With Pablo Sandoval landing in Boston and Chase Headley‘s market heating up, I wonder if the teams who miss out on both players would eventually have interest in our own Daniel Murphy. Offensively speaking, the differences in production between Sandoval, Headley and Murphy is negligible. Headley is the best defender of the three and also had a monster 2012 for his case while Sandoval has been the most consistent.
If Scott Boras was Murphy’s agent, he would point out to teams that not only do his offensive numbers match Sandoval’s, but Murphy is also quite capable of playing both 2B and 3B and that the only reason his defense is rated lower is because he is not a full time third baseman – his primary position. Whether this argument would hold any weight is beyond me, but it does make you wonder if Murphy could be as good as Sandoval at 3B.
Here are three scenarios I was thinking about, assuming we acquire a SS and move Wilmer Flores to 2B.
San Francisco Giants
Jeremy Affeldt or Javier Lopez and Adalberto Mejia (B+ prospect) for Murphy and Gonzalez Germen or Cory Mazzoni or Logan Verrett or Tyler Pill
Toronto Blue Jays
Brett Cecil or Aaron Loup and Daniel Norris (B+ prospect) for Murphy and one of Germen, Mazzoni, Verrett, Pill
Oakland A’s
Sean Doolittle or Fernando Abad or Eric O’Flaherty and Dillon Overton (B- prospect) for Murphy and and one of Germen, Mazzoni, Verrett, Pill
All three trades follow the same formula, acquire a lefty reliever and a lefty pitching prospect for Murphy and one of our AAA arms. The reliever helps us immediately this year and sends one of our many fringe AAA arms away. Adding another LHP to the upper minors also shores up depth behind Steven Matz, in case Jon Niese is dealt.
What other teams would you like to see the Mets trade Murphy to?
*This article was written before Josh Donaldson was traded to Toronto. It appears TOR has no intention of parting with Daniel Norris.
