Sunday, February 9, 2014

Latest on: Drew, Ike, the NL East

Drew: According to recent twitter posts, Stephen Drew is being "wooed" by his former Red Sox teammates to return to the Red Sox. The Mets, however, continue to be the favorites to land Drew not just because they can go to three years if need be, but because they offer Drew the best situation to start at short stop (and possibly bat leadoff). I assume the Drew rumors will continue, but the upcoming week can be pivotal in the Drew two-team sweepstakes.

Ike Davis: The Mets need to come up from Port St. Loucie with one thing more than anything else (besides health) and thats a first baseman. Ike Davis and Lucas Duda will "battle" for the starting job, with Ike getting upwards of "90 at bats," according to manager Terry Collins. Josh Satin is the capable back up, leaving only one of Ike and Duda to win a job on this team. As recent as today, more reports have surfaced that the Pirates may still trade for Ike Davis. It is still a long ways away from opening day, and anything can happen. During spring training people get hurt, struggle, or both, prompting teams to make panic moves. My guess is Ike will remain the Met and win the starting job.

NL East: When I look at the NL east as a whole, I see it as being very top heavy. Washington and Atlanta appear to be the favorites, with the Nationals heavily favored to bounce back. But the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins all appear to be picking up the rear. Recent predictions claim the Mets will finish third, or fourth. The NL East is in a weird situation. The top teams really aren't that good, but they are strong favorites. The Mets are mediocre at the present time, but have the strongest potential in years to come. The Phillies have refused to hit the panic button and start a rebuilding process, but falling back further in the standings for a third straight year appears likely. This division isn't impossible to win, but it isn't probable either. Assume an order of Washington and Atlanta, followed by the Mets, Marlins, and Phillies finishing 3-4-5, likely in 2014.

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