With the news that Murphy will miss some time due to injury, the one thing I can ask for is the organization to not rush the development of Ike Davis. The plan for Davis after his impressive spring was for him to be sent down and get some seasoning at the minor league level. With Murphy being out for a few weeks this should not be changed as there is more depth at the position, than to make this move.
First of all the Mets signed Mike Jacobs partly for this reason exactly. In addition to providing some positive competition with Murphy at 1st this spring, Jacobs also provides extra depth at the major league level. Yes, Jacobs did have a poor year last year with the Royals but the guy did hit 32 home runs two years ago and is only 29 years old. I have to believe that his skill is not gone and he can be quite a serviceable first baseman while Murphy is out.
Secondly the Mets also have two players that have seem to be forgotten this spring. The First in Fernando Tatis, while that is not a name to strike hope and optimism in the hearts of Mets fans he is a capable hitter who can produce enough to fill Murphy’s void. Yes, he will ground into more 6-4-3’s than we’d like to see but he can stand in while Ike is working on his development at a lower level. At the same time, Chris Carter has been one who has turned many heads this spring, yet he is rarely mentioned as one to make the squad after spring training. Although he is batting .385 with 3 home runs, his name is not often discussed as one to make the team out of camp. I believe he will be a perfect fit as both a lefty power bat off the bench and a player who can fill in corner spots, while also able to fill in for the absence of Murphy.
Also, lets be honest about Murphy, him being out is not exactly the same situation as Jose, or Carlos being out. While many fans love the guy, just as many don’t believe he should be a starting first baseman. Him being out a few games ( we hope) should not be reason to make any rash decisions.
Lastly, I do not believe that the injury to Murphy is so significant that he will miss major time. It could be highly detrimental to the development of Davis for him to be sent up for a week and then to be sent down right away. Honestly, what can this prove? If he does well and gets sent down because Murph is back, what does that say to him? If he is doing poorly and gets sent down, that can hurt his confidence. I really urge the Mets to remain calm not rush Ike, and let him develop into our starting first baseman for 2011.
