BUCS LIKE IKE FOR FIRST BASE
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired first baseman Ike Davis from the New York Mets for pitcher Zach Thornton and a pitcher Blake Taylor.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
This deal should help the Pirates, since they had a big hole at first base. {P Travis Ishikawa} is a good defender and {P Gaby Sanchez} hits lefties well, but Davis will now provide legitimate left-handed power to the Bucs lineup. The hope is he'll provide the run production they were expecting when Pittsburgh acquired {P Justin Morneau} down the stretch last season. Davis strikes out a lot, but his prodigious power should be a big asset for the contending Pirates.
What does it give the New York Mets
The Mets had to move out a first baseman, and they clearly like {P Lucas Duda} more than Davis. Therefore, this trade makes a lot of sense for New York at this time. The club has issues in the bullpen, so the hope is the 26-year-old Thornton can provide a boost. Taylor is a former second-round draft pick (No. 51 overall in 2013) so obviously has talent, but he's been toiling in the lower minors and isn't close to helping the big club--yet.
Fantasy impact
Both Davis and Duda get a big spike in fantasy value now that they no longer have to share first base with the Mets. Right-handed batter {P Josh Satin} is now a better fantasy dark horse with David gone, as well. The biggest losers in this deal are obviously Ishikawa and Sanchez. As for Thornton, he's now on the radar due to the Mets' issues in relief; meanwhile Taylor is a long-term prospect to keep on the radar, as he has some talent but needs a lot more seasoning in the minors.
