The Future of Murphy (split from 9/16 IGT)

[Guest attgig]

Uh, was Murphy not covering the line?[/quote:2yj5ii92]

oh, he was covering the line. he just didn't grab it. you could say, he had 3 mistakes in the 9th that cost them the game.

anyone still think he's our fulltime 1bman in 2010?

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Omar says: "This year was a learning experience; next year he'll be older, wiser and can contribute in that position."

[bmfc1]

Uh, was Murphy not covering the line?[/quote:9tbdbjbv]
oh, he was covering the line. he just didn't grab it. you could say, he had 3 mistakes in the 9th that cost them the game.
anyone still think he's our fulltime 1bman in 2010?[/quote:9tbdbjbv]

Not me. There's talk that if they get a big bat for LF they can "live" with Murphy at 1B. No way. He doesn't know how to play the position (partially not his fault: he played 3B in the minors, 2B in the AFL and LF when the season started) and, like other Mets, he has bad baseball instincts (e.g. Sunday night's baserunning mistake). I'd love to see Adam LaRoche at 1B next year but I doubt that they can afford him and a bat in LF and a #2 SP.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

There's talk that the Brewers may be prepared to move Fielder.

On edit -- I admit I didn't read the article very closely. It's more a speculative piece about his future.

I'll be very surprised if the Mets do end-up getting a 1st baseman via trade. They could have had Dunn for nothing last season, so Omar's gonna pretty bad if he has to give up anythingto get him.

As for FAs it's between La Roche and Johnson.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'll be very surprised if the Mets do end-up getting a 1st baseman via trade.[/quote:3szk5wsi]

Article in the Daily News this morning speculates that the Mets let Murphy start the season at first, and Ike Davis at Buffalo (I actually started typing "Tidewater"!) with Davis pushing Murphy out of the way during the course of the season.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'll be very surprised if the Mets do end-up getting a 1st baseman via trade.[/quote:3cmwwt8r]

Article in the Daily News this morning speculates that the Mets let Murphy start the season at first, and Ike Davis at Buffalo (I actually started typing "Tidewater"!) with Davis pushing Murphy out of the way during the course of the season.[/quote:3cmwwt8r]

To me it's like the most obvious thing ever. Not to mention that the Carter guy from the Wagner trade could also replicate what Muffy does.

[metirish]

That News article described Davis as a "slick left-handed fielder with a strong arm" , sounds like a plan to me.

[Benjamin Grimm]

My hunch as to how the offseason will go: The Mets will stay in-house at first base (Murphy and Ike) and catcher (Thole and Santos), maybe bringing in a cheap older veteran to somewhat hedge their bets. Any money they spend will go to a left fielder and a starting pitcher.

[metirish]

I could live with that Grim , and from what I remember of a FA list floating around here recently there ain't much out there, unless Prince can be had I suppose.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Hard to believe the Mets have enough doubloons to so entice the Brewers. I think we shouldn't worry our nights over the potential acquisition of Mr. Fielder.

[TransMonk]

Any money they spend will go to a left fielder and a starting pitcher.[/quote:iplqxezd]

I'd be fine with letting Murphy mature as the starting 1Bman if this happens.

I'd definitely rather have Murphy than give up people for Prince. Prince is an injury (heart attack) waiting to happen.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Whatever faith I have in Moiphy was shook to the core last night. I've been rather surfing on the idea that he was a useful developing hitter placed in impossible circumstances this season. I didn't want him thrust into the lineup, but the reality is that injuries would have forced it anyhow, and his last-man-standing status meant that he's had to endure all this bloody mess, and the thousand traumas that are its heirs, before his time.

I've still wanted to believe that he's a useful talented Magadanian hitter, that can work off the bench or fill a slot in an otherwise stacked lineup, and I pictured him opening next season on the bench (preferably), or at first (realistically), holding the postion until whoever the Mets get to play left moves to first to give FBomb (or somebody) his chance.

Anyhow, today I'm thinking that he's like Ken O'Brien after 150 sacks, and he's been through too much to move forward with the aplomb that a young player needs to progress. Fran would tell you about shaky confidence, I guess.

Today I'm thinking that he gets traded to the Marlins this offseason for somebody named Rafael, and the Mets end up filling the position with somebody not much better, but more expensive, and who the fans and teammates have more confidence in, because he'll be a veteran, and he'll carry himself with that big league aplomb, even if he demonstrates little discernable reason for said aplombiness. Not the happiest of thoughts, but whaddayagonnado?

Oh, and one more thing, while I have my crystal ball fired up. This firstbaseman... his name may be Huff, or it may be Gibbons, or it may in fact be Millar, but he will almost certainly have the Orioles on his resume.

[MFS62]

After last season, I had visions of Murphy developing into a Wade Boggs (not-so-)light based on his hitting approach and patience at the plate combined with his play at third base. I envisioned him moving to first base and becoming a doubles machine with a decent glove.
Well, I was partially right.

I prefer leaving Murph at first until Davis is ready. But lots of replacements from outside the organization have been mentioned. If Davis is the real deal, and we think he is, why spend the resources for another first baseman?

If only for a "name" player, the one I do not want, under any circumstances, is Nick Johnson. We've seen the term "DL" too many times this season. Nick lives there when not demonstrating why his reputation as a fielder is far greater than what he shows on the field. (One year he actually made more errors per game than Mo Vaughn. Naturally, he only played 100 games that year in the minors because he was on the DL, but still finished with the second most errors for first basemen in all of organized baseball.)
And, if you're looking for more home run power than Murphy has, why bother? Nick doesn't have that, either.

I'll climb down off my soapbox now.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Right now, though, he's twice the hitter Murphy is.

[duan]

are we so quick to push delgado out of town?
I'm not paying him 12 million or anything, but if you could get him on a one year deal at 4-6 wouldn't you do it?

[Guest Edgy DC]

No, I'm not pushing.

[TransMonk]

are we so quick to push delgado out of town?
I'm not paying him 12 million or anything, but if you could get him on a one year deal at 4-6 wouldn't you do it?[/quote:1teb9mk6]

Not if it means not getting a starter and LF to fill the gaps. Delgado cannot be relied on...but I would have more cahnfidence in him than Murphy when healthy. The money needs to go to legitimate upgrades IMO, which Delgado cannot be considered as one.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

are we so quick to push delgado out of town?
I'm not paying him 12 million or anything, but if you could get him on a one year deal at 4-6 wouldn't you do it?[/quote:35vbf8ww]

He'd be kinda hard to push aside when Davis arrives.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, that depends on what kind of season Delgado is having.

If he's on his way to 35 homers, then Davis can stick in Buffalo for a while longer.

But if he's hitting .220 with no power, then Davis pushes him aside.

And if it's somewhere in between, well, you do whatever seems best.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, I'm all for working young guys in as old guys grow unproductive or hurt. If it becomes a problem --- Davis knocking them dead off the bench or in Buffalo, while Delgado is still performing well --- then it's the best sort of problem to have. The BEST!

[Gwreck]

They need to bring Delgado back. Murphy and his .711 OPS is simply not going to work.

[TransMonk]

They need to bring Delgado back. Murphy and his .711 OPS is simply not going to work.[/quote:21xcpsca]

2009 Delgado = 26 games

2010 Delgado = 1 year older

[smg58]

I think if Murphy has a future as a starting player, it will be as a third baseman on another team. FK is right that his bat and not his glove should keep him from starting at first. I think he'll improve as a hitter, but not enough to hold down first base on a good team. It's also frustrating that he has the physical skills to be a very good defensive ballplayer, and overall range doesn't appear to be his problem, but his lapses in concentration and tendency to turn routine plays into misadventures are compromising him big time.

I'd like to see Ike Davis get a full year in AAA. The Mets have made a habit of bringing up players early and counting on them (like Daniel Murphy, for example) before they were really ready, which is something a contending team with a high payroll should never need to do. I'm for bringing in a one-year fix, either trading for somebody like Lyle Overbay or signing Delgado if he's healthy and willing to come back for $6M or less.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, I'm all for working young guys in as old guys grow unproductive or hurt. If it becomes a problem --- Davis knocking them dead off the bench or in Buffalo, while Delgado is still performing well --- then it's the best sort of problem to have. The BEST![/quote:32dc28j5]


I just don't think Delgado is going to be of the frame of mind to accept a job that has him potentially becoming a non-starter by the All-Star break, especially with the Mets. I also think asking him to be great is a stretch considering his health and consistency these last few years.

If that's the route they want to go, I think they'd sooner bring in a different veteran slugging 1B.

But with fininaces being what they are, etc etc., I'd rather have Muffy/Carter singing for their suppers and Davis coming. And Evans, if Jerry sees anything he likes.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

For all Murphy's issues last night, that doesn't forgive Frankie coming in and giving up a leadoff double. The game was destined to be tied at that point. After getting the lead in such a dramatic fashion, to lose it like that was a kick in the gut.

That said, I don't want to give up on Murphy, but it's certainly a disappointing season. I'd like to see him get some winter ball and just get inning after inning after inning at first. There are always stop gap firstbaseman around if it gets to be spring and he's still not doing the job.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, I didn't see it, but my understanding is that one of those issues last night was that the double should have been an out if he'd successfully covered the line like he be supposed to.

[Centerfield]

With his horrible defense and .711 OPS, it's tough to make a case he should be starting anywhere, much less First Base. That type of production is more suited for backup catcher than first base on a contender.

I'd have no problem with bringing back Delgado if he were reasonably priced AND if they Mets recognized the need to still upgrade the lineup with legitimate power. In his worst year, he beat Murphy's OPS by 70 points. And of course, he has upside if he is healthy.

The problem is, I have very little faith in the Mets to do so. My fear is that if they re-signed Delgado, they'd act as if they'd addressed the power shortage, and you'd hear stuff like "We added a 35 HR guy to the lineup".

Somehow, I made this Murphy thread into one about my lack of faith in Omar. Sorry.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Well, I didn't see it, but my understanding is that one of those issues last night was that the double should have been an out if he'd successfully covered the line like he be supposed to.[/quote:3nigktx6]

My bad. I was following it online, and it didn't tell that part.

[ashie62]

I don't like first basemen that can't hit for power.

Nick Johnson, Mancaveitch types...Olerud ability is about as low as I'd like to go on the power meter

As far as Murphy goes, he's on my last nerve

[Frayed Knot]

Well, I didn't see it, but my understanding is that one of those issues last night was that the double should have been an out if he'd successfully covered the line like he be supposed to.