Davis has struggled in 2010, batting .188 with a .556 OPS and zero home runs.
Davis' future in Texas is in doubt with the arrival of Smoak. While Davis still could emerge as a designated hitter option, Texas figures to also field offers for the youngster.
Davis has long been considered someone who could morph into a 35-plus home run hitter, something the Red Sox would certainly love to add to their roster. While the BoSox currently are tied for third in home runs across baseball with 24, five belong to Dustin Pedroia for the team lead. Jason Varitek, a bench player, is second with four. Another bench player, Jeremy Hermida, ranks third with three home runs along with Kevin Youkilis. Recent callup Darnell McDonald is tied for fourth along with Marco Scutaro and J.D. Drew with two home runs apiece, so having someone in the fold whose game is home runs would be valuable.
In 391 at-bats last season, Davis cranked 21 home runs. Seventeen longballs were hit in 2008 over 295 at-bats.
Even better, Davis is just 24 and swings from the left side.
So why would Texas trade such a prolific power hitter?
Davis struggles to hit the ball with any level of consistency. Even though he posted a .285 batting average in his rookie campaign, his average sank to .238 in 2009 and dipped even further this season. However, Davis' batting average in four minor league seasons is .306, so perhaps it's just about getting consistent playing time in the majors.
Another problem Davis battles is strikeouts. Last season, he notched 150 whiffs for a strikeout percentage of 38.4 percent. Among batters with a minimum of 400 plate appearances (Davis had 419), he ranked second just behind Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds with 38.6 percent — and Reynolds holds the major league strikeout record with 223.
This season, Davis isn't much better with a 35.4 percent mark.
The question of who would be bumped from the Red Sox' big league roster upon a Davis acquisition is moot since Davis has an option remaining. Boston could send him to Triple-A Pawtucket to get his legs under him and into a groove. If the Red Sox needed to call him up down the road, they could do so. If not, Davis would be a candidate to open 2011 in the starting lineup.
While the Red Sox have several burgeoning power hitters in the farm system, most of them are at least a couple of years away. Adding someone of Davis' talent could help the team immediately as well as give Boston a young power hitter to build around in the coming years.
So should the Red Sox consider making a move for the young slugger?
Share your thoughts below. The best comments will be read on NESN's Red Sox Gameday Live or Red Sox Final.
April 24: Should some of baseball's unwritten rules be written?
