According to Robert Murray on Twitter, the Padres are acquiring right-handed starter Mike Clevinger from the Indians.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports the full deal as follows:

RHP Mike Clevinger, OF Greg Allen, and PTBNL to the Padres for OF Josh Naylor, C Austin Hedges, SS Gabriel Arias, LHP Joey Cantillo, and SS Owen Miller.

Clevinger, 29, has a 3.18 ERA through four starts this season. He’s coming off a 2019 season in which he had a 2.71 ERA, 169 strikeouts, and 4.1 WAR in 21 starts for the Indians.

The former fourth round pick is under team control through the 2022 season.

Padres have now acquired catchers Jason Castro and Austin Nola, reliever Trevor Rosenthal, and first baseman Mitch Moreland as they look to make a serious run in 2020.

The post MLB News: Padres Acquiring Mike Clevinger appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Veteran Mitch Moreland is another first base option the New York Mets have considered for a short-term fix according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports.

Heyman goes on to say that Moreland isn’t “especially likely” per a a source he talked to but it’s pretty evident that the Mets are looking under every rock for first base.

Moreland, 32, hit .246/.326/.443 with 99 OPS+, 34 doubles, 22 home runs and 79 RBI in 149 games for the Boston Red Sox during the 2017 season. He had the second highest WAR of his career at 2.0 and had 10 defensive runs saved at first.

The left-handed hitter slashed .246/.324/.460 against righties last year and has a career .779 OPS vs right-handed pitchers in his career.

Pro debut struggles from Dominic Smith, as well as conditioning issues, have the Mets concerned about him being a starter on a team that wants to contend in 2018.

Heyman also passes this along in the article, “Some Mets people also believe they’d rather sign a short-term first baseman since they haven’t lost complete faith in Dominic Smith. They do, however, believe Smith needs to get into shape.”

The Mets have already been tied to Eric Hosmer, Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce and Adam Lind to varying levels this offseason as they look for a first baseman or right fielder that can play first.

The post Add Mitch Moreland to List of Potential Mets First Baseman appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

12:30 PM

During Terry Collins’ press conference on Friday, he spoke glowingly of Ike Davis who is already in camp. “I’ve been very impressed by Ike Davis,” Collins said. “His bat is coming through the zone better. He really looks better.”

Davis understands what’s at stake and realizes that he is “fighting for his life,” according to Collins.

“If Lucas Duda and Ike hit the way we know they can, we’ll figure out a way to get their bats in the lineup,” Collins added. 

The Mets manager again told reporters that Duda will play in the outfield. 

Duda spent roughly eight weeks attending a fitness camp this offseason and lost close to 10 pounds, bringing him down to 255.

“I feel faster. I feel better. I just feel more coordinated .I feel looser in my hips. I can rotate them a little bit better,” Duda said on Thursday.

On the off chance Duda wins the starting job, Davis will either be demoted or traded according to reports.

It’s going to be a blast watching all the Mets Spring Training battles the next seven weeks.

9:30 AM

Ike Davis met with reporters on Friday morning and according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, he was surprised but happy that he is still with the Mets and in camp with his teammates.

“The articles would say I wasn’t going to be here, so a little bit of shock I didn’t get traded,” Davis said. “But I’m happy I didn’t. …Obviously they had to make the right deal for them, and no one offered them what they thought enough, so I’m back.”

“You know, it’s all hearsay until something happens anyway….It’s not a big deal. I wanted to be back. I’m back. So I’m happy about it.”

Davis also said he found a previously undetected glitch in his swing and believes his offseason work will help him become more advanced as a hitter. He’ll get 90 to 100 at-bats this Spring to test his theory as Terry Collins has hypothesized that being Davis is a notorious slow starter, he plans to have him get all his bad at-bats out of the way before Opening Day. Yes. Terry Collins said that.

Davis and Lucas Duda, the not-so-dynamic-duo, will battle it out for who becomes the everyday first baseman for the Mets, with a good chance that the loser heads to the minor leagues as both have remaining options. With the right-handed hitting Josh Satin a lock for the bench, the Mets won’t keep two lefthanded hitting first baggers.

“It’s always a competition,” Davis said. “It’s been a competition since we were drafted. It’s been a competition every single time you step on the field. It’s not like we can control anything. You’ve just got to go play and see what happens. I love Duda. He likes me. It’s just whatever, you know? You’ve just got to go play.” 

However, Davis is not completely safe. There is still a good chance the Mets could move him during Spring Training as injuries could cause other teams to take a second look at him. The Mets could also just choose to cut him and just pay him his $600K rather than his entire salary, although that option may be unlikely.

Davis got off to a horrible start and was hitting .161 in June when he was demoted to the minors. He batted .267/.429/.443 the rest of the way, until a strained oblique finished his season at the end of August.

This is a make or break season for the former first rounder.

The post Duda To Play In The Outfield, Collins Impressed With Davis appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

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.

The post Mets Asked Pirates For Pitching Prospect Nick Kingham For Ike Davis appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets came up in two conversations—first in the discussion regarding the Pittsburgh Pirates, and later with the Mets.

Leiter said the Pirates would be a nice fit for Mets’ first baseman Ike Davis. With Ike’s current salary, he thinks that his power would translate well in PNC Park, and that the Pirates should take a shot. We know from last season that the Pirates and Mets have been able to work out deals in the past, so this door seems to be open.

Darling, on the other hand, thinks Mitch Moreland is a better trade option right now. Aside from having an awesome first name, Darling notes that Moreland hit for a higher average last year and is the cheaper option. Moreland also hit for more HR in 2013 (23).

Here is a chart that breaks down Moreland’s and Davis’ batting averages over the past couple of years. As you can see, both are below average with regard to batting average, although Moreland has been slightly more reliable in this category as Darling stated.

Darling and Leiter then both discussed the Mets, and what the plans at shortstop are. Both agreed that they do not see the Mets making a move in free agency, and are going with Ruben Tejada this season. Leiter added that the Mets aren’t a playoff team, and they have to stick with their young shortstop. Darling agreed, saying they should not give up on him after one bad season and alluded to the idea that the Mets were more upset with his effort than his actual play.

Is it too soon to give up on Tejada?

Probably.

It seems logical that the Mets would give him one more chance this season, but the odds are that he will be on a very short leash.

Is it surprising that Leiter still doesn’t think the Mets are playoff contenders even after many analyst and reporters have deemed the Mets “winners” this winter?

Not really.

I think even the most die hard Mets fan has to recognize that the Mets are not playoff contenders just yet. They are taking steps to move in the right direction, but nobody will look at the current roster of the team and start saving money for playoff tickets in October. Anything can happen, it’s just not likely based on the current roster.

You can watch the entire clip from MLB Tonight here.

The post Al Leiter: The Mets Aren’t A Playoff Team appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

About ten minutes after announcing that they had acquired Corey Hart to their roster, news broke that the Seattle Mariners have also acquired Logan Morrison from the Marlins for right-hander Carter Capps, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

Morrison has been mostly injured and ineffective for the past two seasons, hitting just .236 with a .708 OPS in 178 total games, but he has good plate discipline and 25-homer power from the left side of the plate and is still just 26 years old.

With Hart and Morrison both off the boards, the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, who are both in the market for first basemen, have seen their options drastically reduced.

As of now, only James Loney and Kendrys Morales remain as free agents, while Mitch Moreland, Ike Davis, Mike Carp and Michael Morse look to be available in trades.

Also, the Mariners now have their own glut at first base which could mean Justin Smoak is now available.

The plot thickens… Isn’t this kind of fun?

The post With Hart and LoMo Off The Boards, Plot Thickens For First Base Market appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Alderson said prospective buyers are exploring other options, whether it is in the trade or free-agent markets.

Some teams could be offering the Mets little in return, while others want to explore the free-agent market first.

There are a lot of reasons why a trade doesn’t get done.

“That’s always the case,’’ Alderson said. “There’s always going to be an alternative. That’s what provides the tension of negotiating a deal. [Teams] are always looking at what their alternatives are. That’s what provides the tension of getting something done and not getting something done; simply there are other options.’’

Currently, James Loney and Corey Hart are in the free-agent market, while Miami is trying to deal Logan Morrison and Texas is attempting to trade Mitch Moreland.

Of course, it could take one phone call to change everything. A team could offer the Mets a sweet deal, or Alderson can cave just to make a trade.

The latter is highly unlikely.

“Could we do something?’’ Alderson asked. “Yeah, we have that ability. Whether we do it or not is a function of what we can get and what our other options are.’’

The Brewers are waiting on a decision from Corey Hart and yesterday a Brewers official told me that talks with Mets for Ike Davis are pretty much dead. The price for Davis was a real turnoff and has them taking a second look at their internal options if they fail to sign Hart.

Joe D. considers Ike Davis persona non grata and I tend to agree with him. There’s a sense that the Mets don’t want to leave here with Davis still in the fold. However, it’s never as easy as it sounds.

Alderson told us moving someone depends on finding a willing partner.

“Everybody is aware of what we have. We don’t have to advertise that,’’ Alderson said. “As far as marketing, [other teams] do their own evaluations. If somebody is not inclined to make a deal for a particular player, it is difficult to talk them into it and get something in return.’’

We’ll know much more once the Brewers make an expected decision in the next few hours.

The post Ike Davis Could Be An Ex-Met By End Of Week appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

“It makes more sense for us to re-sign Corey Hart and we won’t have to lose any assets to get him.”

At the time, we believed that talks for Davis with the Brewers were dead.

There was a rumor late this afternoon that the Brewers and Mets were talking again, but Jim Duquette then reported an hour ago that the Brewers are out, confirming what our source initially told us.

Source: Mets asked Brewers for young, controllable pitching for Ike – Thornburg among others. MIL said no and were told they're out.

— Jim Duquette (@Jim_Duquette) December 11, 2013

Tyler Thornburg, 24, had a solid season in 2013 going 3-1 in 18 games (seven starts) with an ERA of 2.03 in 66.2 innings.

The Brewers are getting antsy, reports Adam Rubin, and would like a decision from Hart soon. If that falls through, maybe Milwaukee comes back to the Mets?

We’ll see…

Original Post 12/9

The Mets intend to find a trade partner for either Ike Davis or Lucas Duda during the Winter Meetings this week.

Newsday’s Marc Carig writes that though both have been mentioned as trade candidates, it appears that Davis is more likely to be moved.

David Lennon, also of Newsday, agrees saying that the Mets sound more invested in Duda’s growth than Davis. and that Davis could be dealt this week.

Our own John Delcos said that there seems to be an urgency to want to trade Davis now, even though it could mean getting less.

The Brewers, Pirates, Orioles and Rays have showed varying levels of interest, but it’s Milwaukee who seems to have the most serious interest. Marc Carig of Newsday confirms that the Brewers and Mets did talk today. But one person we spoke to with knowledge of the situation said there is nothing imminent. The Brewers are more interested in re-signing Corey Hart and have made him a priority. The other three teams’ interest ranges from lukewarm to distant.

Neither Davis or Duda alone will be enough to get the Mets the shortstop they need or a starting pitcher who can give them the innings they want. But a source told Carig that the Mets remain confident that there are enough potential trade partners remaining for first basemen with power.

That may be true, but there are other options available. The first-base market is flush with trade possibilities in the Marlins’Logan Morrison, the Rangers’ Mitch Moreland and the Red Sox’s Mike Carp, according to Ken Rosenthal.

Other choices include free agents James Loney, Corey Hart and Kendrys Morales. The Rays, Pirates and Brewers are three teams looking for first basemen.

It certainly looks like Davis’ days with the Mets are numbered and that the front office is resigned to moving him as quickly as possible so they can move on from this first base controversy.

The post Brewers Continue To Pursue Hart, Out On Davis appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe lists the Mets as a potential suitor for first baseman Mitch Moreland of the Texas rangers.

The Rangers have a history of first basemen moving on and creating new careers for themselves. The list includes Adrian Gonzalez, Chris Davis, and Justin Smoak.

Now Moreland, who has tremendous raw power, seems to be available after the Rangers acquired Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler.

Moreland could be a future target for the Mets (if they deal Ike Davis), the Rays (always looking for a low-cost guy), or the Pirates (in need of a first baseman). Moreland has shown signs of being a possible break-out guy, but it hasn’t happened yet. The next team may benefit.

Moreland set career highs in games played (147), home runs (23) and RBIs (60) in 2013, but his OBP fell to .299.

The Dallas Morning News reported that it was the third straight season below .325 for him after breaking into the majors with a .364 OBP in the second half of 2010.

Moreland becomes arbitration eligible this winter, so his salary will jump from $502,000 to more than $1 million.

An intriguing option to say the least…

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