With a blistering postseason performance from Daniel Murphy, the New York Mets should re-sign him before someone else does.
By David Hong
The biggest reason is clearly Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy.
He is having one heck of a postseason anyone could ask for. He’s hit seven home runs so far in the playoffs, including homering in the last six games which is a new MLB playoff record, hitting .529 in the NLCS, and has at least a hit, run, and an RBI in his last seven games which ties a playoff record.
With his NLCS heroics, Murphy won the NLCS MVP award.
Despite his postseason excellence, there’s been talk of him possibly leaving the Mets after this season. He is set to be a free agent this offseason, and a lot of analysts are pointing to more of Murphy playing elsewhere. The Mets have a qualifying offer of over $14 million next year that they can give to Murphy. But, there’s no talk of extending beyond that.
Should the Mets re-sign Daniel Murphy? My answer is a definite yes and here are my reasons why:
1) 2015 Postseason
Without question, how could you not sign a player who’s having the playoffs of his life?
Lets start with the home runs. He’s hit 7 home runs so far in the playoffs which is one short of the playoff record for most homers in a playoff season. Then, I also mentioned about the record for most consecutive playoff games with a homer. What’s really impressive is how Murphy was never a 20 homer guy in the regular season. Which makes this feat even more stunning.
Also, he’s homered off studs like Clayton Kershaw (three-time Cy Young Award winner), Zack Greinke (lowest ERA in baseball), Jon Lester (one of the best postseason pitchers), and Jake Arrieta (best pitcher in baseball in the second-half of this season).
Then, you add in the fact that he is hitting just below .500 in the playoffs overall. Murphy has always been a clutch hitter and he is proving right now in the biggest stages.
There’s not a lot of players who’s come up bigger in October than Murphy this year.
2) Proven player
One of the reasons why the Mets may not consider bringing Murphy back is that they have a options at second base, like Wilmer Flores and Dilson Herrera.
Flores, who’s played shortstop for most of the season, would be more comfortable at 2nd. Herrera, who’s played sparingly at 2nd this season, has potential.
Unfortunately, neither of them would be an upgrade over Murphy. Flores is a proven player and he’s had some big moments offensively, but he is still not at the level Murphy is at, offensively. And Herrera is not yet proven, and who knows how good he will be.
Murphy is already a proven player who versatile at multiple infield positions. Along with second base, he can also play first and third.
3) Not too expensive
Murphy may have raised his stock in the playoffs, but he still shouldn’t come out as too expensive of a contract.
At most, Murphy could probably command four years of around $10 to $15 million, but nothing more. That range should be reasonable for a solid player like Murphy; and, it shouldn’t prohibit the Mets too much from re-signing most of their younger homegrown players.
4) Hustler
One thing I’ve always loved about Murphy as a player is that he always hustles and plays the game hard. He may not be one of the most talented or athletic players in the game, but he is definitely one of that hardest workers as a player.
He may make boneheaded plays at times, but there’s no question of how hard he pays the game. Teams need hustlers and Murphy has been one for the Mets. In addition, Murphy is one of the most studious guys. He will watch film constantly and study opponents’ strengths and weaknesses religiously.
It is because of these qualities that makes Murphy an overachiever.
5) Class act
Last but not least, Murphy has always been a quality person and good around the clubhouse. He is a likeable man and gets along with everyone.
On the field, he won’t “show up” the opposition, like a certain Toronto Blue Jay. Sure he may hold the bat in front of him after hitting a home run. But we’ve seen guys who showboat more after homering.
Murphy is a humble man and after receiving the NLCS MVP trophy, he gave all the credit to his teammates rather than himself. Any team need quality people, and Murphy is one example.
So this is why Murphy should still be a Met beyond this season.
If he has another Murphy playoff like performance in the World Series, it will be very tough for the Mets to let him go in the offseason.
Murphy is having a blistering October performance that baseball hasn’t seen in a while. At only 30-years old, he should remain a valuable player for the next several years.
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