Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Should Ike Davis go to the minors?

Ike Davis has been abysmal this season, and fans have lost faith in the former first round pick. He is hitting .169 with 4 home runs and 9 RBI heading into Wednesday night's game, and has already struck out 40 times. Davis had a rough 2012 season, but it was overshadowed by his 32 home runs that he managed to hit. This season he has not been able to find his power stroke and is still hitting for an incredibly low batting average, thus arising the question: Should he go to the minor leagues?

I truly believe that putting Davis into the minor leagues would be beneficial for the young first base-man. Granted, it would be a confidence-killer, but Davis would have the ability to work on his swing, and come back later in the season better than ever. We understand that he may always be a high-strikeout type of player, but he may develop some consistency from working in Triple-A.

The Mets would have plenty of options at first base while Davis is gone. Lucas Duda is a first baseman by trade, and could slide there for a few weeks. That also would allow a player like Jordany Valdespin to get more playing time out in left field. You could also move Daniel Murphy to first base, which was his primary position when he first came up to the big leagues. Murphy too would be an exceptional first-baseman for the however so many weeks that Davis would need in the minor leagues.

All in all, the Mets are going to need to do something about Ike Davis. His struggles are not going unnoticed, and fans are beginning to lose patience. I'm personally not ready to give up on him just yet, but I would like to see the organization send him to Triple-A and see how he does. 

Mets sign Rick Ankiel, send Brown to Triple-A

The Mets have signed outfielder Rick Ankiel to a major league deal. Ankiel started the season with Houston, and hit just .194 in 25 games. He also struck out 35 times in 65 plate appearances. Outfielder Andrew Brown has been sent to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room on the roster for Ankiel. The team also moved pitcher Jenrry Mejjia to the 60-day disabled list.

Ankiel has been a player on the Mets' radar for quite some time now, but at this stage in his career he really doesn't offer much. He strikes out way to often, and isn't known for his eye at the plate. The only thing he really has going for him is that he has an excellent throwing arm that could land him some playing time in center field. 

GM Sandy Alderson described Ankiel as a stop-gap like player until a few of the younger players are ready later this season. However, at this point, the Mets are sitting in 4th place in the NL East, and should consider just bringing up the prospects now. It is very unlikely that Ankiel revives his career in New York, and he is clearly not part of the future with this organization. He is a nice player to have for outfield depth, but besides that he is a waste of a roster spot.