Davis says ideal deal is new one with A’s
MESA, Ariz. — Khris Davis didn’t do anything different this winter. No new workout routine, no new diet.
“No, no, no. Why would I change anything?” the A’s designated hitter said. “Come on, I’m at the top of my game right now. I wouldn’t change that up!”
Davis is a model of consistency. He has hit 42 or more homers in each of his three seasons with Oakland, including a major-league-high 48 last year. And then there’s that batting average. He has hit .247 four years in a row. He’s the first player to hit for the same average three years in a row, much less four.
“I like it — I did it to myself,” he said with a laugh. “I’m the only one who can hit .247 for four years. I pretty much have that force field around me.”
The one thing hanging over Davis’ head this season is his
contract status. The A’s have been talking about a long-term deal with him for more than a year, but nothing has materialized. He will make $16.5 million this season, his final year of arbitration, and the team is more than likely to give him a qualifying offer after this season if he’s healthy.
He’d assuredly accept because the figure should be more than $18 million, but Davis is looking for at least a three-year deal with the A’s, as The Chronicle has reported.
“I’d like to be here,” he said. “I hope something gets done. It’s not a good thing being a free agent right now . ... I’m already 31, I don’t know if I’m too old. Who knows? If it happens, it happens.”
Davis said the lineup will be different without Jed Lowrie at second base, but he expects Lowrie’s successor, Jurickson Profar, to perform well.
“I think he’s going to step in and explode,” Davis said. “He’s dynamic — and he’s got a great smile. Playing against him in Texas, he was tough, and his numbers back it up.”
In an era in which projections are the name of the game for franchises, Davis is about as clockwork as you can get after hitting the most homers in baseball over the past three seasons. But he’s at the stage of his career at which he is thinking bigger picture than just his home run totals.
“I know I’ve been tagged with certain numbers around my head,” Davis said. “I just want to get deep into the playoffs and create something in Oakland.”
The A’s surprised almost all prognosticators last year by winning 97 games, but Davis emphasized that they won’t sneak up on opponents this season.
“I think a lot of teams will be looking out for us this year,” Davis said. “The coaches have been pretty much saying we’re the hunted now. No one is going to take us lightly.”