Last month, a report by ESPN cited a “baseball source” that said the Mets were unhappy and concerned with their young, slugging first-baseman Ike Davis.
Bad journalistic practices and shock-and-awe tactics aside, the report has brought the idea of shopping the power-hitting first baseman to the forefront of fan speculation as the offseason quickly approaches.
The Mets and Davis have publicly denied the report’s accuracy. The Mets said they are committed to Davis and no such concerns were discussed by the team and Davis has said he has heard nothing of the sort from team officials.
“The biggest risk is this stuff comes out, and suddenly it’s attributed to me or someone else, even though a person isn’t named, and it ends up creating a problem in our relationship with the player. I have talked with Ike over the course of the season and somewhat recently, but not since that article. I didn’t feel it was necessary to go back and have the same conversation I’ve had with him before,” General Manager Sandy Alderson told SNY.
In the SNY interview, Alderson brought up reasons why the team might not want to trade their power-hitting first basemen.
Alderson said Davis is a “valuable member” of the Mets and that none of the concerns addressed in the article were attributed to him.
“For us to trade a guy who has 30 home runs, we better know where the next 30 are coming from,” he said.
While the Mets should not trade Davis — despite his topse-turvy season — the idea is not without baseball merit.
With Davis, the Mets hold an attractive trade chip that could net them a solid package of prospects in return. Not to mention they already have a first baseman-turned-outfielder named Lucas Duda already on their roster. If the team is truly focused on a full rebuild of their roster, Davis would be a logical player to dangle in front of other teams.
In fact, a recent report stated that the Boston Red Sox are kicking the tires on Davis and had two scouts at a recent Mets-Marlins game.
The problem the Mets face with a potential trade of Davis is replacing his potent bat in their already depleted lineup.
The loss of Davis’ 31 home runs and 89 RBIs would not be easily replaced. However if the Mets were offered a package of players who could fill the multiple gaping holes on their roster, they would be foolish not to consider — or even pull the trigger — on a potential deal.
There is no doubt that Davis is an integral part of the Mets and their future. But after this season; one that sent emotions and expectations on a roller coaster ride, it is evident that the Mets need to address many concerns. At this point, almost anyone on the team should be considered tradeable.
There is no way to know what the Mets will do regarding Davis this offseason, but considering the team’s need for fresh faces and new talent, the idea of shopping Ike to another team is not as farfetched as it sounds.
Andrew Wyrich