O's brass lends public support to Chris Davis

In recent days, we have heard both Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter talk up Chris Davis.

They have said they believe in him and expect him to have a bounceback season in 2015. Whether they truly believe that or are just being supportive of a key player, they have lent some public support to Davis at a time when he probably could use it.

For Davis, 2014 was a season that could have gone a lot better. He ended the year serving a 25-game suspension for taking Adderall and he will miss opening day next year serving the final game of that punishment. He also missed the O's two playoff series in October and some fans felt Davis let down the team when they needed him most.

Davis clearly has some repair work to do with some fans.

"I like Chris Davis, I'm a big Davis fan," Duquette said. "I've seen a lot of growth in him in his time here. He's got that left-handed power and can hit it out to the opposite field in this park. My hope is Chris will return to what he's established in his career for his capability to hit for average and power."

Added Showalter: "I think he's in a good mindset. A lot of things point up with him, some that I won't make note of, but you can probably figure out, as far as what this year means to him not only as a future for him but also as a teammate and somebody that he takes very seriously that his teammates and fans count on."

The Orioles could have cut ties with Davis but they are not. He made $10.35 million last season and MLBTradeRumors.com projected that he would earn $11.8 million next year through arbitration.

But after losing one slugger in Nelson Cruz, the O's are hanging onto Davis after he has hit 112 homers with 295 RBIs over the last three years

Davis has had three very different full seasons in an O's uniform.

2012: .270 average, 33 home runs, 85 RBIs, .501 slugging, .827 OPS
2013: .286 average, 53 home runs, 138 RBIs, .634 slugging, .1.004 OPS
2014: .196 average, 26 home runs, 72 RBIs, .404 slugging, .704 OPS

Before anyone expects Davis to bat .196 again, remember he hit .266, .270 and .286 in the three seasons before 2014.

But he just never got going last year and it ended with the suspension. Davis hit nine homers in April 2013 and had 19 by the end of May. Last season, he hit just two in April and had only seven by the end of May.

So do O's fans share the Duquette and Showalter's confidence in Davis? Will he bounce back with a strong year in 2015?