The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to promote Henry Davis to the major leagues on Monday, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Davis, who was selected as the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, will be making a relatively swift ascent to the majors.
However, his performance has been exceptional, leaving little doubt about his readiness. At Triple-A, Davis has been impressive, boasting a batting line of .286/.432/.514 across 45 plate appearances. Although he has only recently been promoted to Triple-A and has limited experience at that level, the Pirates have seen enough potential in him to believe that he is prepared to make valuable contributions at the highest level of professional baseball.
The timing of Henry Davis’ promotion is significant, as it allows the Pittsburgh Pirates to control his service time and potentially delay his eligibility for arbitration. If Davis remains on the major league roster for the rest of the season, he will accumulate only 105 days of Major League service time. This strategy ensures that he won’t reach Super Two status, which would grant him an additional year of arbitration eligibility.
Considering the Pirates’ belief that Davis can become a cornerstone player in the future, it’s not surprising that the team is already considering the financial implications and trying to maximize their control over his contract. By managing his service time, the Pirates aim to secure Davis’s services for an extended period while also maintaining cost certainty.