A quick update from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who today wrote:
“Don’t be surprised if the Mets also trade second baseman Daniel Murphy, one of their best hitters. Murphy is drawing interest from clubs that envision him at second, third or as a super-utility type, and while his departure would hurt the Mets short-term, he is unlikely to still be with the club by the time it contends again.”
Yesterday, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York spoke with a team insider at the GM Meetings who told him that the Mets have had preliminary talks with other teams about Murphy.
I love Murphy and think trading him could be a big mistake. But as I’ve said repeatedly, I believe the Mets see 5.8 million reasons why they should move him…
Original Post 11/11 – Daniel Murphy Trade Buzz Is Growing
Where’s there’s smoke there’s fire and since the season ended the buzz surrounding the possibility of trading DanielMurphy continues to grow.
I’ve contended since September that his expected $5.8 million arbitration reward would make him less attractive to the front office and a prime target for being moved.
Anthony DiComo fielded a question about Murphy in his mailbag earlier.
I get the sense Daniel Murphy is underappreciated by the Mets. As a hitter, he reminds me of Wade Boggs. Defensively, he plays a solid second base. Is he part of the future for this club?
I think a lot of that underappreciation stems from the fact that until this year, Murphy never hit for much power, reached base with aplomb or played strong defense — three of this generation’s most important requirements for position players. That tied Murphy’s value almost exclusively to his batting average, a stat that more and more front-office types distrust.
Yet evaluators have slowly gained an appreciation for Murphy. His ability to make contact is elite, while his durability — 317 games and 1,309 plate appearances over the past two seasons — is also undeniably valuable. Given the strides Murphy has made at his adopted defensive position, there is reason to believe he can continue improving that area of his game as well.
The problem with Murphy is that he will be arbitration-eligible for the second time this season, escalating his salary to around $5 million. I found it telling that COO Jeff Wilpon did not include Murphy among his list of four Mets players guaranteed spots on next year’s roster, and it would not surprise me to see the team aggressively shop Murphy this winter. His value may never be higher than it is right now.
I think we all know where this train is going…
