With two doubles last night against the Braves, Daniel Murphy has now passed Ed Kranepool for second place on the Mets’ all-time doubles list with 226. Murphy has hit 36 doubles this season, and he only trails David Wright for the most in franchise history.
It’s been another solid year at the plate for Murphy, who is batting .279 with 12 home runs and 68 RBI in 120 games. He is also red hot once again with a .351 average, two home runs and eight RBI in his last nine games.
While it’s been a successful year for Murphy, it could wind up being his final season in New York. He is set to become a free agent after this season, and the Mets have plenty of options at second base with the emergence of Wilmer Flores and the potential of Dilson Herrera.
However, Murphy’s consistent production won’t be easy to replace. He’s a career .288 hitter with a .752 OPS, and he has posted above average numbers in every full season he’s played.
Perhaps the Mets could try bring him back as a super utility player? It’s an idea that has been floated around a lot in the past, and it could be a perfect fit for him given his challenges on defense.
Moving on from Murphy may turn out to be the best move after all, but I’d really hate to see him go. Despite of all his weaknesses, he has been a key player on the Mets for years and his presence on the team will certainly be missed,
