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Baseball's hot stove appears to be warming up again. Slowly.

To wit, the Oakland Athletics have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent outfielder Rajai Davis worth $6 million, according to Jeff Passan:

Davis, who spent last season with the Cleveland Indians but had previously spent parts of three years in Oakland, is coming off an uncharacteristically poor offensive season. Though he'd historically been a quality hitter with the platoon advantage, he struggled against pitchers of both hands, finishing with a 78 OPS+. Considering Davis is now 36 years old, there's certainly legitimate risk that he won't rebound in 2017.

Yet the A's are at least banking on Davis being able to add value on the basepaths and in the field. Last season marked the fifth time he'd stolen more than 40 bases, and his high-grade speed allows him to course correct for his errant routes in the outfield. Oakland added Matt Joyce earlier in the winter, meaning Davis is likely ticketed for center field -- or perhaps some reserve work, depending on what becomes of Jake Smolinski.

Presuming the A's don't contend, look for Davis to join a contender's bench late next summer as a pinch-running threat.