The New York Mets believe that first baseman Ike Davis will still be with the team at the beginning of spring training, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN. The Mets have been shopping Davis this winter and, while they are still not averse to trading him, it's starting to look like no deal will occur before pitchers and catchers report in February.
MLB roundup: Mets leaning toward keeping Ike Davis
New York has been trying to deal the first baseman, but now expects that he will still be with the team when spring training begins.
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Davis, who turns 27 in March, hit 32 home runs in 2012 but struggled mightily last season. He batted .205/.326/.334, hit only nine long balls in 103 games and was demoted to Triple-A for a 10-game stint in June. Meanwhile, the presence of Lucas Duda, who hit .223/.315/.415 with 15 home runs last year, means that New York has multiple options at first and can deal from a position of strength if a good trade presents itself.
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The Pirates and Brewers are two of the teams who have expressed interest in Davis. Milwaukee received an MLB-worst .629 OPS from its first basemen last year, and the Pirates could use the lefty-hitting Davis in a platoon with the right-handed Gaby Sanchez. Despite Davis' poor numbers in 2013, teams may be intrigued by the fact that he rebounded in the second half of the season after his demotion (.286/.449/.505 in 40 games).
While the Mets are cooling off on trading Davis for now, Rubin reports that they are still willing to listen to any offers that come in. It’s possible that New York may wait until spring training begins to reassess the landscape around the league and see who might be in need of last-minute help at first base, Rubin suggests. Davis, who his eligible for arbitration this winter, is estimated to make about $3.5 million by MLB Trade Rumors.
Mets on Drew: ‘Possibility,’ not ‘Probability’
The Mets front office is "divided" in their interest to sign free agent shortstop Stephen Drew, according to Rubin.
New York's current shortstop is Ruben Tejada, and the team has been linked to Drew throughout the offseason. However, Rubin reports that the Mets would rather sign Drew for only one or two years rather than to a long-term contract, and the general feeling is that, if he were to accept a short-term deal, it would only be to return to the Boston Red Sox. Drew was part of Boston's World Series-winning team in 2013.
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If the Mets were to sign Drew, then he would most likely represent an upgrade over Tejada. Drew, who turns 31 in March, posted a .777 OPS last year and boasts a career mark of .764. Tejada, who is only 24 years old, hit .202/.259/.260 in 57 games last year and would require the team to gamble that he could continue to improve. Signing Drew would cost the Mets a draft pick due to the fact that he rejected a qualifying offer from Boston, but the pick would come in the third round because the Mets already lost their second round pick after signing Curtis Granderson away from the Yankees.
Tomko drawing interest from several teams
Free agent pitcher Brett Tomko has received interest from "about half a dozen teams," according to Zach Links of MLB Trade Rumors. The right-hander last pitched in the majors in 2011.
Tomko, who turns 41 in April, is open to accepting a role in Triple-A and/or in the bullpen in order to get his chance, reports Links. He will likely have to wait until teams have had time to form their rosters, but he could be a late signing to fill a hole somewhere in the majors, says Links.
Tomko spent 14 seasons in the majors with 10 different teams and posted a 100-103 record with a 4.65 ERA (92 ERA+) in 397 games (266 starts).
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