What two Mets beat writers are saying about having both Duda and Davis in camp this Spring:
To bring Ike Davis and Lucas Duda into camp together, a concept the Mets have discussed internally, is to tilt the media focus away from exciting newcomers (Bartolo Colon and Curtis Granderson) and rising hopes (Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard) and toward the daily first-base derby. It would place excess scrutiny on spring-training plate appearances by two guys who have struggled with their confidence previously. And what happens if Davis actually does hit well in Grapefruit League action? Do the Mets get tempted to place their emotional chips on their former first-round draft pick once again? No, it’s time for all parties to move on. Davis, who has handled his rises and falls with dignity, deserves a fresh start. The Mets owe themselves a clean break. To get that, they’ll likely have to blink on their asking price.
Andy Martino, New York Daily News
Would it be a distraction during spring training to have Davis and Lucas Duda in camp together? Yes, absolutely, to some extent. But Davis has always handled the Duda issue with class, defending him in public and private, once even chastizing reporters for a line of questioning to Duda that he deemed unfair (he and I actually got into an argument about this, and he stood his ground, strongly defending the guy who has always wanted his job, and been unafraid to say it publicly). So this is a chance for the Mets to reset, re-think, change course. They really, really wanted to move Davis last month, but Sandy Alderson has also been adamant that he will not just give the guy away. For the Mets, this is a terrific opportunity to back away from a near mistake. They should seize it, and move forward with Davis at first.
