Do You Aso Like Ike?

BY MATTHEW FALKENBURY
ASSISTANT EDITOR

It was nothing more then a grand slam in the eighth inning of a spring training game in early March. The wind was blowing out and as the legendary Lou Brown once said “It was against a guy who will be bagging groceries in a week.” The fact is that I couldn’t have cared less. I like Ike Davis and if the first few spring training games can be considered an example of whats to come, then you will all like him too.

Ike Davis, the son of former Major League pitcher Ron Davis, was the Mets first round pick in 2008 out of Arizona State. He struggled for power in his first pro season with Brooklyn as he failed to hit a home run in the short season A NY-Penn League. Moving up to Port St. Lucie and then eventually Double-A Binghamton, he found his power and continued to impress both the Mets brass and fans alike. He would hit 20 homers, 71 RBI and hit .298 and would make a name for himself, earning a spot on the US World Cup of Baseball team that won the Gold Medal and as one to Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects.

Ike Davis has a quick powerful swing, good feet around first base and a confidence that is more about his own ability then it is about working harder then the next guy. He is a left handed thrower at first, which is also a big bonus, a bonus that the last two great Mets first basemen, Keith Hernandez and John Olerud had.

The Mets flirted with bringing back Delgado and even gave Mike Jacobs a chance to return for a shot at first base. They even thought about making a minor league killing run at Adrian Gonzalez where Jenry Mejia and Davis would only be the start of talks between the Mets and Padres. The fact is that the Mets, a year after having hyped Daniel Murphy so much that you swore the next Ted Williams was playing in Queens, they may have found someone worth the hype he has produced.

They have decided that after a winter where nothing was really developing at first, that Murphy would get another shot, except that maybe the player they needed all along was right in their backyard. Now all that Ike Davis has done, is show the Mets that he is ready to bust through to become the first baseman of the here and now.

This kid looks like the real deal and it seems like we could see him playing first base alot faster then anybody had expected and I like that.

Is there anyone you wouldn't give up for Adrian Gonzalez? (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY FRANK GRAY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The biggest news coming out of New York Mets camp today isn’t the game against the Atlanta Braves or the triple by Jose Reyes. According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Mets have reached out to the San Diego Padres for a possible trade involving all star slugger Adrian Gonzalez.

This is an aggressive move. Besides not really having the players in the system that would move a player of that magnitude, it also tells a bigger story. The Mets have proclaimed all off season that they were comfortable with Daniel Murphy, even after traveling to scout Carlos Delgado and signing Mike Jacobs and Fernando Tatis.

They have Ike Davis in the wings. Perhaps they are discussing moving him and one of their younger pitchers not named Mejia. It is a good sign that they are on the offensive, for a change, however they are asking for the impossible. They do not have the type of talent in the minors for this. They do not have the type of talent in the majors for this, short of the core group.

This conversation between the teams is a good start. It is an important step in the process. Perhaps, they can catch San Diego in desperation and add a tremendous bat. So far, it is just a rumor, but rumors lead to news.

Wishing on a star.

BY ANTHONY LAFAMAN
STACHE WRITER

Man I wish we had the guns to get Adrian Gonzalez but how can you top Ellsbury/Bucholz? Murphy/Davis/Mejia? They would laugh. Plus they have a sweet hitting first baseman in the minors themselves so Davis does nothing for them. Do any of you guys get the feeling that outside of Bay and maybe a few non-tender signings the Mets are really banking on the health of Beltran/Reyes? It’s like they are counting them as new acquisitions. Am I alone?

As long as Luis Castillo is in town, Orlando Hudson will not be. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

In the world of the Hot Stove, there are going to be those that are calling for the Mets to pick up every top player available, but we all know that is not going to happen. There are several myths going around the internet as to moves the Mets might be considering, and I felt like it was time to bring a little bit of reality into the picture. Now, I am not intending to crush people’s hopes and dreams, but we need to have a realistic approach on this off season.

First of all, I would be shocked to see John Lackey wearing the orange and blue next season. He hasn’t been private in terms of his desire to play for a team that has a favorable weather situation. He really wants to go to his home town Rangers, but he probably is going to be best fit for a West Coast team. The Dodgers could make a strong push to sign him, and I wouldn’t rule out a return to the Angels. Texas claims to not have the money, but let’s see what happens when push really comes to shove.

Another guy who is not going to be playing in Queens in the fall is Orlando Hudson. Whether you like it or not, Luis Castillo is under contract and the Mets will not be able to find any takers for him. Despite the fact that he had his best season as a Met, the money is a real deal breaker for trading partners, and the Mets would have to take a problematic contract back in return, which would defeat the purpose entirely. Luis Castillo is the Mets’ second baseman in 2010, so let’s deal with it.

A third pipe dream that has many people salivating is the thought of San Diego Padres’ first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. I mean, I love the heck out of this guy. He is a dynamic hitter who plays a solid first base, but what would the cost be? And do the Mets even have the pieces to get the deal done? I think they do, and that is solely because of the recent emergence of Ike Davis. He is tearing the cover off of the ball in the Winter League, and it looks like he has a chance to be a good player. But would you give up Davis, along with two or three other top flight prospects for A-Gon? I am not sure I would. The solution at first may be Ike Davis, but we probably would have to wait another year.

We need to calm down and be patient with the market. I know the Mets are going to make a move. If they don’t, us fans are going to be coming for their heads, and that is the last thing that they want when they are trying to get us all back on their sides. They just watched what a team across town can do when they address their problems, and it is time to take the same approach.

Adrian Gonzalez would add a new element to the Mets' lineup. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY AARON YORKE
STACHE WRITER

Everyone is looking for the Mets to make a move for a slugger this off-season. Besides free agents like Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is a player who sources such as SI’s John Heyman say the Mets could be targeting. The good thing is that Gonzalez would have a huge impact on the Mets offense if they acquire him. Gonzalez is having a career year in 2009 with 39 home runs and a .276/.401/.559 line featuring on-base and slugging percentages that are well above his previous bests. Plus Gonzalez is only 27 years old still has a few prime years left in him.

The bad news for the Mets is that a slugger such as Gonzalez would be very costly to acquire even if he didn’t have two years left on his bargain of a contract. San Diego only owes him $4.75 million next year with an affordable $5.6 million club option in 2011. That means that San Diego can very likely afford to hold onto Gonzalez even while they are rebuilding. For the Mets to take Gonzalez off of the Padres’ hands would require a package similar to that demanded by the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay this season. I’m guessing that means a pair of top prospects and two more useful guys. According to Jon Heyman, the Red Sox tried trading for Gonzalez at the deadline and were shot down after offering Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson and Jed Lowrie. The only good news about that is that with Masterson gone in the Victor Martinez deal, the Red Sox are now less likely to compete with the Mets for Gonzalez’s services.

Other teams that may be interested in Gonzalez are Florida, should they deem themselves ready to make a run at the NL East, and Oakland, who could treat Gonzalez like they did Matt Holliday this year. The Athletics could use Gonzalez’s bat in the short run and then either hold him or trade him depending on their standing at the deadline. San Francisco would be a great fit for Gonzalez because of their need for a bat to complement Pablo Sandoval in the middle of the order, but being in the same division as the Padres would probably lessen their chances. With Chris Davis having a disappointing season in Texas, could the Rangers make an offer? A stud like Neftali Felz could headline a deal, but he might more valuable to the Rangers if they keep him.

All this is assuming the Padres want to deal Gonzalez, which is something that ESPN’s Buster Olney reportedly does not see happening. Padres GM Kevin Towers may want to see how his team shapes up next season before dealing Gonzalez. The two years remaining on Gonzalez’s contract give the Padres a lot of flexibility when decided if and when to deal him.

For the Mets to get Adrian Gonzalez, it would probably take something like Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Ike Davis, and Jenry Mejia. The Mets would then likely offer Gonzalez and huge Johan-like extension and hope Gonzalez’s bat is enough to offset their crippled farm system for the next three seasons. This type of move isn’t very prudent in any case, but when you consider the Mets other needs, such as starting pitching, it does not make much sense at all. I’m rarely for giving up so much to get one player, especially when there is more than one hole to fill.