Yankees acquire J.D. Davis and cash from Athletics

The Yankees found reinforcements for their injuries in quick fashion, acquiring infielder J.D. Davis and cash from Oakland on Sunday in exchange for minor-league infielder Jordan Groshans.

The Yankees optioned Oswald Peraza to Triple-A after Sunday’s game to make room for Davis on the 26-man roster, and to make room on the 40-man roster, they transferred RHP Nick Burdi to the 60-day injured list.

Davis, 31, slashed 236/.304/.366 with four homers, five RBI and nine walks in 39 games with Oakland this season before being DFA last Tuesday.
He had been with the Giants in spring training but was released in early-March, and picked up by Oakland a week later; the A’s guaranteed him $2.2 million, so by acquiring him in a trade, the Yankees will be responsible for whatever is left on that deal, minus the cash sum sent by the Athletics.

Davis played 24 games at first base and 14 at third, so he can cycle in those spots with DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Ben Rice for the time being, or at DH to replace the now-injured Giancarlo Stanton, who expects to miss about four weeks with a hamstring strain.

He was coming off a season where he slashed 248/.325/.413 with 18 home runs, a career-high 69 RBI and 52 walks, and 23 doubles in 144 games in San Francisco, and in eight MLB seasons with the Astros, Mets, Giants and A’s, he has a .259 career average and has also played 94 games in left field, almost all of those with the Mets in 2019-20.

Groshans, 24, was an offseason waiver claim who was DFA and outrighted to the minors after clearing waivers. He spent time at both Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, slashing .232/.310/.281 in 50 games, with time at all four infield positions.