The last 24-48 hours has been fraught with leaks reportedly from various Mets executives and insiders that there was no chance second baseman Daniel Murphy will be a Met next season.
Today, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, is saying quite the opposite of what he reported only yesterday, the New York Mets are planning to extend a qualifying offer to Murphy.
“In a change of heart, the Mets are now planning to extend the $15.8-million qualifying offer to Daniel Murphy following his brilliant postseason.”
“Going into the playoffs, there wasn’t a Mets person around who thought that was a possibility, or really anyone in baseball. Murphy just was not seen as that type of star player.”
Murphy, as you all know, is having a historic postseason, batting .364 and homering in five consecutive games while clubbing six total.
Heyman says that Murphy’s heroics has made the change in heart obvious.
But while Murphy loves being a Met and has many friends on the team, it’s not expected that he’ll leave a potential four-year, $40 million deal on the table to accept the $15.8 million from the Mets.
But you never know… If he does great, if he doesn’t the Mets get a draft pick. Like I said before, it’s a win-win situation for the Mets which made yesterday’s leaks oddly curious.
October 19
Despite all the heroics of a historic postseason by second baseman Daniel Murphy, “it appears nothing he does will help keep him in Queens next season,” writes Kristie Ackert of the Daily News.
Two team sources told her that Murphy is not in the Mets future plans. “He’s been great, really great,” one source said, “but it changes nothing.”
And here is what a rival GM told her:
“If they are keeping their payroll in the same neighborhood, they can’t afford to keep him. He’s making $8 million now, will probably get a bump on that and he’s going to want some years.
“They already have all that money invested in Juan Lagares (4 years, $22.5 million) and Michael Cuddyer (1 year, $10 million) who are both backups now,” the GM continued. “You can’t keep your payroll under control like that.”
Ackert says the team feels strongly that Dilson Herrera will eventually develop into their second baseman of the future or that Wilmer Flores could be play there in the meantime.
Murphy led all National League second basemen in doubles, extra-base hits, and RBIs this season and was the game’s toughest batter to strikeout.
