First-base situation unclear with Davis, Duda for 2014
GM Alderson admits market will impact Mets' decisions in advance of Spring Training
NEW YORK -- Terry Collins wants Ike Davis to forget everything that happened this season: push his hitting struggles out of his mind, keep his confidence high despite a demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas and enter Spring Training with a clear mindset focused on being the player the Mets hope he can be.
"Make no mistake, Ike Davis, I talk to him all the time, nobody was more disappointed in what went on than Ike Davis," Collins said. "What we're just hoping for is that bad year, everybody's allowed to have one, is behind him. It's over with."
When Davis suffered a season-ending oblique injury in early September, though, a spot opened at first base for Lucas Duda. Adding some power to the Mets' lineup, Duda finished the season hitting .223 with 15 home runs, 33 RBIs and a .352 on-base percentage. He impressed Collins defensively after struggling in left field at the start of the season.
So now the Mets have two first basemen on their roster going into next season. But Collins, who officially signed a two-year contract extension Monday with the Mets, said he isn't sure if both Davis and Duda could be on the roster at the same time.
General manager Sandy Alderson said who plays first base next season could depend on what the market looks like this offseason, but acknowledged both Davis and Duda could be in Port St. Lucie, Fla., when the Mets open Spring Training.
"I don't think we'll make a decision in a vacuum. We'll look at what the market tells us. We'll look at what our other options are," Alderson said. "There are certain scenarios where both of those players, Davis and Duda, will be back with the organization."
Davis finished the season with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and a .205 average. Once he returned from his stint with Las Vegas on July 5, he hit .267 and showed improvement in laying off pitches out of the zone.
Whether Davis and Duda are on the roster together next season remains to be seen.
"I think we've got to make sure that we go to Spring Training, and Ike and Lucas are both there and they're both tearing it up," Collins said. "We've got to make some decisions."