Mets send prospect Ike Davis to minors camp

Unlike Madison Bumgarner with the Giants there was probably never a significant chance of first baseman Ike Davis breaking camp with the Mets, but today’s demotion to the minors is still news after he hit .480 with three homers this spring. Davis was the Mets’ first-round pick in 2008 and hit .298/.381/.524 with 20 homers in 114 minor-league games last season, so he’s definitely a big part of the long-term plan. However, he has just 55 total games above Single-A, including zero at Triple-A, so in the big picture delaying the 23-year-old’s arrival for a couple more months is probably smart for the Mets. Daniel Murphy will get another chance to prove that he’s a starting-caliber first baseman while Davis knocks around Triple-A pitching and the Mets suppress his service time enough to gain an extra year of team control. And if things go as I expect--which is to say Murphy is mediocre at best and Davis continues to do well in the minors--the Mets can make the switch in June or July. If nothing else, for once it’s good to see the Mets being something less than ultra-aggressive with a prospect.