First Base 2014

[Warning Track Power]

I have come to accept that Ike will be at 1B for the Brewers on Opening Day 2014 and so it's time for me to start thinking positively.

 

One thing to like about Ike...After he got called back up from the minors last year, he put up the following line in 48 games:

 

.267/.429/.443

AB 131

H 35

BB 38

K 35

HR 4

RBI 17

 

Not all-star numbers but definitely solid numbers from a 1B. Let's hope a change of scenery does Ike well and the Brewers reap the benefits.

[JohnBriggs12]

I could live with Davis, if the Brewers don't have to give up any of the following: Thornburg, Nelson, Peralta, or Will Smith. Those guys should be off limits. If it is Davis, I'd be sure to hold on to Halton to face lefties. They can also use Lucroy there too. Davis' splits vs. lefties are awful.

[fondybrewfan]

Could we somehow mix Weeks into the deal? If all we get back is Davis; getting rid of at least part of Weeks salary might be worth it.

 

Even if we do get Davis I would make it an open competition in Spring Training. I wouldn't just hand the job to him.

[TURBO]

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that the Mets and Brewers are meeting Thursday regarding Ike Davis.

 

Most executives are leaving Orlando following Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, but the Mets and Brewers are having another conversation about Davis before taking off. The Brewers remain interested in free agent first baseman James Loney, but with Logan Morrison and Corey Hart now off the board, a trade for Davis might be more attractive. The Pirates and Rays are the other known teams in the mix to acquire the 26-year-old.

 

Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter

[CheeseheadInQC]

If Davis could be had for maybe Fiers and a mid-level relief prospect in a change-of-scenery deal, that might be the best option at this point. I'm just not sure a 3/$27 deal for a guy who at his best has just been OK at best is a great move long term. Signing Ishikawa to a minor league deal and having a spring training battle royal with him, Halton, Morris, Rogers and Green might be a slightly worse option than Loney next year but would probably be better long term.

[TURBO]

Can Loney play another position besides 1B?

 

I just can't see paying him that kind of money for 3 years, and blocking our youngsters from getting a chance...

[jerichoholicninja]

Can Loney play another position besides 1B?

 

I just can't see paying him that kind of money for 3 years, and blocking our youngsters from getting a chance...

 

He's a lefty so the only other options are OF and those positions and kind of spoken for.

[miggs721]

Can Loney play another position besides 1B?

 

I just can't see paying him that kind of money for 3 years, and blocking our youngsters from getting a chance...

What youngsters at 1B?

[Oldcity]

Any that they manage to acquire in the next three years.

 

Sure, there aren't good answers in-house, but that doesn't mean they should be handing out three-year deals.

[sveumrules]

If it has to be one of the guys from the Mets I would greatly prefer Lucas Duda over Ike Davis.

[reillymcshane]

Fangraphs says that Fiers name has come up with regard to trading for Davis.

 

The rumored names in Milwaukee are Tyler Thornburg and Mike Fiers, and both are flawed pitchers. Thornburg has an average changeup, 93 mph gas, and an up-and-down history of command. He was supposedly too much for Davis, and now the talk has moved on to Fiers, who has an 88 mph fastball and is second in baseball in line drives allowed over the last two years. His changeup is decent, his curve is okay, he’s under team control until 2018, but the homers and line drives are a problem, probably created by his fastball.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-market-value-of-post-hype-first-basemen/

[Kelbysdaddy]

I'd be OK with losing fiers.

[NievesNoNO]

I actually like the idea of aquiring Davis. Maybe he has a Chris Davis type revelation. He certainly has at least a small history of success. If he gets it all to click he's a difference maker, which cannot really be said of the other options being tossed around at this point.

 

If not Davis, then I'd rather just hand the gig to Morris and see what happens.

[brwrsfan]

If it's Fiers, that seems like an even trade. If it's Thornburg, I'd definitely pass.

 

I don't see it with Davis though. He seems to have some power, but he's a career .240 hitter.

[TURBO]

Losing Fiers wouldn't even register on my disappointment scale...

 

If that is all we have to give up, I'd be pleased, but that being said, I still want no part of Ike Davis.

[Warning Track Power]

Fiers for Ike seems like a win for the Brewers. Ike is a lotto ticket and like Nieves mentioned, could blossom like a Chris Davis, Jose Bautista or any other change of scenery type. Of course he could bottom out and be the .200 hitter he has been the past few seasons. I will take the risk of Fiers blossoming in NY for an opportunity to find out if Ike can do the same in Milwaukee.

[SRB]

Some perspective on Ike Davis:

 

Yeah, he sucked last season, but he is only one year older than Hunter Morris, has had some success in MLB, and a few years ago was ranked as a top-75 prospect in baseball. Meanwhile, Hunter Morris is only one year younger, sucked at AAA last season, and has never been considered a top prospect beyond the Brewers organization.

 

Just food for thought.

[pogokat]

I would guess it would be Fiers and some of our middling prospects or a bullpen arm...

 

i'd be completely fine with Fiers as i don't think he even makes the team...

[danzig6767]

Fiers for Ike seems like a win for the Brewers. Ike is a lotto ticket and like Nieves mentioned, could blossom like a Chris Davis, Jose Bautista or any other change of scenery type. Of course he could bottom out and be the .200 hitter he has been the past few seasons. I will take the risk of Fiers blossoming in NY for an opportunity to find out if Ike can do the same in Milwaukee.

 

If Davis is acquired, the team has to have a platoon partner in place because he's atrocious vs lefties and that's being kind.

[Warning Track Power]

@Danzig:

 

I agree. Halton can be that guy for the Brewers if a platoon is needed.

 

Honestly though, it just seems like Ike needs a change of scenery or a change of voice or just change period. His first year in the big leagues, he actually hit LH better than he hit RH. In 2010, versus LH and Ike went .295/.362/.443 as opposed to RH where he went .254/.348/.439. Seems like he never made a counter adjustment to the adjustments pitchers made against him.

[reillymcshane]

@Danzig:

 

I agree. Halton can be that guy for the Brewers if a platoon is needed.

 

Honestly though, it just seems like Ike needs a change of scenery or a change of voice or just change period. His first year in the big leagues, he actually hit LH better than he hit RH. In 2010, versus LH and Ike went .295/.362/.443 as opposed to RH where he went .254/.348/.439. Seems like he never made a counter adjustment to the adjustments pitchers made against him.

I think you nailed it. Ike has never adjusted. I also wonder if he's gotten obsessed with hitting HRs.

 

I'd be happy if we got Davis for something cheap (like Fiers). I don't want to lose Thornburg, however. Perhaps the new scenery, including a friendly park, would rejuvenate him.

[gregmag]

I'm with pretty much everybody else. Gambling Mike Fiers + spare parts on a 26 year-old, buy-low former good prospect with decent secondary offensive skills seems like exactly the kind of thing the Brewers should be doing.

[bill hAll Star]

Would be totally fine with it if the trade was for Fiers.

 

I'm not so sure Halton is going to be very good in that platoon. He's a reasonable idea and somebody to try for cheap, but he screams AAAA and a guy that still might put up a .690 or .700 OPS at 1B against solely lefties. Of course, Davis may even be worse than that but I'd think there has to be some better way to do it.

[RockCoCougars]

I don't see the Mets trading Davis for Fiers alone. If that's the case, I think the deal would have already been made because Fiers fell behind a lot of guys in the pecking order last season. At this point though, I hope they can do a deal for Davis. If they end up giving Loney a multi-year deal after letting Hart walk for a few million, my head will explode.

[MNBrew]

If it's Fiers, then I'd say throw in an Olmsted or JF21 for good measure just to get them to say yes. . . . and it's not that I care much for Davis, but I do see how he could potentially have a much higher ceiling than Fiers.