Ike Davis To Baltimore Talks Stall..Again

After days of rumors and speculation, it appears that talks that could have sent Ike Davis to the Baltimore Orioles have stalled yet again.  The Baltimore Sun reported the following this morning:

The Orioles recently spoke with the New York Mets about possibly acquiring second baseman Daniel Murphy, first baseman Ike Davis and outfielder Lucas Duda, according to a source, but discussions didn’t progress very far because the Mets coveted a top pitching prospect, like Eduardo Rodriguez.

The writer, Eduardo A. Encina, makes it sound as if this may be the end of talks between the two teams for the time being. Therefore, its possible Alderson's demands for a significant pitching prospect may have proved too much for these negotiations. If Baltimore is in fact out of the Ike Davis sweepstakes, the Mets may be left with only the Milwaukee Brewers as a potential trade partner. If that's the case, the Brewers have all the leverage and Alderson may have to drop his demands or risk bringing Davis to spring training feeling unwanted and unconfident.

I maintain the notion that if and when Davis is dealt, it will be for a player who will not help the 2014 Mets, if at all.  Essentially, such a move would be little more than a salary dump.  If they come up empty the team can cut Davis this spring for just $600K, but that remains an unlikely last resort.