New York Mets Rumors: 5 Teams That Could Trade For Ike Davis
New York Mets Rumors: 5 Teams That Could Trade For Ike Davis
There are strong indications early in the MLB offseason that the New York Mets intend to trade first baseman Ike Davis. It’s been a rough few seasons for Davis after he started to break out early in the 2010 season only to be sidelined for the remainder of the season with an injury. The Mets have done everything they can do to try to get him moving in the right direction, even demoting him to the minors this past season in an effort to fix his swing. But nothing seemed to work, and now it appears that a change of scenery may be the only thing that can fix him.
The Mets have an excess of first basemen and can’t afford to keep both Davis and Lucas Duda. It appears that Davis is the more desired commodity on the trade market which means trading him is almost inevitable. Despite his struggles, Davis should have good value on the trade market; he has tantalizing power and is an exceptional defensive first baseman which means he still brings a lot to the table and has plenty of potential even after a couple subpar seasons.
Thus far, there have been a handful of teams that have shown interest in acquiring Davis, and those are the most likely trade partners for the Mets. Let’s take a closer look at each team, why they’re interested in Davis and what they may be willing to trade to the Mets in exchange for their soon to be former first baseman.
5. Houston Astros
The Astros may not be the best fit for Davis, but they could use someone in their lineup with some experience. Even if he struggles to hit for a high average, a guy with a lot of power that knows how to take walks would be a better fit in the American League. Houston also has no shortage of prospects they could trade away to get Davis without it weakening their farm system, so they should be able to find someone the Mets would want in return.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
One of the more prominent trade rumors involving Davis has him going to the Brewers for Norichika Aoki, which may not be a good idea for either team. But that doesn’t mean Milwaukee isn’t a match for Davis. If the Brewers don’t bring back Corey Hart they’ll need to find someone to play first base and could decide to pursue a trade for Davis, even if it involves giving up someone other than Aoki.
3. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles could get a defensive upgrade at first base with Ike Davis and make Chris Davis their designated hitter. This would also give their lineup more power and allow less pressure on Ike Davis as he would be hitting down in the order. Baltimore would be an interesting trade partner for the Mets as Nick Markakis would fit their needs and could be someone that Baltimore makes available in a trade. The Orioles also appear willing to trade catcher Matt Wieters which could free up the Mets to use Travis d’Arnaud in a blockbuster trade with another team. On the surface the Orioles aren’t the most logical trade partner for the Mets, but these two might be able to find common ground with one another and work out a deal at some point this offseason.
2. Tampa Bay Rays
The Mets and Rays exchanging Davis for outfielder Matt Joyce is a potential trade to keep an eye on as it would help both teams fill a need. Shortstop Yunel Escobar may also be a player the Mets could look to acquire, and the Rays also have a couple of shortstop prospects that are close to being ready for the majors that the Mets could be interested in with a need at that position as well.
1. Colorado Rockies
Like the Mets, the Rockies figure to be active this offseason so it’s only natural that these two teams will talk a lot. The Mets would have to give up a lot more than Davis and likely overpay to get Troy Tulowitzki to fill their need at shortstop, but Michael Cuddyer is a player the Mets like that could be on the table if they send Davis to Colorado. Outfield prospect Tim Wheeler is also a guy the Mets could ask for in return for Davis since that would seem to be a fair trade between the two teams.
