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Austin Davis

Padres, Austin Davis Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Padres are re-signing lefty Austin Davis on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of Fansided. The KHG Sports client was designated for assignment after the trade deadline and elected free agency over the weekend. He’ll presumably head back to Triple-A El Paso on this new deal and continue to serve as depth for the Friars.

Davis, 31, appeared in seven games with the Padres after having his contract selected to the big league roster in late June. He yielded seven runs in seven innings, though four of those runs came home in one regrettable outing against the D-backs on July 7. Davis has spent the bulk of the season in El Paso, where he’s been sharp: 29 innings, 3.10 ERA, 29.8% strikeout rate, 12.9% walk rate, 47.7% ground-ball rate, no home runs allowed. Certainly, the Padres and Davis would prefer a lower walk rate, and it’s not realistic to expect any pitcher to keep up such a lengthy stretch avoiding home runs. That said, Davis’ blend of strikeouts and grounders has been quite strong in Triple-A this year.

This brief run with the Padres was Davis’ first big league action since 2022. He’s now pitched in parts off six big league seasons. A 5.77 ERA over the life of 151 1/3 innings isn’t going to stand out (at least not for the right reasons), but Davis has continually shown an ability to miss bats, keep the ball in the yard at a respectable clip, and avoid hard contact. He’s fanned 23.7% of his career opponents, held batters to 1.18 HR/9 and yielded an average 87 mph exit velocity with just a 33.5% hard-hit rate in his MLB career.

San Diego’s aggressive deadline added Tanner Scott, Jason Adam and Bryan Hoeing to what was already a deep and talented big league bullpen. Scott joins Adrian Morejon and Yuki Matsui as lefties in Mike Shildt’s bullpen, giving the Friars’ skipper a trio of southpaw options in the majors (to say nothing of the currently injured Wandy Peralta). Davis will add an experienced lefty to the El Paso roster, one who could be among the first in line for a call should the Padres need another lefty or simply a fresh arm at some point.

Austin Davis Elects Free Agency

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Left-hander Austin Davis has elected free agency after clearing waivers, as noted by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune last night. Davis, 31, was designated for assignment last week amid the Padres’ shuffling of the active roster following the trade deadline.

A 12th-round pick by the Phillies back in 2014, Davis made it to the majors during the 2018 season and since then has pitched in parts of six big league seasons. His rookie campaign was his best to date, as he pitched 34 2/3 innings with Philadelphia and posted a league average 4.15 ERA with strong peripherals (including a 25.2% strikeout rate) that afforded him a solid 3.68 FIP. Unfortunately for Davis, things would go off the rails for him from there as he allowed 22 runs in his next 18 appearances with the Phillies while shuttling between Triple-A and the majors until the club eventually traded him to the Pirates during the 2020 season.

Since leaving Philadelphia, Davis has bounced around the league with Pirates, Red Sox, and Twins through the end of the 2022 season. In a combined 86 innings of work, the lefty pitched to a lackluster 5.44 ERA despite a solid 24.2% strikeout rate thanks in large part to an elevated 11.7% walk rate. After a disastrous stint with the Twins late in the 2022 season where he surrendered three runs in just 1 2/3 innings of work while issuing more walks than strikeouts, Davis was designated for assignment and elected free agency.

He eventually caught on with the Astros on a minor league deal but struggled badly even at the Triple-A level with an eye-popping 11.22 ERA in 25 2/3 innings of work. That brutal stint with Houston led Davis to briefly depart affiliated ball and try his hand as a starting pitcher in independent ball. In nine starts split between the American Association’s Lake Country DockHounds and the Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Winter League, Davis posted a 3.62 ERA in 37 1/3 innings of work with an excellent 26.7% strikeout rate.

That performance outside of affiliated ball earned him some attention from the Padres entering the 2024 season, and he signed with the club on a minor league deal back in February. He posted strong numbers at the Triple-A level with San Diego’s El Paso affiliate, pitching to a 3.10 ERA in 29 frames and punching out 29.8% of opponents despite the offense-inflating run environment in the Pacific Coast League. The Padres eventually called Davis up to the majors in late June, but his time in the big leagues hasn’t gone particularly well with a 9.00 ERA in seven innings of work where he’s walked (five) nearly as many batters as he’s struck out (six).

Now a free agent once again, it’s possible Davis will be able to catch on with another club on a minor league deal to act as a non-roster depth option for a club in need of bullpen innings down the stretch, particularly given his solid numbers at Triple-A and his status as a lefty bullpen arm.

Padres Designate Austin Davis For Assignment

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The Padres have activated left-handers Martín Pérez and Tanner Scott, as well as right-hander Bryan Hoeing, the pitchers they acquired prior to yesterday’s trade deadline. In order to open roster spots for those three, they placed right-hander Stephen Kolek on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tendonitis, optioned righty Logan Gillaspie to Triple-A El Paso and designated lefty Austin Davis for assignment.

Davis is out of options, so a DFA was the only manner of pulling him from the MLB bullpen. The 31-year-old southpaw made seven low-leverage appearances over the past month. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) across seven innings, walking five with six strikeouts.

That was the first MLB work in two years for Davis, who combined for 56 frames of 5.79 ERA ball between the Red Sox and Twins in 2022. While his recent body of work against big league hitters hasn’t been especially impressive, he had a nice showing for El Paso early this year. Over 29 innings in the Pacific Coast League, he turned in a 3.10 earned run average. Davis fanned nearly 30% of batters faced in Triple-A, albeit with an elevated 12.9% walk rate.

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, San Diego’s only option is to put Davis on waivers (though it’s unlikely they’d have found a trade partner regardless). He has a previous career outright that gives him the ability to decline an assignment back to Triple-A, so he’ll likely become a free agent assuming he clears waivers.

Padres Select Austin Davis

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3:30pm: The Padres have made it official, announcing they have selected Davis to the roster. Left-hander Tom Cosgrove was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation to open an active roster spot. To get Davis onto the 40-man, right-hander Joe Musgrove was transferred to the 60-day IL. Musgrove has a bone spur in his right elbow and has been on the IL since May 29. He’s now ineligible to return until 60 days from that date, which would be late July. He still hasn’t begun a rehab assignment and will need a few weeks to build up once he does.

11:29am: The Padres are planning to call up left-hander Austin Davis prior to tonight’s series opener against the Red Sox, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. They’ll need to formally select his contract from Triple-A El Paso and open a spot on the 40-man roster, though that can be accomplished in rather straightforward fashion by transferring Xander Bogaerts (who’s out with a fracture in his shoulder) from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.

The 31-year-old Davis hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2022 but has appeared in parts of five MLB seasons. He’s posted a lackluster 5.61 earned run average in that time while showing an ability to miss bats (25% strikeout rate)  but also some troubles with walks (11%) and home runs (1.25 HR/9).

Though he doesn’t have much of a big league track record, Davis has been sharp in El Paso this season. The journeyman southpaw has a 3.10 ERA in 29 frames and has been outstanding since a shaky start to the year. Over his past 23 1/3 innings, Davis boasts a 1.93 ERA with 32 punchouts and 13 walks. That’s still too many free passes, of course. It’s perhaps worth noting that four of those walks were intentional, but that’s offset by the fact that he’s also plunked four hitters along the way.

Davis’ effectively wild tenure with the Padres’ Triple-A club marks a stark turnaround from a disastrous Triple-A run with the Astros a year ago, when he walked 34 batters and allowed 32 runs in just 25 1/3 innings. Even with that career-worst performance skewing his track record, Davis sports a 4.19 ERA, 29% strikeout rate and 13.6% walk rate in parts of five Triple-A campaigns.

If Davis can carry this season’s success over to the majors and carve out a longer-term spot on the roster, he’d be controllable for three seasons beyond the current campaign, though he has quite a ways to go before that’s a real consideration. The left-hander is out of minor league options, so he’ll have to stick on the roster or else be designated for assignment before he can be sent back down to the minors. Even if he were to clear waivers in such a scenario, he’d have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency by virtue of the fact that he’s been outrighted previously in his career.

Padres Sign Austin Davis, Zach Reks To Minor League Deals

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The Padres recently agreed to minor league contracts with lefty reliever Austin Davis and outfielder Zach Reks, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Reks returns after a stint in Korea, while Davis spent part of last season in Triple-A.

Davis, 31, has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons. The Cal-Bakersfield product got to the big leagues each year between 2018-22 and tallied 136 appearances between the Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox and Twins. Davis turned in a solid 4.15 ERA as a rookie with Philadelphia. He allowed more than five earned runs per nine in each of the following four seasons.

That includes a 5.79 mark over a career-high 56 innings two years ago. Davis spent the vast majority of that year in Boston before a late-season cameo with the Twins. He punched out a solid 24.2% of hitters but issued walks at a near-13% rate. That proved an ominous lead-up to a dreadful season in Triple-A.

Davis inked a minor league pact with the Astros. Assigned to Triple-A Sugar Land, he pitched in 20 games. Over 25 contests, he was tagged for 11.22 earned runs per nine. His control completely evaporated. Davis walked more than a quarter of batters faced and was released in June. He issued 11 more walks in 18 1/3 innings of winter ball in the Dominican Republic, although he nevertheless managed a 2.45 ERA there and impressed San Diego evaluators enough to get another non-roster look.

Reks, a left-handed hitter, logged brief MLB action with the Dodgers and Rangers between 2021-22. He signed with the KBO’s Lotte Giants midway through the ’22 campaign. Reks turned in an impressive .330/.410/.495 slash with Lotte, earning a new contract over the offseason. His follow-up KBO campaign didn’t go as well. Reks got out to a .246/.338/.345 start while battling a knee injury. Lotte released him in June.

The Padres will add him to the organization, likely sending him to Triple-A El Paso to open the season. Reks owns a .290/.388/.537 line over 902 plate appearances at the level. That’s partially a reflection of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League but is strong output in any case. Hitting at something approaching that level for El Paso could get him a midseason look in what currently projects as a thin San Diego outfield.

Astros To Select Corey Julks, César Salazar

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The Astros informed reporters of a handful of roster decision this afternoon (relayed by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Most notably, outfielder/third baseman Corey Julks and catcher/first baseman César Salazar are making the Opening Day roster. Neither player is yet on the 40-man roster, so the club will have to formally select their contracts in the next few days.

Houston will carry three catchers to start the season, as backstop Yainer Diaz is also breaking camp behind veteran starter Martín Maldonado. Díaz is already on the 40-man after making his MLB debut late last season. Catcher Korey Lee, outfielder Bligh Madris, infielder/outfielder J.J. Matijevic and infielder Rylan Bannon were all optioned, while non-roster invitees Dixon Machado, Justin Dirden, Austin Davis and Ty Buttrey were reassigned to the minor leagues.

Julks is a Texas native who attended the University of Houston. An eighth-round pick by his hometown club in 2017, he’s played five minor league seasons. The 27-year-old had a strong season with Triple-A Sugar Land last year, hitting .270/.351/.503 with 31 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 27 attempts. Baseball America slotted him as the #27 prospect in the Houston system this offseason as a result, the first time he’d placed among the organization’s top 30 farmhands. The outlet credits him with roughly average tools across the board and suggests he could step immediately step in as a fourth outfielder. He’ll earn that opportunity after a .275/.318/.550 showing in 40 plate appearances this spring.

Salazar, also 27, was a seventh-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Arizona. The 5’9″ backstop spent the majority of last season with Double-A Corpus Christi. He posted a solid .277/.350/.489 line while connecting on 16 longballs in 85 games. Salazar only walked at a 6.8% clip but kept his strikeouts down to a modest 16.5% rate. While he only has 18 games of Triple-A experience, the Astros are confident he’ll be able to handle the jump to take on big league arms. He’ll add a left-handed bat to the bench and give skipper Dusty Baker some added flexibility to sub out Maldonado for a pinch-hitter as long as Houston carries three catchers.

Diaz is one of the organization’s best offensive prospects. The 24-year-old only got into six MLB contests last year but combined for a .306/.356/.542, 25-homer showing in the minors. He adds a bat-first complement to Maldonado behind the dish and could also see occasional starts at first base or designated hitter.

Houston will need to create a pair of spots on the 40-man roster. Placing second baseman Jose Altuve on the 60-day injured list feels like an inevitability, as he won’t begin baseball activities for two months after fracturing his thumb. Starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. could be another 60-day IL candidate as he’s slowed by a forearm strain, though general manager Dana Brown was noncommittal on that possibility today (via Rome).

Astros Sign Austin Davis To Minor League Deal

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The Astros have informed reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, that they have signed left-hander Austin Davis to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league Spring Training.

Davis, 30 in February, was drafted by the Phillies and made his MLB debut with them in 2018. He’s since bounced around quite a bit, spending time with the Pirates, Red Sox and Twins.

In 2022, he saw his most extensive big league action, logging 56 innings between Boston and Minnesota. In that time he posted a 5.79 ERA with a decent 24.2% strikeout rate but an unfortunate 12.5% walk rate. It’s possible that there was a bit of bad luck in there from his .331 batting average on balls in play and 63.6% strand rate. Advanced metrics liked him better but not by too much, with Davis earning a 4.59 xERA, 4.02 FIP and 4.13 SIERA. The Twins designated him for assignment in September.

Despite those numbers, Davis might have a path to joining the Astros since they are light on southpaws in the bullpen. The only left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster at the moment are Blake Taylor and Parker Mushinski. Taylor spent a decent chunk of 2022 on the IL due to elbow discomfort and was optioned to the minors at the end of his rehab assignment. Mushinski was up and down all year, only getting into seven big league games. It doesn’t seem like either one is a lock for a spot with next year’s bullpen, meaning there could be an opening for Davis to work his way in there. He’s out of options but has between two and three years of MLB service, meaning he can be retained for future seasons via arbitration if he earns a roster spot and keeps it.

Austin Davis Elects Free Agency

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TODAY: Davis has cleared waivers and has chosen to become a free agent.

SEPTEMBER 8: The Twins announced Thursday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Cole Sands from the injured list and opened a spot on the active roster by designating left-hander Austin Davis for assignment. Minnesota had claimed Davis from the Red Sox on Aug. 31 after he was also designated for assignment in Boston.

Davis, 29, struggled to a 5.47 ERA in 54 1/3 innings with the Red Sox this year and wasn’t able to right the ship in a brief stint with the Twins. Though he appeared in just two games, the lefty yielded three runs on a hit and four walks in just 1 2/3 innings. His DFA will drop the Twins back down to two lefties in the bullpen — Caleb Thielbar and Jovani Moran — and open a spot on the Twins’ 40-man roster.

Originally a 12th-round pick of the Phillies, Davis has appeared in the Majors in each of the past five seasons but has never posted a single-season ERA south of 5.00 and currently carries a lifetime mark of 5.61 in 144 frames at the MLB level. He’s fanned 24% of his opponents against an 11% walk rate and kept 39.5% of batted balls against him on the ground.

Davis has regularly excelled at limiting hard contact, evidenced by a career 87.2 mph average exit velocity and 33.4% hard-hit rate. However, when opponents do square him up, the result is often a worst-case scenario; even with that lack of consistent hard contact, he’s still yielded an average of 1.25 homers per nine innings pitched. With the trade deadline now well in the rear-view mirror, the only options for the Twins will be to place Davis on outright or release waivers. He reached three years of Major League service time earlier this season, so even if he clears he’ll have the right to reject an assignment to Triple-A in favor of free agency.

As for the 25-year-old Sands, he’s followed a standout 2021 Double-A campaign (2.46 ERA in 80 1/3 innings) with a rough year both in Triple-A and the Majors. The 2018 fifth-rounder has been saddled with a 5.70 ERA in 53 1/3 Triple-A frames and an even more troublesome 6.56 mark in 23 1/3 MLB innings. That said, Sands has fanned and walked batters at a better-than-average rate while also being plagued by sky-high averages on balls in play (.404 in Triple-A, 3.62 in the Majors).

Twins Claim Austin Davis From Red Sox

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The Twins have claimed reliever Austin Davis off waivers from the Red Sox, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Davis had been designated for assignment on Sunday.

The 29-year-old left-hander spent some time with the Phillies and Pirates to begin his career. The Red Sox acquired him from the Bucs in a July 2021 trade that sent Michael Chavis to Pittsburgh. After the trade, Davis put up a 4.86 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, along with a 22.7% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 47.1% ground ball rate. This year, he has a 5.47 ERA through 54 1/3 innings, striking out 24% of batters but walking 11.4% of them.

Boston decided to shake up their struggling bullpen recently, with Davis among those to get the cut. The Twins had an open spot on their 40-man roster and used it to pick him up. Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 tomorrow, which should make it easy for Davis to fit in there. He will join Caleb Thielbar and Jovani Moran as lefty options out of Minnesota’s bullpen. Because he has joined the club’s 40-man roster prior to tonight’s 11:59pm ET postseason eligibility deadline, he will have the chance to earn a spot on the club’s playoff team. That will likely involve him having improved results in his new uniform, in addition to the Twins gaining ground in the Wild Card race, where they are currently three games behind the Blue Jays for the last spot.

Red Sox To Designate Austin Davis For Assignment

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The Red Sox are going to designate left-hander Austin Davis for assignment before Monday’s game against the Twins, according to Chad Jennings of The Athletic.

Davis, 29, spent time with the Phillies and Pirates before coming over to the Red Sox last year in a deadline deal that sent Michael Chavis to Pittsburgh. After that trade, Davis pitched adequately, registering a 4.86 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, along with a 22.7% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 47.1% ground ball rate.

As Jennings points out, 2022 started out well for Davis, as he held a 2.55 ERA through July 8. Since that time, however, he’s been rocked to an ERA of 11.12. His 24.7% strikeout rate in that time is slightly above the 23.5% league average for relievers. However, his 12.9% walk rate is well beyond the 9.1% average.

Given that extended slide, it seems the Sox have decided to move on and cut Davis from the roster. It’s not known what other moves will be made in conjunction with this one, but a spot will be opened on Boston’s active roster as well as its 40-man roster. Given that we are in the post-deadline part of the season, the Red Sox will have no choice but to put Davis on outright waivers or release waivers. Davis began the year with his service time at 2.098, meaning he’s beyond the three-year mark at this point of the year, as 172 days are required to fulfill a “year” in this department. By getting beyond the three-year threshold, he’s earned the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of electing free agency.

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