At the beginning of the 2014 season it was unclear who the primary first baseman would be for the New York Mets. Both Ike Davis and Lucas Duda platooned at the position for the first month and a half until Davis was ultimately traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soon after, the beast that is known to some as "The Big Lebowski" awoke.

Duda had a breakout season in 2014 hitting .253 with 30 home runs and 92 RBIs. Once a huge question mark on the Mets' roster, Duda has seemed to have solidified himself at the first base position for the foreseeable future. Now, a report from New York Post columnist, Joel Sherman, says both the Mets and Duda have had some "preliminary" talks on a long-term contract extension.

Sherman says that Duda's representative, Dan Horwits, said there have been talks this Spring about the extension but if nothing is finalized by Opening Day these talks will be put on hold until the offseason.

The biggest concern for Lucas, though, is his ability, or inability, to hit against lefties. Duda had 111 plate appearances - left-handed pitching in 2014, batting a mere .180 along with just two home runs.

This concern prompted the Mets to go out this offseason and pick up free agent OF/1B and right-handed hitter John Mayberry Jr. who could see a good amount of time in right field and at first base when the Mets are facing left-handed pitching.

New York had hoped to give Duda extensive action this Spring against lefties but Lucas has been battling an oblique since early in camp and has only seen limited time. His average is just .171 this Spring with three extra-base hits, though he did have a triple off Washington National's lefty Jerry Blevins and a home run off righty Tanner Roark on Saturday.

Mets' hitting coach Kevin Long said, "I don't see why he (Duda) shouldn't hit lefties."

Coming off a surprise season in 2014, Duda is looking to improve on what he accomplished last year. At 29 years old a long-term contract extension can sometimes be a financial risk as some players begin to decline as they grow into their early to mid-30s.

A concrete extension doesn't seem to be in the works before Opening Day. As Sherman reported, Duda told him that the talks were only going through the "preliminary stuff" and he did not want to go further into detail about it.

This long-term deal will come down to how Lucas Duda performs in 2015, and most importantly, how he performs against left-handed pitching.

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About the author
Karl  Capen
Head MLB Editor. Die hard sports fan and avid baseball guru. Follow me on Twitter @Capen316