For A's slugger Khris Davis, Oakland has felt like home from day one. And the numbers prove it.
Since the start of the 2016 season, when Davis was traded to the Athletics by Milwaukee, only Giancarlo Stanton has hit more home runs, in all of baseball.
Now in his third season wearing the green and gold, the 30-year-old Davis hopes to play in Oakland for years to come.
"I envision myself winning a championship in Oakland," he said. "I think there's a lot of tradition here. It's got a rich history of championships. I feel like I could bring a championship to Oakland one day."
It appears the A's would like to see Davis stay in Oakland as well. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the team has had talks with his agent, Lou Nero of Octagon Baseball, about a multi-year deal.
This season, Davis is earning a team-high $10.5 million. He is under arbitration control for next year, where he would likely get a raise to around $15 million. He is slated to become a free agent after the 2019 season.
While the A's tend to stay away from long-term contracts, it would make sense to re-sign Davis for at least a few years. He has been a powerful force in the lineup the last three seasons, and shows no signs of slowing down. After crushing 42 home runs in 2016, and 43 in 2017, Davis has a chance to make it three consecutive years with 40-plus homers and 100-plus runs batted in.
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"Certain guys make their teammates better, and Khris Davis is that guy for us," said manager Bob Melvin. "He's a presence that the other team feels. He's always one swing away from a three-run homer. He just makes our lineup deeper and kind of takes the pressure off everybody else. He's been terrific since the day he got here."
Davis has done his best to just focus on baseball, and leave the negotiations to his agent. But he has made it known that he loves playing in Oakland.
"I like the clubhouse," he said. "We've got a great group of guys I like to be around, and just grow with them on a daily basis. I like where I'm at right now. Whatever happens, happens in the future. It's a business, but at the same time, I'm happy and I can't complain."
"I know he's really comfortable here," Melvin added. "There are certain places where guys just feel at home and comfortable, and this is the place for him."
