After spending his entire seven year career with the Mets, Daniel Murphy has officially joined their biggest rival. Yesterday, he was formally introduced as a member of the Washington Nationals, and was excited about joining his new team.
“They have laid the foundation of a very competitive team here,” Murphy said. “I have gotten to experience that competitiveness over the last six or seven years being in New York. It is always a tough place to come in here and play. This is the place we wanted to be. I am excited about what the 2016 team has to offer. To be on this side of it is really exciting.” (David Driver, Newsday)
Murphy said he knew his days with the Mets were over when he heard they were targeting second baseman Ben Zobrist in free agency. They eventually settled for Neil Walker, but it was clear to Murphy that there was no longer an opening for for him on the team. (Adam Rubin, ESPN NY)
However, Murphy doesn’t appear to be bitter about how the situation unfolded. He stated that he enjoyed his time in New York, and said he will miss his teammates most of all.
“It would be the relationships you built,” said Murphy, noting that he came up through the minors with Lucas Duda. “I got a lot of congratulatory texts with guys I used to play with [including Jacob deGrom]. The manager, Terry Collins, reached out to me. I enjoyed my time in New York; some great relationships were made.”
It’s going to be hard to root against him now, especially since he was always a fan favorite. Murphy’s greatest moment with the Mets happened in October where he homered in six consecutive postseason games, which set a new record. While he made several costly mistakes in the World Series, they never would have even gotten to that point without his heroics.
Murphy finished his Mets’ career with a .288/.331/.423 batting line with a 110+ OPS. He has the second most doubles in franchise history, is a one time All-Star and won the NLCS MVP award.
“He never takes an at-bat off,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “He is a player who plays the game the right way. We love his attitude, his grit. I have seen plenty of Daniel Murphy in my career, believe me. When the bright lights of not only New York City but of the major-league playoffs come, he shines the brightest.”
