For the first six weeks or so of the 2013 season, everything was going right for Daniel Murphy. After countless position changes, multiple injuries and a great deal of hard work and dedication, he was finally coming into his own both offensively and in field at second; and then came June.
After fluttering around .300 with some significant pop, Murphy’s performance took a nose-dive. Since June 1st, Murphy has batted .222/.265/.302, amounting to a cringe-worthy .567 OPS. As a result, his season numbers have taken a hit, as his OPS clings to life at an even .700. His defense has gone South as well as he has committed three errors in his last four games.
The fact of the matter is that Daniel Murphy’s bat is probably one of the streakiest of its kind in Flushing, and given the ever-growing crowd of talent looming around second base, is Murphy really worth having around in favor of someone else, namely Wilmer Flores?
His numbers have been on a downward trend for the past three seasons, meanwhile the population of potential suitors at second continue to increase, the primary candidate being Flores, who has been knocking on the door all year long in a big way. the 21-year old has racked up ten homers, 66 RBIs while smoking a Manny Machad-ian 30 doubles, all the while tallying 109 hits and a .317 average.
The Mets have invested countless hours into Flores since he was just 16-years of age, and now that he has finally proven he is ready for the big club, is he really going to be blocked by a slumping Murph?
With the likes of Flores as well as Josh Satin, Justin Turner, Jordany Valdespin and Eric Young Jr. among others all looking to survive the roster crunch that is sure to ensue when Lucas Duda and Ruben Tejada return, and all capable of playing second base; again I ask, is it really worth it for Murphy to be on this roster?
At this point in the season, it is time to let the kids play, and I think there needs to be a discussion about whether Daniel Murphy belongs in the Mets future plans, or whether he can be paired with a top-pitching prospect or two in a package for an outfielder.
Murphy’s positional versatility, bat and attitude makes him an attractive piece, and the Mets need to act before his stock drops any further.
