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Even though many had strongly advised against it, myself included, the Orioles couldn’t let go of Chris Davis and signed him to a mega-deal. Davis’s deal is not only the largest in Orioles history, but could also be known as one of the organization’s biggest mistakes. Davis signed a 7-year contract with the O’s that is worth around $161 million dollars, but Davis won’t be receiving all that money during those seven years. ESPN baseball writer Buster Olney broke down Davis’ contract structure,
Chris Davis contract structure: $17m annual salary 2016-2022. Annual payments $3.5m 2023-32, then $1.4m 2033-37. No interest on deferrals.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 16, 2016
That’s not to say that Davis doesn’t deserve a big paycheck because he does. However, this deal signifies one thing and that is that the Orioles were desperate for Davis. Heck, even a seafood restaurant in Baltimore offered the guy a lifetime supply of free crabcakes if he stayed. It honestly didn’t look like the Orioles were having much competition in keeping Davis. Their original deal to Davis was probably even higher than he would have gotten during free agency. For even further insurance, the Orioles made sure to add a “limited no-trade clause” in the contract.
There are really only two possible outcomes for the Davis contract. The first outcome is that Davis ends up having another massively successful year, hits 40 home runs and helps lead the Orioles back to the playoffs. The second outcome is that Davis ends up having a bad year, fails to live up to the Orioles sky-high expectations and all of the money that was used on him is a complete waste. While there were both risks and rewards in the signing, it was a move that the Orioles felt they needed to take. Could they have gotten someone as good, maybe even better for cheaper? Probably, but did that possibility ever cross their mind? The answer to that, I’ll probably never know.
The one thing I do know is that if Chris Davis doesn’t have another huge year, the Orioles will be the ones who suffer. While there are no clear signs that Davis is going to have a bad year, the possibility is always there. Granted, seven years is a long time too which could either pave the way for some steady improvement or a steady path downward.
