The Mets have announced that they have made a few roster changes. The team has -- finally-- optioned Ike Davis to Triple-A Las Vegas, as well as Mike Baxter and Robert Carson. To take their roster spots, the club has called up Josh Edgin, Collin Cowgill, and Josh Satin.
Ike Davis has struggled, to say the least, this season. In 55 games for the Mets, he hit a mere .161 with 5 home runs and 16 runs batted in. Additionally, he struck out 66 times in 186 at-bats. Over the past month or two, he has been under heavy scrutiny by the New York media about his struggles given the expectations that the organization had for him.
"At some point you just have to say to yourself this is not in his best interest," Sandy Alderson said about Davis. "I was one of his biggest supporters. But, I just felt -at some point- we've just got to get him out of here. Hopefully, he'll be back in a short period of time... He needs to be able to work on his swing without worrying necessarily about the outcome. We think it's in his best interest."
Alderson also mentioned that the players are accountable for the team's poor performance, not the manager or coaching staff.
Mike Baxter has hit .212 in 85 at-bats with the Mets this season. He served primarily as the team's fourth outfielder, getting occasional spot starts. Carson has under-performed since arriving in Queens last season. In 13 appearances this season, Carson has posted an ugly 8.50 ERA while letting up 8 home runs in only 18.0 innings pitched.
Josh Edgin has really struggled this season. He was demoted to Double-A earlier in the year, and is earning this promotion despite posting a 5.91 ERA in 11 Triple-A appearances. Satin, 28, has always been able to hit in the minor leagues, and this year has been no different. In 220 Triple-A at-bats, he hit .305 with a .420 on-base percentage. Cowgill was demoted by the Mets in April, and hit .268 in 32 games for Triple-A Las Vegas.
Let me just say this: it is ABOUT TIME. It was painful to watch Ike Davis night in and night out, and I'm so glad that they are finally taking some action with him. I understand that he may never be a high average type of hitter, but people have said that his home runs will make up for it. However, this season he only has 5 home runs, so he wasn't doing ANYTHING at the plate. All I can really say is I hope he goes to Triple-A, rediscovers himself, and has a strong finish to the season.
Honestly, you never want to sell low on a player, but there may come a time when the Mets will need to sell Ike Davis off. That is why I hope he finishes the season strong, bumps up that trade value, and is sent packing before the start of next season. It's funny because not too long ago this guy was considered a potential cornerstone player for this organization, but the league learned how to handle his game.
As for the other two demotions, both of them are really not too surprising. Baxter served a nice role on this team as a fourth outfielder, but he really doesn't offer anything above and beyond. By that I mean he just gave a little bit of everything. The one thing I did like about him was that he had a nice eye at the plate, and drew plenty of walks. I definitely expect to see him back with the Mets sometime this season.
Carson has been given plenty of chances to become a dominant bullpen weapon for Terry Collins, but has failed miserably. He has great velocity on his pitches, but tends to leave the ball right down the middle, resulting in many home runs and hard hit balls. At 24 years old, he still has some time to improve, but the clock is definitely ticking for him.
As for the call-ups, I really don't like the addition of Josh Edgin. Edgin has been miserable all season in every level he has played for, and won't add much to the mix right now. I was once very excited about his emergence, but he has quite a bit of work to do mechanically before he can be regarded as a mediocre relief pitcher in this league. I was disappointed that Jack Leathersich, a prospect who is currently having success in Double-A, was not considered for the team's bullpen. Control may be an issue for him, but he is a strikeout machine, and throws pitches in the upper 90s. I don't know if he is ready for the big leagues, but at this point, what do the Mets have to lose?
As for Josh Satin, I like the addition but I feel bad for the guy. All he has done in the minor leagues is hit, but the organization has never really stuck with him at one position. I expect that most of his playing time will come from first base, and I'm excited to see what he brings to the lineup.
Finally, Collin Cowgill was a spark plug for this team in the first week of the season, but really cooled down after that leading to an eventual demotion. He adds a positive vibe to the clubhouse, and will give the team much needed speed on the base-paths. However, I can understand why some Mets fans may be upset with him being promoted instead of, say Cesar Puello, a young outfield prospect who is tearing it up in Double-A.
There is no doubt that the Mets needed a roster shake up after being swept by the last-place Marlins twice in two weeks. I'm happy that Sandy Alderson and Co. finally decided to take action towards the player personnel. I truly believe that these moves were only made to send a message to those who were demoted. The players being brought up definitely won't save this team and make them contenders again. However, seeing new faces and getting a fresh start is the right thing to do at this stage in the season.
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