The New York Mets are looking ready to make another run with Ike Davis still on their roster next season, but they could make a sudden u-turn as reports indicated that the first baseman is still drawing the interest of several teams.
Recent reports indicated that the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles are still planning to make a push to acquire Davis in a trade with the Mets before the 2014 MLB season.
Sources indicated that the Pirates are still high on acquiring Davis despite coming from the worst season of his four-year career. The 26-year-old first baseman batted just .205 last season with only nine homeruns to boot.
The Pirates looks set to move on to next season with their current roster, but general manager Neal Huntington said that the team will remain open to trades before the start of the next season as long as the deal will bring significant improvement to their team.
"That doesn't stop us from looking elsewhere. It's just that now, our bar has been set a little bit higher, as to 'How do we make the club better?' And 'How do we make the club better at the right situation for us?' If there's something that makes us better, and makes sense for us, we'll still look to do that," Huntington told ESPN.
Aside from the Pirates, the Orioles, who have been very aggressive in trying to improve their roster this offseason, are also expected to discuss a possible deal with the Mets involving Davis.
"Davis' $3.5 million salary for 2014 and power potential make him a strong fit for the Orioles. However, it would be a waste to make him the designated hitter when he has solid fielding ability," Bleacher Report noted.
However, the likelihood of any Ike Davis trade depends on the asking price of Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, who has been firm on his high demands to teams interested in acquiring Davis.
Previous reports indicated that Alderson asked for Pittsburgh's top pitching prospect Nick Kingham in previous negotiations, but the Pirates did not budge. Sources also added that the Mets asked for Eduardo Rodriguez during a discussion with Baltimore, but the Orioles also turned down the offer.
