Jim Duquette reports that the Pirates are still in the mix for New York Mets first baseman Ike Davis, along with Tampa Bay and Milwaukee.
Teams still in the mix for Ike Davis : Pitt, Milw, and Tampa – asking for a pitching prospect in return
— Jim Duquette (@Jim_Duquette) December 11, 2013
Those are the three teams actively seeking first base options. They’re all in on James Loney, although reports from all three teams say his price is too high. Duquette says that the Mets are looking for a pitching prospect in return for Davis. I’m not sure if that means a top pitching prospect like Jameson Taillon, or someone further down in the rankings.
Personally I would spend the money on Loney rather than trading for Davis. Even if Loney gets $8-9 M per year, that would only be about $5 M more than Davis in 2014, and wouldn’t require the loss of a prospect. Also, Loney grades as the better option. If it’s a lower ranked pitching prospect and not someone near the top 10, then it might be different. However, I can’t imagine that would be the case. Mark Trumbo landed two top pitching prospects, so I’d imagine the Mets would be looking for at least one really good prospect in return for Davis.
