Heyman: Yankees Reach MLB Deal with First Baseman Ike Davis

The Yankees have swooped in on Ike Davis less than 24 hours after being granted his release from the Texas Rangers.

Ken Davidoff of the New York Post was the first to report that the Yankees were in contact with Davis’ representatives. Just 14 minutes later, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News announced that the team was “on [the] verge” of adding Davis for some desperately needed first base depth.

Jon Heyman broke the official news of the major-league agreement between Davis and the Yankees shortly before 3 PM Eastern Time.

At the major league level, Joe Girardi has recently lost Mark Teixeira and Chris Parmelee to the disabled list for multiple weeks. Reserve utility man Dustin Ackley, who received the bulk of his playing time at first and right field, is out for the season following surgery for a torn labrum.

The Yankees also lost heir-apparent prospect Greg Bird for the season with a similar medical dilemma that occurred over the offseason.

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All of which had forced Girardi’s hand into using Rob Refsnyder as his everyday first baseman. The organization also has had Nick Swisher — who has homered three times in two days — stashed in Triple-A.

Now, however, it appears that the left-handed-hitting Davis will be a platoon-mate with Refsnyder.

Still just 29 years old, Davis posted a .268/.350/.437 slash line with four home runs in 39 games in the minors. He has an unsightly .197/.259/.319 with 12 dingers in 452 at-bats against lefties in his pro career. Compare that to his 404 hits (170 for extra bases) against right-handers, and combine it with Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch, and it isn’t a bad fit on paper.

A Refsnyder-Davis duo should be enough to hold down the position until Teixeira makes his way back from injury. Whether Teixeira can salvage his season when he returns is a story for another day.

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