The title says it all.
Pick one (considering their only justifiable position being first base) who you could plug in as your everyday first baseman and stick with it for the foreseeable future. It’s becoming readily apparent that both of these players can’t exist on the same team.
Sooner or later the Mets are going to have to make a solid, concrete decision on who their first baseman of the future shall be, and it all comes down to Lucas Duda and Ike Davis.
While Daniel Murphy is filling in at first for the time being—where he shouldn’tt be in the first place—he is nothing but a stop gap option until Davis can fix what ails him.
So, what should the Mets do here?
Should they commit to the player who is performing at the moment in Duda. This way, they can fix two problems at one time. First, they could field a player with an OPS more in line with that of a first baseman. And secondly, they can take Duda out of the outfield, a position he was never—and never will be—equipped to play and plug him at a position he was built to play.
Or are some of you in the camp that we should be a little more patient with Davis? After all, this is the same guy who has hit 63 home runs in 1,357 career at bats. While his OPS this year is an dreadful .500, Davis has a career .756 OPS and that is a number more indicative of what kind a hitter Davis really is. Plus, Davis has shown, although not this year, that is more than a capable defender and is good with the glove. More so than Duda.
Regardless, the Mets can’t go into ext season with both of these players on the roster.
Clearly Davis needed to be demoted. He needed a mental break from the spotlight and get away from New York. He needed to rediscover his stroke, as that was not going to happen in Queens. No one will argue this.
However in due time, Davis shall get better and then the Mets will recall him in a few weeks.
While Duda does profile best as a first baseman, he would have been playing first base on a temporary basis while Davis is in Las Vegas. (Then again it makes no sense that Murphy is there now, as Josh Stain should be getting his chance there. Why bring him up in the first place?). So I guess I see the Mets stance there. I think the Mets know that Duda’s best position in first base. Perhaps they wanted to showcase Murphy’s versatility to enhance his trade value.
Regardless, in the next few weeks as trade deadline speculation heats up, it would behoove the Mets to figure who they want as their first baseman going forward—and decide fast.
I take WOPR’s answer.
The only way to win the game, is not to play.
Im not sure there’s any reason to “pick one.”
I’m more of the belief of pick NONE. Neither have the chops to be a real MLB 1B man.
I agree Chris. This FO is tieing themselves up with both players.If an opportunity arises to trade either or both they should. If after 3 years neither has shown current impact it would appear to start to remix the ingredients.
I’ll go with Duda in the short-term and Flores in the long-term. I see Duda getting traded to the Rays or some other AL team with lots of B and C prospects. Ike…well, we’re not really sure what we have there, are we?
Duda, if my only option is one or the other.
There is no decision here for us to make. Davis already made that decision for us.
I really wish they moved Ike in the offseason when he had some value.Not that I’m convinced about Duda either but at least he is not a xancer(not sure Ike is,but his attitude did not seem good to an observer)
Maybe the team is looking to trade Murphy and get Headley from San Diego? Could always move him to second base. What’s the harm in putting Duda at first? If he succeeds then you have more flexibility in trading Ike. If not you can always trade Duda to an American League team as a DH.
Dan. Don’t be sure about Ike coming back so fast. If and when the team starts to dump players at the trading deadline that’s when I would think the team would bring him back up. For the life of me I don’t understand why they don’t ask Keith Hernandez to spend some time with him. He can relate far better than the hitting coaches and has all the credentials you need for Ike to sit down and listen to him.
Couldn’t agree more Name. Davis has potential, and some ML success but until he can gain his old form he is a 3.13 M former major leaguer. He needs to have a very good recovery in Las Vegas to be reconsidered into the equation. The Mets need to plan without Davis ( in his 4th year as a pro) and be pleasantly surprised if he recovers. To plan with him would be a mistake.
+1
[…] a roundabout way, I asked a couple of weeks ago, who should the Mets commit to long term: Davis or Duda? With the two players almost identical in build, game and approach, the Mets can’t go into the […]