12
2013
Multiple Mets Playing For A Chance To Be Part Of The Future
An article by 
Unlike many teams throughout Major League Baseball which are preparing to open spring training this week, the Mets don’t have many unanswered questions to be worked out in the next six weeks.
The Mets, a team in transition, are just about set from top to bottom, short of a spot on the bench and maybe another spot in the bullpen. Being set for this season doesn’t necessarily mean set for the future, though. In fact, although this spring won’t, the upcoming season will answer a variety of questions about the path the organization will take next season and beyond.
Will the Mets need to acquire two outfielders or three? Is the right side of the infield set for years to come? How about the back end of the rotation? These are all questions that need to be answered. As a result, each of these players finds himself on the block this year…
A natural first baseman who is blocked at the position by Ike Davis, the Mets still hope to find a position Duda can play efficiently enough to justify keeping his bat in the lineup. That bat however, also needs to improve this upcoming season if Lucas intends to keep himself in the fold beyond the 2013 season. 2012 saw his power numbers increase, but at the expense of his strikeout count, which averaged one per game. The hope is that Duda can hit .260+ while realizing his 25-30 home run potential, but if he can’t find that happy medium, his struggles in the outfield will ultimately usher him out of the Mets’ plans.
The twenty-seven year old Murphy has absolutely clawed his way to a starting spot in Queens. His reward comes in the form of a significant raise he received just two weeks ago and the knowledge he’ll have to continue to claw if he hopes to maintain his spot. In 2013, the Mets will not only ask Murphy to continue his progression at second base, they’ll ask him to better his power numbers that have only featured six home runs each of the past two years. A fair request for a career contact hitter with gap power? Probably not…but to date nothing has come easy for Murphy, so why should things start now?
I know what your thinking…There is no way the Mets could possibly jettison their twenty-five year old power-hitting first baseman who remains under team control through the 2016 season. However, allow me to remind you that the only thing that salvaged Davis’ 2012 campaign was his 32 home runs, which partially overshadowed his embarrassing first half which ultimately resulted to only a .227 batting average. If nothing else, Davis represents a ton of potential. That’s a commodity which may be valuable to a slue of other teams, should the Mets’ front office decide a trade is in order. With Lucas Duda and possibly even Reese Havens as other long term options at first, Davis will still need to prove his value moving forward. While the much more likely scenario sees Davis signed to a long term, team friendly, contract at some point this season, Ike’s future remains far from certain.
The 2013 season will bring with it the eventual arrival of Zack Wheeler, who will join the previously established Matt Harvey as the pitching saviors who the Mets’ front office hope can secure the rotation for many years to come. While they may secure the front end of the rotation, the back end remains left to Dillon Gee, who seeks to return from season ending surgery as the result of a vascular ailment late last year. Prior to falling victim to a blood clot, Gee’s 6-7 record was a poor representation of his performance which included 8.0 K/9IP and the lowest ERA of his short career. With a plethora of young pitchers many have described as virtual clones of Dillon at the Triple-A level, Gee will have to stay on his game should he want to maintain his spot on what may be one of the strongest young rotations in baseball in short order.
Every season has the potential to shed light on the future. The 2013 season will be no different for the New York Mets. In a perfect world, each of these guys earn their way onto the 2014 roster, thus allowing Sandy Alderson and the rest of the Mets’ front office to apply their considerable assets elsewhere. However if they can’t, the Mets may find themselves with more holes than they can possible fill next winter, resulting in an even longer delay in the organization’s revitalization.
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About the Author: Rob Patterson
Ultimately, I owe nearly thirty years of Mets related torture to my mother, who is the reason I became a fan. I was too young to remember the 86 run, but hope to see one I'll be able to recall much sooner than later. I enjoy writing about the team and welcome your feedback on my posts. Oh..and I am not with 28!
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 28 | .600 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 35 | .493 | 7.5 |
| Phillies | 34 | 37 | .479 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 40 | .385 | 14.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 47 | .319 | 19.5 |
Last updated: 06/18/2013
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How does Reese Havens get consideration as a long term first baseman??????????????????????
I don’t see Duda either getting any consideration either for 1st base. He has not done anything close to what Ike has given us. Havens can’t get a full season in minors and Gee maybe goes for an outfielder.
I think he forgot and chose to ignore that Havens is older, much more injury-proned, and has produced much much much much much less than Ike. But hey…I’m sure none of that matters. smh.
If you had said Rob that Murphy would move to 1st and Havens into the lineup at 2nd, it would be more plausible, no?
it makes more sense than Murphy at 2nd and havens at first, but still never happens because they should have much better 1B options than Murphy to start with.
1B is one of the few spots wehre the Mets have some Ml ready (or close to it) MiL players. So if Ike did go (assuming the mets got an offer too good to refuse, that filled a few other holes such as a real OF) they could cover the position. Lutz, Flores, Duda could all be options.
And no, i don’t want Ike to go, but in the spirit of having to trade something good to get something good back, he might be the best option.
Duda, since there is only about a 1% chance 1B opens up for him, would probably be best off traded to the Al for 1B/DH duties.
Murphy will be out the door if Flores keeps hitting, and proves that he can play at least adequate D at 2B (bar there, of course, is set low), since that takes care of finding him a spot, and adding RH hitting/power to the lineup. havens if he rebounds this year to his pre-injury form is also a very realistic replacement option.
Gee likely goes nowhere. If they run out of rotation spots this year, one 9or both) of marcum or Santana likely get traded. And going into the future, a guy like Gee anchoring the back of the rotation will be great to have.
Hi Bob,
“In a perfect world, each of these guys earn their way onto the 2014 roster, thus allowing Sandy Alderson and the rest of the Mets’ front office to apply their considerable assets elsewhere.”
Guess things didn’t occur as you thought they would more than two months ago.
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/12/rebuild-of-the-new-york-mets-will-begin-this-week.html
Maybe that is also why you are a bit more cautious than you were then by concluding:
“However if they can’t, the Mets may find themselves with more holes than they can possible fill next winter, resulting in an even longer delay in the organization’s revitalization.”
Glad to see some healthy pessimism mixed in with that healthy enthusiasm.
Murphy will hit .310 with 20 HR and play acceptable second base.
Then, he’ll be asked to do all that while stealing 30 bases in 2014.
I really hope that is sarcasm.
Stealing 30? Doubt it. Other than that, can’t say that isn’t out of the realm of possibility. It all comes down to those knees and if he’s capable of generating enough leg drive again to reach double digits in HRs.
Duda is here to stay. He is cheap and has minimal trade value right now. If he hits, then they will keep hiding him in LF. If he doesn’t hit, his low value remains. Murphy is gone in a year or becomes a utility guy. If Wilmer plays even a slightly below average 2B, he’s the 2B in 2014. Murphy can be a super-utility guy here or trade bait for a decent-good bullpen arm or a far far far far away projectable player. Gee will be around, he’s solid and cheap. There are spots in the rotation once Santana and Marcum move on, and the young kids will have to pitch their way in and force him to the bullpen.
Ike…c’mon now. He’s going nowhere unless some idiot team offers a package we can’t refuse.