The San Francisco Giants released infielder J.D. Davis just over a week after third baseman Matt Chapman was added via free agency.
Davis, 30, batted .248 with a career-best 18 home runs and 69 RBIs in 144 games last season, while playing 116 games at third. He was the likely third baseman for San Francisco to start the season until Chapman was added.
Davis had been placed on outright waivers but was not claimed by any team, who would have owed him his full salary for the upcoming season.
Davis was awarded a $6.9 million salary for 2024 in arbitration but will only get around $1.1 million of that sum from the Giants since he was released more than 16 days before the start of the regular season. He is now free to sign a free-agent deal with any club.
In seven major league seasons, Davis is a career .261 hitter with 68 home runs and 215 RBIs in 594 games for the Houston Astros (2017-18), New York Mets (2019-22) and Giants.