Adam Rubin of ESPN New York is reports that Sandy Alderson addressed the topic of trading Daniel Murphy tonight at Citi Field.
When asked whether it made sense to deal the popular second baseman given the large financial commitments to David Wright and Curtis Granderson, the Mets GM responded:
“I think we have the flexibility. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t consider other options. Obviously, the more large contracts you have, the less and less flexibility you have. But I think we still have the flexibility to address Daniel’s situation.”
Murphy enters his final year of arbitration in 2015 and it’s expected he can earn about $9 million dollars. He is eligible for free agency after next season, but has always expressed a desire to remain with the only team he has ever played for.
That said, there has been no discussion about an extension between the two sides.
July 3rd
Tim Rohan of the New York Times spoke to assistant GM John Ricco, who says the Mets have not had any recent trade talks about second baseman Daniel Murphy who many believe is their most valuable trading chip.
“We haven’t specifically talked about Dan recently,” Ricco said. “He is one of the more valuable guys we have. He leads the league in hits. He’s settled in as one of the best second basemen in the game, certainly offensively, and is a leader on our team.”
Asked if the Mets were worried about the perception if they traded Murphy, Ricco said, “It depends what the return is” — meaning that instead of trading for prospects, the Mets could trade Murphy for more immediate help, writes Rohan.
Murphy is hitting an even .300 with a .351 on-base percentage and is on pace to finish with 13 home runs, 36 doubles, 65 runs batted in and 99 runs scored.
He becomes a free agent after the 2015 season.
June 26
If you’re interested in knowing what a contract extension for Daniel Murphy would look like, MLB Trade Rumors did a nice job of rationalizing a four year deal worth between $44-48 million dollars.
Murphy, who currently earns a $5.7 million salary, is under control through next season and is due one more raise in arbitration before becoming a free agent.
A four year extension would likely breakdown to around $9 million for 2015 and then $11-13 million annually for his 2016-2018 seasons which would have been his free agency tears.
The deal would cover Murphy’s age-30 to age-33 seasons.
June 25
A Mets insider told Andy Martino of the Daily News that an extension deal with second baseman Daniel Murphy is “possible” but that it is more likely to happen “this winter.” The deal would likely buy out Murphy’s final arbitration season and a few free agent years.
Murphy enters his final year of arbitration in 2015 and it’s expected he can earn about $9 million dollars. He is eligible for free agency after next season, but has always expressed a desire to remain with the only team he has ever played for.
“I like New York,” Murphy said. “The Mets have been good to me. I missed an entire season (with a knee injury in 2010), and they found a way to give me at-bats in 2011. And then I missed another two months, and since then, they have given me — I’m flirting with like 1,500 plate appearances. So they’ve been good to me here. I’ve enjoyed my time here. I’ve enjoyed the guys I’ve played with. My wife enjoys it here.”
Martino also maintains that several teams have expressed interested in Murphy, including the Blue Jays and Giants.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Will the Mets do all they can to keep the one player who actually performs very well at Citi Field and has established himself as a top tier offensive second baseman? Or do they shave his salary, trade him for more prospects, and hope for a viable internal replacement?
With the team still in striking distance of a wild card spot, it would be a tall task for Sandy Alderson to sugarcoat trading a fan favorite and a productive player like Murphy under the guise of improving the team. It’s probably why Alderson dodged the question of keeping Murphy by telling a season ticket holder to go have a beer and stay off the internet.
