The Yankees have announced the release of infielder J.D. Davis and the outright assignment of infielder/outfielder Jahmai Jones to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post on X, Davis has cleared waivers and is now a free agent.
Davis, 31, began the year after winning an arbitration case against the Giants, which was expected to secure him a $6.9 million salary for the season. However, the Giants released him after signing Matt Chapman for their third base position. Arbitration salaries aren’t guaranteed if a hearing occurs, so the Giants only owed Davis approximately $1.1 million in termination pay. He then joined the A’s, who provided him with a $2.5 million guarantee but dealt with an adductor strain, resulting in a .236/.304/.366 batting line and a wRC+ of 96. He was traded to the Yankees, where he was mostly a bench player and appeared in just seven games before being designated for assignment to make room for Jazz Chisholm Jr. No other teams claimed him off waivers.
The Yankees will still be responsible for the remainder of Davis’s salary, about $775,000. Any other team could sign him for the prorated league minimum salary, with the Yankees covering the difference. Davis has a strong track record from 2019 to 2023, hitting .268/.352/.443 with a wRC+ of 120, which might attract other teams.
Jones’s situation is more surprising, given that about half of MLB teams have open 40-man roster spots post-trade deadline. Despite his recent status as a notable prospect and his league minimum salary, Jones went unclaimed. Though he is out of options and would have required an active roster spot with any team claiming him, he could have been controlled for five more seasons beyond this year.
In his major league career, Jones has posted a .198/.257/.278 line with limited opportunities, never exceeding 75 plate appearances in a season. He was claimed by the Yankees in February but only had 47 plate appearances before being designated for assignment when Giancarlo Stanton returned from injury.
In the minors from 2021 to 2023, Jones performed well, walking in 15.2% of his plate appearances and striking out 21.8% of the time, with a .254/.378/.441 line and a 114 wRC+. He also stole 25 bases in 34 attempts while playing various positions. As a former second-round pick who was once considered a top 100 prospect, it’s notable that he went unclaimed. Since this is his first outright assignment and he has under three years of service time, he cannot elect free agency at this time. He will report to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and can become a minor league free agent at season’s end if not reinstated to the major league roster.
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