciate what he did in the years the O’s were competitive. He played hard and gave so much back to the community. Those bombs were fun to watch! Thanks, Crush. Enjoy your retirement.

    Reply
  40. bucsfan0004

    4 years ago

    Since he’s retiring, he shouldn’t take the 23M or at least he shouldn’t take most of it. Very classless. Didn’t he bilk the Orioles out of enough money? Plus he’s already set up with deferrals for many many years.

    3
    Reply
    • tercera_base

      4 years ago

      O’s fans and the organization do not consider Chris Davis to be classless. As a Pirates fan I’m sure his contract numbers are unfathomable, but this was Angelos’ mistake. His performance has been dreadful, but his character has not been.

      Best of luck, Chris Davis.

      2
      Reply
    • rocky7

      4 years ago

      Would you walk away from $23 Million? Ridiculous comment from a fan of a perennial loser franchise!

      1
      Reply
      • bucsfan0004

        4 years ago

        But he IS walking away from baseball by choice, so he shouldn’t be paid as if nothing happened. That’s the tradeoff. Make him start another 0-50 streak and “earn” the money. When you get to sit in your mansion and sip cocktails in 2022, that shouldn’t be worth the full 23M.

        And i’m a fan of the cheapest owner in sports, clearly not the worst 🙂

        1
        Reply
    • Steve Adams

      4 years ago

      Were the Orioles “classless” for only paying him $3MM in 2013 when he hit 53 home runs and finished third in AL MVP voting? Of course not — just as Davis isn’t “classless” for collecting the remainder of the contract. That’s how the system works.

      Besides, it’s not really his choice at this point. He’s being forced into retirement by a degenerative hip condition after trying to play through that condition while rehabbing other injuries for several years.

      If he’d just gone and sat at home without ever so much as trying to get back to the field and you wanted to say that’s not right, fine. But Davis has been busting it for years and was candid and open about the fact that he wants to give the team better than he’d given them.

      4
      Reply
  41. thomasg1951

    4 years ago

    He quit years ago when he signed that contract.

    2
    Reply
  42. mike156

    4 years ago

    He had a contract. There wasn’t any indication that he wasn’t trying to get back out on the field. Of course he was overpaid, but this little extension agreement on payments saves everyone a little face. Baltimore was on the hook anyway. Contracts go both ways…the great young players who take a below market extension because the alternative is to wait in pre-arb MLB minimum status deliver tremendous value. The system has “injustices” in both directions.

    Reply
  43. ham77

    4 years ago

    Somewhere Bobby Bo is cussing because now he has to share his day every year with Chris Davis.

    Reply
  44. mopaniac

    4 years ago

    Good thing we got smoak over davis especially the money we saved .

    Reply
  45. Thornton Mellon

    4 years ago

    Why’s he doing it now? He’s having his best season in terms of WAR since 2016! That -3.3 WAR in 2018 is something to behold. This year, at least, he has as much WAR as all of us reading these comments.
    No one forced the Orioles to sign him in 2016, but honestly that mistake goes back to just not getting it done with Nelson Cruz. As I remember, the issue was that Cruz wanted one more year of commitment (4 versus 3?) than the Orioles were willing to give. Giving Davis 7 years at that price when no one else was clamoring to sign him smacked of desperation and/or the interference of Peter Angelos. Cruz, meanwhile, is still very effective not just after 3 or 4 more years, but 7. As an Orioles fan at the time with the team coming off 3 straight winning seasons, because they’d missed signing Cruz I thought they had to sign Davis.
    Davis shares the blame for continuing the same approach that was making him worse and worse every year. He never tried to adapt. He kept grounding into the shift, he kept striking out. So many times I paused it when he swung and missed, he’s not even looking in the direction of the ball. That has nothing to do with Adderall, I think the guy put his feet up after signing that contract – did an Albert Haynesworth without getting fat.
    Nice guy, did a lot for the community, but boy has he hamstrung the team the last few years.

    Reply
  46. FletcherFan66

    4 years ago

    RIP he will be missed

    Reply
  47. CrikesAlready

    4 years ago

    If he had restructured years ago. I’d have had more respect for him.

    What a trainwreck.

    For retirement, the Orioles should buy him a CVT-equipped Nissan with the vanity plates “0-fer.”

    The significance of the Nissan would be that it is as crappy as his career. Starts off nice and quickly goes south.

    1
    Reply
    • disadvantage

      4 years ago

      Haha, CVT hatred usually only occurs on the car forums I visit, so this is a refreshing comment.

      Reply
  48. disadvantage

    4 years ago

    I know it would never happen, but still, deep down, I lowkey was hoping all this time off would provide a refreshed Chris Davis, and he would make a comeback. Again, I doubt that would ever happen, but stranger things have happened.

    Reply
  49. brodie-bruce

    4 years ago

    good luck chris in your future endeavors it’s a shame injuries derailed your career.

    2
    Reply
  50. coachdit

    4 years ago

    In my opinion, the most effortless, fluid, beautiful swing I’ve seen since junior. His contract was important for showing Schoop and Machado we were willing to spend big money on our players versus being a farm system for the big boys.

    Reply
    • JoeBrady

      4 years ago

      Another way of looking at it is that the Orioles lost Machado & Schoop because they were paying too much to Davis.

      Reply
  51. nottinghamforest13

    4 years ago

    An evil, deceptive human being who knew he was done long ago yet stuck around to cash in. A man of God of course so don’t dare cast aspersions towards his character. God likely told him to not retire earlier and grab as much of the money as possible rather than doing the noble thing.

    Reply
  52. manfraud

    4 years ago

    Let’s be real, man’s been retired for the past 5 years

    2
    Reply
  53. Tdat1979

    4 years ago

    This is why it’s a waste of money to sign power hitters long term. They will have 1 or 2 good years then that’s it. The only time to sign a power hitter is if he has a consistent record of getting on base (OBP above .350). Otherwise it’s a huge gamble.

    Reply
  54. ~Purist~

    4 years ago

    I saw a comment saying that it is between him and Howard as the worst contract of all time.
    So of course I did some digging and some math. There are of course some nuances I will note now and in the analysis such as I am using bWAR and I am not accounting for injuries against a contract for those are highly unpredictable, more or less just War/$. The exact formula I am using is Salary/WAR (turned into a positive value but taken as a negative) so some will be a tad funky.
    Chris Davis: 61.9 Million per negative WAR
    Ryan Howard: 33.8 Million per negative WAR
    Pablo Sandoval: .165.7 Million per negative WAR (5 years/95 million with -0.7 WAR)
    Finally with a caveat is Miguel Cabrera but I am going to take out his 2016 5.1 WAR season which you may easily call cheating so this one you do not need to accept: 246.7 Million per negative WAR

    PS. this is “tstats” but I forgot the login on the computer lol

    Reply
  55. BeforeMcCourt

    4 years ago

    Sucks to see his career derailed by the Commish disallowing a medical prescription he had for a decade or more prior. He never was the same. It wasn’t a blown shoulder or Achilles or something. It was a judgment against him.

    Reply
  56. theodore glass

    4 years ago

    Cooperstown is waiting. Thank you for the memories Chris Davis.

    Reply
  57. etex211

    4 years ago

    $165 million for his career….not bad for a kid from Longview, Texas.

    Reply
  58. Enzosrevenge

    4 years ago

    Finally the pepto worked for the O’s.!!! Can ya send the Pads some please …

    Reply
  59. tallyosfan

    4 years ago

    Joins a long line of horrible signings by the Os

    Reply

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