Chris Davis Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz and Speculation Surrounding Orioles Star

Chris Davis is coming off a down season for the Baltimore Orioles that saw his numbers drop off drastically after a career year in 2013. Now, it appears at least one team may be looking into what it would cost to acquire the veteran slugger.

Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports Davis is one of the preferred options for the Miami Marlins—Evan Gattis of the Atlanta Braves being the other—as they look to upgrade at first base. He notes the price tag would likely be high for either player, though: "Davis, arbitration-eligible, hit just .196 with 26 homers and 72 RBI last season but was third in AL MVP voting in 2013 (.286, 53 homers, 138 RBI). The Marlins would need to offer quality pitching in return for either, potentially including top prospect Andrew Heaney."

Any deal for Davis would include plenty of risk, especially if the Marlins are forced to build the deal around a top prospect. The 112 home runs over the past three seasons represent the upside, but he hit just .196 with a .300 on-base percentage last season to supplement those power numbers in 2014.

That, along with mediocre defense, is why he finished with just a 0.5 WAR, per Fangraphs, last season despite hitting 26 homers. If he can put everything together, like he did in 2013, he can play at an MVP level. Alas, if things don't work out, he's barely above replacement level.

Davis is a boom-or-bust trade option. Given the pressure on the Marlins following the mega contract handed to Giancarlo Stanton, it's a chance they might be willing to take.