20
2011
2011 Player Review: Daniel Murphy, IF
An article by 
We began our review of the 2011 Mets by examining their free agents and players the team will consider tending contracts to. We started evaluating the rest of the roster, beginning with infielder Ruben Tejada and continue today with utility player Daniel Murphy. Saturday: Lucas Duda. Sunday: Justin Turner.
DANIEL MURPHY, IF
THE SKINNY: Murphy is a gritty, aggressive player with a high on-base percentage, but without a position and a propensity for being injured. Murphy, a natural third baseman, can’t play there because of David Wright. He didn’t take to left field, but seeming found a home at first base, but when he was injured it opened the position for Ike Davis. The Mets tried him at second base, but he sustained a knee injury at the position. Through it all, Murphy managed to hit, with a lifetime .292 average.
PRE-SEASON EXPECTATIONS: Coming off an injury, the expectations were limited, but the hope was if healthy he’d play second base and come off the bench as a pinch-hitter.
HOW THE SEASON PLAYED OUT: Murphy was having an outstanding year offensively with a .320 average, six homers and 49 RBI in 109 games before he sustained a torn MCL in August while covering second base on a steal attempt and missed the remainder of the season.
JOHN’S TAKE: GM Sandy Alderson said at the GM meetings in Milwaukee that Murphy was available in a trade, but who would deal for him without knowing of healthy he is. Murphy has a propensity for getting injured and has limited defensive abilities. If every Met played as hard as him the team would be a lot better off. I can’t see the Mets dealing him now because of his baggage, but if he stays healthy and continues to hit, he might be attractive in July. Then again, if he’s healthy and hits, he would be valuable to the Mets. Probably as a second baseman if he finally takes to the position and Jose Reyes leaves.
JOE’S TAKE: I’m a big Daniel Murphy fan. He has a great approach at the plate and is one of the Mets’ most disciplined hitters. Just 26, Murphy has become a doubles hitting machine – collecting 75 of them over 1,030 career at-bats. It’s such a shame that a hitter this good doesn’t have a true defensive position he could call home. He’s a natural third baseman, but with Wright entrenched there, the Mets have tried to squeeze Murphy into a variety of other positions just to get his bat in the lineup. Rumors abound that he could end up being the Mets everyday second baseman in 2012, but I have a huge problem with that. It may very well be that Murphy’s greatest value to the team will ultimately be as component in a trade to a team where he could play third base or DH. Until that happens, enjoy Murphy’s at-bats and hold your breath when he takes the field..
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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I am a big Murphy fan too. I just wish he could play either of the two corner outfield spots. As much as I like him, I wouldn’t mind seeing him packaged in a deal that would bring in some more young pitching prospects
Instruct him better, stick him at 2B and keep him there—like Jeff Kent. And he hits better than Kent at the same age: Murphy’s OPS+ last year (at age 26) was 125; Kent’s (at that age for the Mets) was 111.
Murphy is my favorite Met. Great swing, terrific discipline, and plays like he knows it could all end tomorrow.
Tons of gap finding hard line drives that become doubles. And, if he stays healthy and gets regular PAs, I’d say about 15 of those will end up over walls during a year.
I hope they can find a place for him here.
Ask any Orthopedist and he will tell you:
If you have ligament damage in one knee the second knee is quick to follow!
Think about how many people you know who have had knee surgery and then think how many of them had to have the second knee done soon after?
Considering Murphy’s issues have mostly been knee related I think it’s safe to say that problem is over.
He probably has reduced speed and mobility as a result which would be problematical if he had speed and range before he got hurt.
Playing him at 2nd was always a trade off of Glove for Bat. and Until we sort out what will happen with Wright who is next on the Salary Pruge hit list no matter what happens with Reyes, We probably are better off holding onto him as Wrights replacement.
You will get more and save more by trading Wright than you will by trading Murphy.
If Reyes is allowed to go it probably makes sense to ship off Wright as well. What’s the point in keeping him then?
And if we do retain Reyes then we likely won’t have the money to pay both and if thats the case we need a 3B and we got a 3B who can hit pretty good once his knees stop taking him out of games!
My problem with Murph at 2nd is that he’s had 2 major injuries occur while turning DP’s. That’s either a problem with the way he turns the DP, plain bad luck, knees that are really fragile.
If the truth is anything other that just plain bad luck, there’s a problem with playing Murphy at 2B.
To Metsie, the resident orthpedic expert –
“He probably has reduced speed and mobility ….”
That is wildly speculative on your part. Let’s see what Murphy brings, dropping the speculation and going around the Mets roster of the prominent 2011 Mets. Murphy is faster than;
Thole and Paulino
Ike Davis
Ruben Tejada
David Wright (yes, Murphy beat Wright in several windsprints a couple of years ago)
Lucas Duda
This is only a partial list. Many of the hopefuls for 2012, don’t bring greater speed, including;
Satin, Valdespin, Havens, F-Mart, and Turner.
Without Jose Reyes, Angel Pagan, Jason Bay and David Wright, the Mets speed as a group (excluding the bit player vets) is very mediocre.
Valdespin is pretty fast Des.He’s not Reyes or Pagan fast but he would be the 3rd fastest Met behind those 2 if he were to make the team. Did Murphy really beat Wright? I have a hard time believing that.
Good catch, Joe. I went back to some articles and posts about Jordany and you’re right. He’s described as having good speed but isn’t a burner.
Jorday is also described as having a fiery personality who has clashed with his managers on several occasions.
Our team in 2012 will be even more interesting if Terry and Jordany get together. lol
Yes he beat Wright in 2009. Only Reyes and Pagan were faster.
Thanks Jerry, I read it too. It was in spring training. It was in the Daily News or the Post.
Dude he won that race a couple of years and knees ago!
I pointed out he might have lost some range and speed but if you read it correctly I wasn’t saying that it was much of a thing to worry about because his speed and range were not the things that made Daniel Murphy promising.
People used to complain about castillo’s range and lets face it Murphy’s range at 2B isn’t all that much better (even before the knees) but he hits so people don’t complain!
Basically now that he has torn the ligaments in both knees they are not likely to be a chronic problem for him in the future. ACL and MCL repairs involve using bone to support the stress on the knees to compesate for the loss of ligaments.
That means while Murphy has had Knee issuse the past two years he is likely done on that front.
So lets stop worrying about his knees at 2B anymore…
As for Havens lets see what happens
Regardless of that the best place to play Murphy long term is 3B and if we intend to get rid of the last big contract we can shed it makes more sense to keep Murph to replace Wright!
No one was more surprised than me when it was announced that Murphy would be at 2B .
That being said, you’re off base when youi say:
“People used to complain about castillo’s range and lets face it Murphy’s range at 2B isn’t all that much better (even before the knees) but he hits so people don’t complain!”
I was a fan of Luis, especially after he dropped hte popup against the Yankees and owned up to it. Luis bacame a whipping boy and it was undeserved. Yet to imply that Murphy’s and Luis’ range at the end of his career were about the same is simply untrue. Murphy has been as quick as anybody except Reyes.
I just don’t see him as an everyday 2B.
But on the mets, he could get a lot of ABs as some sort of super-utility type. some 2B, some 3B, little OF, spot starts and PH. Valuable to have a guy that can do that, and he has done pretty well overall as a PH IIRC.
You do RC. .300/.358/.500 with 3 jacks in 67 PH PAs
The future has not yet played out. One possibility is for Murph to play 2B until the arrival of Havens (by mid year 2012 at the latest). Havens has to demonstrate he’s past his rib problems. If he does, we’re set for another half-dozen years. (Valdespin has to grow up and catch the ball. He might, but it probably won’t be in 2012.)
Danny Doubles (as I call him) is an asset to a club like this. I believe he was 5th in the NL batting race when got hurt. The man hits and hustles. Like most Major Leaguers, if you stick him at ONE position and let him play everyday, he will improve. Murphy can be an adequate fielding 2nd baseman with a great bat. I’ll take that.
And if the Mets are not going to contend in 2012, I need a reason to watch. I’d rather pull for 9 guys like Daniel Murphy than overpaid former stars and scrap heap castoffs.
I’m a huge Murphy fan. Great discipline at the hit – I think if he plays full time at some point in his career he’ll win a batting title. Put him at first, put Ike in right and trade Jason Bay for a bag of balls and put Lucas Duda in RT. Let’s start the youth movement now.