Andy Martino reports that the Milwaukee Brewers are unlikely to trade outfielder Norichika Aoki, according to a major-league executive familiar with the situation.
This disputes what Joel Sherman reported on Friday and actually makes a lot more sense to me…
Worse yet was the notion that if they would trade him, they’d do it for Ike Davis…
Cough, cough, cough… Ain’t happening…
Original Post 11/9
Joel Sherman of the New York Post speculated that Norichika Aoki could be available from the Milwaukee Brewers considering the emergence of Khris Davis and the return of Ryan Braun from his suspension. Milwaukee has openly stated that they would like to add a left-handed power bat at the first base position — which of course brings to mind the disappointing Ike Davis.
Enter all the incredulous ponderings and meanderings of how the Mets should jump all over this purely hypothetical musing from Joel Sherman.
“Mets have got to do this trade!”
“I’ll drive Ike to the airport!”
“He’s a poor mans Choo, do it!”
“This is a win-win for the Mets!”
The funny thing about this apparent Davis-for-Aoki swap at is that the Mets are also looking for a left-handed power bat at first base, and the front office has already decided that Ike Davis is not that guy.
But somehow we’ll be able to convince the Brewers to trade a player who can bat leadoff and who’s set to earn less than half of what we owe Davis, purely out of the goodness of their hearts? Gimme a freaking break…
The Mets have been trying to pawn Ike Davis since two trade deadlines and one offseason ago entering this one. Guess what? No takers…
Do you think any team would have interest in Davis now that he’s set to earn $4 million after the worst season in his career and quite possibly the most disastrous season by any starting first baseman in the major leagues this year?
What I find hilarious about this nonsense is that Aoki actually has a higher slugging percentage than Davis. Aoki also has a 6.5 fWAR over the last two seasons compared to a 1.0 fWar for Ike.
Trading Davis for Aoki saves the Mets about $1.5 million in 2014 and he provides a .350 on-base percentage leadoff man,” Sherman writes.
Great, but what exactly do the Brewers get out of it? What’s their incentive?
The other thing to consider is Aoki himself and what exactly he does to improve the Mets assuming the Brewers would jump all over Ike Davis…
Do we really need to lock down another position with a player who will give this team literally no power and is a god awful base stealer?
Aoki, who turns 32 in January, hit .286 with a .356 on-base, 20 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 37 RBI last season while stealing 20 bases and getting caught 12 times. He accumulated those 31 extra-base hits over 674 plate appearances. Is your mouth watering?
What are the odds we get 15 home runs and 120 RBI from an outfield of Eric Young Jr, Juan Lagares and Aoki?
What this team needs is a corner outfielder of the likes of Curtis Granderson or Nelson Cruz… We don’t need Aoki… And even if we did, the last thing the Brewers would want in return is a first round bust like Ike Davis who couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag.
