Ike DavisI’ve been a vocal supporter of Ike Davis in the past.

I’ve defended him during the bad times, and cheered him on during the good.

I even bought his tshirt-jersey hybrid thingy.

I thought he was part of the solution to turning around the Mets.

But unfortunately, he has been part of the problem.

As much as I like him, or rather the player that I think he can be, it’s impossible to say that Davis hasn’t been a major disappointment.

He never really had star player potential, but his promising rookie season in 2010 and stellar month in 2011 before falling victim to an injury provided fans with hope that he would anchor the first base position for years to come.

He was going to be one of many players who would help the Mets out of the dark ages of the end of the Omar Minaya Era and into the light of a brighter future.

But as I’ve detailed on this site before, his horrid first half in 2012 and lost season in 2013 have worked to seal his fate.

His punchless performance after being recalled from the minor leagues before an injury ended his season was the final nail in the coffin.

Where the Mets can still profit from Davis is that teams see him as a reclamation project.

According to Adam Rubin and John Heyman, the Astros, Orioles, Rays, Brewers and Rockies have all checked in with the Mets about the possibility of acquiring Davis. The Rays appear to be the most likely suitor at this point.

They have a recent history of taking on reclamation projects as their first basemen and getting great results (Casey Kotchman and James Loney), so the thought that they might try for a similar result from Davis is not farfetched.

Marc Topin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays could consider moving outfielder Matt Joyce to the Mets for Davis in a potential trade, as both players are slated for similar salaries.

While I’m not sure that Joyce – who is a career .249/.340/.455 hitter – is the best that the Mets could get in return for Davis, the thought of the trade is at least interesting to entertain.

For one, Joyce’s walk rates the past two seasons are 11.9 and 12.3 percent, respectively, and he boasts a respectable career ISO of .206. Davis’ career ISO is .192.

More importantly, he gives that production in the outfield, where the Mets could use some offensive help. A Davis trade would also allow the Mets to move Lucas Duda to first base, his natural position, where he has hit significantly better throughout his career (although admittedly, this could just be a random occurrence).

Even if this isn’t the trade that the Mets pull off, it seems more and more likely every day that Ike Davis’ days in Flushing are numbered.

As a fan, I’ll be sad to see Davis go, just because he’s a guy that I’ve always wanted to see succeed.

But in the end, it just isn’t working out in New York. No matter where he ends up, I’ll still root for him, and if he’s a late bloomer a la Chris Davis, I’ll be the happiest Mets blogger around.

Unfortunately, it just doesn’t look like that’s going to happen as long as he is a Met.

Joe Vasile is the voice of the Fayetteville SwampDogs of the Coastal Plain League and host of “Ball Four” on WTSR in Trenton. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeVasilePBP.

 

26 comments on “Ike Davis has played his way out of Flushing

  • Jerry Grote

    I have no problem with Joyce for Davis (oh, that it would be Escobar, but Joyce is fine).

    An upgrade to 1B, and upgrade to RF (end of the year, not Byrd). Now you have to figure out SS, the 5th pitcher, and probably LF.

    Not the most undoable of things.

    • Name

      Hmmm, is there a chance Alderson could pull off the blockbuster of the winter?….

      Price, Joyce, Escobar
      for
      Wheeler or Syndergaard, Ike, Montero, Flores, Mdd/Lagares

      or some variant of that?

      2015 could be nasty with potentially the best top 3 in baseball in Price/Harvey/Wheeler or Sydergaard with Niese/Gee and Hefner as insurance.

      • Joe Vasile

        I’d have to strongly consider a deal like that, name. As much as I like the young pitching, that trade makes the Mets better immediately and doesn’t completely gut the system. The bigger question is whether the Rays would agree to it.

        • Name

          Yea, i’m not quite sure what the Rays truly need. They already seem loaded with young pitching and they might not need 2 more, or rather they have other bigger areas of need. I also don’t know what they would do with Flores.

          Perhaps we would need to get a 3rd team involved for the Rays to get the pieces they want.

  • Metsense

    Matt Joyce, 29 YOA, is a career 340/455/796 with high teens HR power who plays left and right field.He is a below average fielder and plays left field better.
    The average NL LF is 19 HR, 328/417/745 and NL RF 23 HR 334/443/777. Joyce would be an above average outfielder at either corner.
    Davis is a career 334/434/768 with one 32 HR season.
    Over their careers, it appears that Joyce is the better overall offensive player.
    A good trade in my book, but like Name states, maybe it can get expanded.

  • Barry

    Joyce will never hit 32 HR. Ike Davis already has. One-for-one, no way.

    I really fear this could be another Angel Pagan trade, but worse. More like Scott Kazmir. Even though Ike’s not a blue-chip rookie, like Kazmir was, he hit 32HR and 90RBI in the big leagues!

    I truly believe Ike’s troubles are still from the Valley Fever (it takes a couple of years to recover fully) and/or the foot injury. When Ike fulfills his potential on another team, it will devastate this franchise.

    Why not see what Ike has in April and May instead of trading him for a bag of balls?

    • Joe Vasile

      While I do like Davis’ track record of success in the majors, I just don’t think he’s ever going to be able to reach his full potential in New York. Two dismal seasons in a row after the leg injury and subsequent valley fever and the fact that Lucas Duda gives you everything Davis does at a cheaper price has sealed his fate as a Met in my mind. I see Joyce as a guy who can come in and play a good outfield, a big position of need, and help rid the Mets of a problem in Davis.

      I have faith that Alderson will get as much as he possibly can in return for Davis, as he has with other trades in the past, but I just don’t know if there’s teams willing to give up a whole lot for a guy who has seemed lost for all but 2 months over the past two seasons.

      Remember, Valley Fever killed the career of Connor Jackson – he never recovered and ended up retiring at 30 because of it. Not saying this will be the case with Davis, just food for thought.

      • Chris F

        Whatever the reason is really immaterial. As far as the game goes, Ike is done as a Met because he cant play.

        • Joe Vasile

          Agreed.

      • Name

        Work ethic, attitude, and unwillingness to be taught are the main reason for me why he’s a goner in NY. He abandoned the stance he had at the end of 2012 when he had some success and then he refused to do anything at all in the beginning part of 2013 to try to break his ineptitude. He looked bewildered everytime pitchers threw him a breaking ball away that he missed (does he read scouting reports?).
        It was only after he was sent to the minors did I see some improvements, but even then results were marginal.
        He’s not worth the hassle anymore.

  • Chris F

    I wouldn’t quite call it “played” !!!

    Hahahahahaha

  • Rob Rogan

    Yeah, it’s pretty sad that it has gotten to this. I really thought Ike was the future at 1B. Was really rooting for him.

  • Les Gomez

    Sign Bronson Arroyo, Roy Halladay, Aaron Harang, Pedro Feliciano

    Trade Jon Neise, Daniel Murphy, and Kevin Plawecki for Jose Bautista

    Trade Lucas Duda for Matt Joyce

    Trade Rafael Montero and Jordany Valdespin for Didi Gregorius

    • Name

      I did a study in an earlier post looking at the quantity of trades in the offseason and found that the average MLB team makes less than 1 trade that contains a MLB starting-caliber player in an offseason. 2 is already a huge stretch, 3 is almost impossible.

      • Les Gomez

        We have a lot of catching up to do

    • Joe Vasile

      I see no reason that any of those trades would happen, other than the Duda for Joyce one, but Duda isn’t going anywhere just yet. Davis will be traded first.

      • Les Gomez

        The Diamondbacks have two young SS and the Jays are shopping Bautista and need SP, 2B and C

        • Joe Vasile

          I know that, but I think it’s going to take giving the Jays far more than Niese, Murphy and Plawecki for Bautista (think Montero, Flores, and probably one other player). As for the Dbacks, I’d much rather have Chris Owings than Gregorius, and I’m fine with giving up Montero, but I’m not sure that Owings or Gregorius is the best package you can get back.

  • pete

    Sorry Joe but valley fever is not an injury. I too have been a staunch supporter of Ike but if you’re going to give up on his potential then you need to receive the same type of player in return. Matt Joyce is not a player who has 30 home run potential. So let’s not get rid of Davis for the sake of making a trade, Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make. The Mets have the entire off-season to see what to them would be an equitable trade for both teams.

  • David Groveman

    If latest rumors are true it might be Ryan Braun + Cash for Ike Davis + Prospect. That could be a VERY VERY good move for Alderson.

    • Name

      Baseball value wise- Yes.
      In terms of PR- Not sure how Met fans will react
      Only second to A-Roid, Braun is one of the most disliked players in the game right now, both by the fans and the players alike.
      If that rumor is true, one would have to think long and and determine if distraction is going to be worth it.

    • Jerry Grote

      I find it laughable that the Brewers would feel a trade that’s basically Aoki for Davis straight up isn’t worth discussing, but they’d jump at Braun for Davis, basically straight up.

      Really. Maybe we can get them to toss in the Aaron Rodgers for Mark Sanchez, while they’re at it.

  • pete

    Makes you wonder who is planting the rumor.

    • Jerry Grote

      Matt Cerrone, lead writer Metsblog.com.

      By the time he was done writing that article, the Mets had Jhonny Peralta and Andre Ethier, in addition to Braun. I think Ty Cobb came of the grave to play CF, too.

      Drivel.

  • pete

    So who’s whispering in Cerrone’s ear? I guess he was hearing voices telling him, “If you trade him they will come.”

  • pete

    So who’s whispering in Cerrone’s ear? I guess he was hearing voices telling him, “If you trade him they will come.”

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