After an offseason filled with question marks, the Mets finally decided last week there was no future for Ike Davis at Citi Field.
Some Mets fans rejoiced after the team shipped Davis to Pittsburgh for reliever Zack Thornton and a stale bag of chips (brand to be named later), while others asked, “Why would the Mets trade Ike?” or “He’s not good enough for the Mets, but he’s the cleanup hitter for a playoff team?”
Despite a stellar first weekend with the Bucs, where he went 5-for-13 (.385) with a home run (a grand slam), four RBIs and a 1.12 OPS, fantasy owners are not yet believing there’s a future with Davis, either. In fact, since being traded Davis has been treated just as he was on draft day: as if he barely exists.
After a promising first three days in yellow and black, Davis went 0-for-8 with one walk over the next three days, resembling the same player the Mets gave up on. Guess you can take the player out of the Mets, but you can’t take the Mets out of the player.
Every year, we discuss certain players’ potential. Davis has the potential to hit 32 homers — we saw him do it in 2012. Davis has the potential to be a viable fantasy option at first base — we saw him do it in his first season (2010) when he hit .264 with 19 homers, 71 RBIs and a .791 OPS. Unfortunately, Davis is standing in the same line as players who show flashes of brilliance (i.e. Jayson Heyward, Brett Lawrie), but are really just players who are potentially going nowhere.
There’s a reason Davis is owned in only 2.6 percent of fantasy leagues, even after receiving this fresh start. He’s not as good as the hype projects him to be and, at the moment, he’s certainly not worth the losses you’ll take on your fantasy roster waiting for him to come to life. Roto Files has always pushed you to keep an eye on Davis — even suggested he would be worth a late-round flier this year. Sometimes, it’s just hard to face the truth.
With Davis out of the picture, here’s a look at a few other first base options to consider:
Lucas Duda, Mets
Now that he has the job, he has to produce. His numbers aren’t screaming fantasy gold, but his four homers, 10 RBIs, .254 batting average and .798 OPS make him someone to watch. He’s owned in 8.9 percent of ESPN leagues.
James Loney, Rays
Hitting .301 with a homer and 14 RBIs, yet is only owned in 18.5 percent of ESPN leagues. Will definitely add solid depth to your roster.
Casey McGehee, Marlins:
McGehee is making the most of his chance with the Marlins after playing last season with Masahiro Tanaka and the Rakuten Golden Eagles. He’s not hitting for power (he hit 28 homers in Japan last year), but his .280 batting average and 16 RBIs are nothing to ignore. He’s still available in almost 75 percent of ESPN leagues and is eligible at two positions (also third base). Solid depth for your roster.
Justin Morneau, Rockies
It’s not 2006, but it’s sure feeling like it. Morneau’s hot start (.346, five homers, 17 RBIs) helped him become the second most added player in ESPN leagues (red-hot Twins first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello was the third most added player and is now owned in 96.6 percent of leagues). Morneau is largely unavailable now (owned in 97.3 percent of leagues), but just reminding you that Roto Files did say he would thrive in his new locale and said he was worth a late pick.
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The Duda Abides