Not long ago, many Mets fans were taking the 2nd half rebound of Ike Davis as the real deal and seeking to locking up the “slugger” to a long-term deal was a priority. Now after a 2nd straight season of team killing numbers in the first half, it has left some wondering what does the future hold for Ike Davis. While there is plenty of debate what to currently do: Send him to AAA. Slide him down in the lineup. Slide him up in the lineup. Fire the hitting coach. Swing at the 1st pitch which is usually in the dirt or 2 feet outside because Ike just might swing. Send him up to bat without a bat so as he won’t embarrass himself or the team as much.
However at this point, while this season as expected is looking more and more shot by the day, it is more relevant what will the Mets do with Ike Davis after the season? Assuming he isn’t traded during the season, Ike will enter into arbitration after signing a deal around 3.2M this year to avoid arbitration. As much as the process should be based on production, for guys like Ike, the first few years are much more likely to produce substantial increases in salary regardless of production. So what are the Mets looking at for a salary for Ike Davis next year? Enough to put him as the 2nd highest player on the Mets for 2014 if no big name FA were signed. I would imagine a salary between 5.5-7M will be the requested amount from Davis and his agency.
Assuming the Mets will still not be big spenders but will still look to increase talent through FA or by trade, will they consider gambling on Ike again at a much steeper rate?
Of course another 2nd half like last year could determine the direction, but should it?
I could post you all kinds of stats from Ike’s last year, this year and his high school football team but at this point, we all know he sucks. So I will leave it up to you.
Cast your votes below.