12/18 Update 10:15 AM
I asked John Perrotto to expand on a post he made on Twitter saying that he heard Mets wanted want a big arm (such as Nick Kingham) from the Pirates in an Ike Davis trade.
After I said it sounded like speculation, Perrotto was kind enough to respond and say that the Mets in fact “have asked about Kingham in talks.”
He also added that the Pirates would want more than just Davis – a “sweetener” as he called it. Additionally he writes, “I can’t imagine them trading Kingham for Davis AND paying him $3.5 million or so in arbitration.”
Kingham is Pittsburgh’s third best pitching prospect, according to Baseball America. He pitched in High-A and Double-A last season, tossing 143.1 innings and posting a 2.89 ERA, 1.17 WHIP with 144 strikeouts and 44 walks.
12/17 Update 9:30 PM
Further validating my point from this afternoon that absolutely nothing was happening on the Ike Davis front, were these very telling comments from Brewers GM Doug Melvin via Tom Haudricourt.
I just checked in with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin to see how it’s going on the hunt for a first baseman, and it doesn’t sound as if much has changed since he left the winter meetings last Thursday in Orlando.
“It’s pretty quiet,” said Melvin. “We know all the names. It’s a small group. Nothing changes from one day to the next. Ike Davis is the one player people talk about. Other than that, there’s not much available.”
Melvin referred to the New York Mets first baseman who has been on the trading block this winter. The Brewers talked at least twice with the Mets at the winter meetings about Davis but word was New York wanted a young pitching prospect such as Tyler Thornburg. The Brewers aren’t of the mind to give up a young pitcher with that kind of potential for Davis, an all-or-nothing offensive performer who mostly did nothing in 2013.
The Mets apparently have not come down on their asking price or a deal could have been done by now.
As for other trade possibilities, Melvin said, “Teams aren’t focused on moving guys right now. It’s unfortunate but that’s the way things are.
“We all have our own searches going on to try to have a complete team. Ours is at first base. We keep plugging away at it but we might have to mix and match with some of our own players.”
So there’s that…
It takes two to tango…
It’s tough to make a deal when one side sticks to it’s guns and the other side says “you gotta be kidding me.”
Now batting number five for the Mets, Ike Duda… Or Lucas Davis… Take your pick… 🙂
12/17 Update 5:00 PM
The Pirates have interest in first basemen Ike Davis and Mitch Moreland, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Davis, as you know, has also been linked to the Brewers, but that buzz has died down considerably. I mean nothing, nada, zilch…
MMO’s Clayton Collier covered Sandy Alderson’s media briefing today, and the Mets GM said mum’s the word.
“We’re still talking with a number of teams,” he said. “I can’t say anything will happen.”
I don’t see anything happening until after the holidays.
12/16 Update 1:00 PM
I can’t recall another time when a team was so open about trading a player as the New York Mets currently are with sending Ike Davis out of town. Anywhere. To anybody.
The Mets hope the market for Davis warmed with Tampa Bay retaining first baseman James Loney. The Rays, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Houston and Pittsburgh were in need of a first baseman when the Hot Stove season began, but Loney and Corey Hart are now off the market.
The Orioles, Pirates and Astros have not been active talking with the Mets, but GM Sandy Alderson has been in frequent contact with Brewers GM Doug Melvin.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, identifies the Pirates, Brewers and Astros as three teams still shopping for a first baseman, and at least four are available in trade he says — the Rangers’ Mitch Moreland, Blue Jays’ Adam Lind, Mets’ Ike Davis and Mariners’Justin Smoak. He assesses each team’s situation:
The good news for the Pirates is that all four could be a left-handed complement for Gaby Sanchez (Smoak is a switch-hitter).
The Brewers, too, are in an advantageous negotiating position, though they might choose to take a look at Hunter Morris, who has hit 52 homers at Double A and Triple A the past two seasons. Morris, like Juan Francisco, is a left-handed hitter.
The Astros could look at the Nationals’ Tyler Moore, who played for ‘Stros manager Bo Porter in Washington when Porter was a coach with the Nationals.
Rosenthal also reports that the Rays could have traded for any of the available first basemen (none of whom projects to earn more than $3.5 million this season), but they liked Loney better than any of them, and preferred not to lose a prospect in a deal for a lesser player.
Meanwhile, Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy reports the Brewers are more likely to acquire a first baseman via a trade, and while the options are not limited to the Mets, the fact that Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin and New York GM Sandy Alderson met multiple times during the Winter Meetings says that that the sides see the opportunity for a fit.
The Mets proposed a swap of Davis for right-hander Tyler Thornburg this week, but the Brewers turned it down.
McCalvy also adds that other first basemen potentially available in trades are Mike Carp of the Red Sox and Adam Dunn of the White Sox.
I’ve been hearing Carp’s name come up a lot this past week, and while the Red Sox prefer to hang onto him, they are not unwilling to move him if the right offer came along.
