One embodiment facilitates data placement in a storage device. During operation, the system receives, from a host, a request to read data. The system determines that the data is not available in a read cache. The system issues the read request to a solid state drive and a first hard disk drive. In response to unsuccessfully reading the requested data from the solid state drive and successfully reading the requested data from the first hard disk drive, the system sends the requested data to the host. In response to unsuccessfully reading the requested data from both the solid state drive and the first hard disk drive: the system issues the read request to a second hard disk drive; and the system sends the requested data to the host.