The Mets and Brewers discussed a trade that would've sent first baseman Ike Davis to Milwaukee, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. No deal is likely at this time, however, as talks failed to generate much traction.
First base is a definite need for the Brewers, as free agent Corey Hart is drawing interest from several teams, including the Mets themselves. New York is known to be shopping both Davis and Lucas Duda but reportedly would prefer to deal Davis and give Duda a clear shot as an everyday first baseman.
Davis was the Mets' first round draft pick in 2008 but he has struggled to find consistency in the majors. A big second half of the 2012 season gave him 32 homers and a .771 OPS for the campaign but, rather than turn the corner, Davis took another step back in 2013 and hit just .205/.326/.334 with nine homers. Davis' struggles against left-handed pitching would mean that any team acquiring him would need a right-handed platoon partner as well. Despite this, a Major League executive tells Martino that "four or five teams" could be fits for Davis next season.
The Brewers prefer to explore the free agent market rather than talk trades at this stage of the offseason, a source tells Martino. The source also notes that the Brewers aren't likely to trade outfielder Norichika Aoki, which isn't surprising given that Aoki is playing on a bargain $2MM contract for 2014.
