The Yankees announced a series of roster moves before this evening’s game against the Orioles. Most notably, outfielder Jonathan Davis has been claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays. New York also selected the contracts of right-handers Brody Koerner and Stephen Ridings. They’re replacing Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, who landed on the COVID-19 injured list after testing positive for the virus.
Davis lost his 40-man roster spot when the Jays acquired Joakim Soria before last Friday’s trade deadline. The 29-year-old appeared in the majors with the Jays in each of the past four seasons, tallying a combined 241 plate appearances of .180/.285/.263 hitting. While he hasn’t performed well at the big league level, Davis has a decent .256/.357/.421 line over parts of three seasons at Triple-A.
Koerner and Ridings are both in line to make their big league debuts. Koener, a 17th-round pick of the Yankees back in 2015, has done very well at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. Through 61 innings, the Clemson University product has a 2.95 ERA, the seventh-lowest mark among the 49 Triple-A East pitchers with 50+ innings pitched. His 18.3% strikeout rate is below-average, but Koerner has also issued walks at a lower than typical 7.8% clip.
Ridings began his career as an 8th-round draftee of the Cubs out of Haverford College. He was a starting pitcher early in his minor league tenure (which also included some time in the Royals system). This year, though, he’s worked exclusively in relief, splitting the campaign between Double-A Somerset and Scranton. Altogether, the 25-year-old has pitched to a sterling 1.24 ERA in 29 innings, striking out an elite 38.2% of opponents while walking just 3.6%.
Because Koerner and Ridings were selected to the roster as COVID replacements, they can be returned to the minor leagues and removed from the 40-man without being exposed to waivers upon others’ returns from the IL.
Sorry to see Davis go. Hope he has great success in New York, at least when they’re playing Boston and TB.
I thought he was “Here To Stay”. Wrong Jonathan Davis.
But now he’s Got the Life in New York…
Falling away from me, glove side, off the mound.
Does he wear A.D.I.D.A.S.
This move sure was a Twist.
No I think you got it right? Korn gave Jonathan Davis to the Yankees and it gives me the CBGB’s to see it falling away from him? Blue Jays musta heard Alone I Break? Or had to many guitarists playing outfield?
He’s got the life now after doing his time in Toronto. Hopefully he doesn’t go blind at the plate and breaking pitches falling away from him make him bad. If he doesn’t act like a clown he could get an endorsement from Adidas. Hope he is ready.
I thought his life was Peachy, but heard he has Issues.
Stephen is out shagging flies during batting practice.
Ridings on the wall.
And Brody’s in the Koerner.
To make room for Jonathan Davis, the Yankees DFA’d Fred Durst.
Hahaha
Surprised to see Adam Warren — pitching at Scranton — being bypassed in these moves.
Warren has been getting shelled. Even pitching at Scranton. Sad but true.
This move came out of left Fieldy.
Ok.
So: this is how it is. Koerner & Ridings, uh? Bats need to get going here. Back of the ‘pen needs to be tight.
Pretty important stretch of games.
Love all these new baby bombers Gil, Koerner and Ridding getting a chance instead of Abreu, Nelson and Kriske. Hope Cole and Gumby a speedy recovery. I like Rizzo’s glove work at 1B, should resign him and deal Voit. Gil has been impressive thru 6!
Wow.
Ridings can dial it up, uh? He & Gil have been a blast.
Ridings throws gas and have a decent slider as well. Would like to see more of this.
Ridings had Ridiculous Stuff, man. I am not familiar with him at all.
But: he looked absolutely dominant.
Yanks batters looking good tonight, Wade’s clutch hitting and tack on runs was nice. Need to keep this up. Yanks need to put the game away in other games or like when Otani got knocked out in the 1st Yanks let Angels hang around.
Nice pick up….. he can’t even hit his weight…… hilarious
Heady pickup. Guess no one was Fieldying any good offers, so the Yanks decided to stop Munkying around and pick up this Luzier. There may yet be a Silveria lining for Johnathan Davis, but who really knows?
But will he be able to field cans of Korn?
Davis has elite defense and speed. Amazing athlete. Can’t hit his weight. unfortunately.
A good batting coach needs to sit him down and force him to listen about changing his approach at the plate. He tries to uppercut and hit bombs when he should be swinging down on the ball in a Walter Hriniak style of swing and running. Then he might play in the big leagues a while.
What guys like Davis should really be doing is putting in the work to become great bunters. He could pick up a hit or two a week that way and also become a contributor with sacrifices instead of strikeouts. It’d make him just useful enough at the plate to get his glove out there sometimes.
He does have good power though, so it’s understandably hard for him to give up on that when it worked for him in the minors. Just doesn’t do him any good when he can’t make contact.
The Yankees are getting a great outfielder and even better person in Johnathan Davis. As a Jays fan, I’m sorry to see him go but happy he’ll get another opportunity! Best of luck!!
A 4A outfielder who could make more cash in the NPB or KBO. He’s got the life alright, just one with a career that’s falling away from him and makes fans of the team he’s on want to go blind with his poor hitting.
Never got a real opportunity with the Jays.
Johnathan Davis got 205 AtBats with the Jays over 4 years and batted .180 with 4 total homers and 16 Rbis. That is plenty to tell anyone something isn’t working.
Players never blossom with regular ABs?
Usually gotta earn those ABs, but sometimes a player lucks into a desperation audition and shines.
Davis didn’t have a 20 AB week during those 4 years, tough to find a rhythm.
Not sure any team will ever have the need to give him a full slate of ABs, even for a week or two.
Drury was done, Mets get desperate, and he shows a little bit with this latest shot. Similar to Urshela when the Yanks tried him initially.
Teams still want Billy McKinney around.
Still some hope for JD, very slim, but hard to say he had a real opportunity. A few tastes.