Did Murphy Run Over Jeff’s Dog?
The Mets lost out on Ben Zobrist, and now they’re back to square one. There are two choices:
- Go with Dilson Herrera; or
- Sign a free agent
Naturally, the logical place to look is Daniel Murphy. He carried the Mets offensively in the postseason. He was an All Star. Seemingly, Kevin Long helped Murphy unlock some power in his swing. He’s among the top offensive second baseman in the game even with his low OBP.
Now, I disagreed with the Zobrist pursuit, but I understood it. Historically, Zobrist is the much better player. What I don’t understand is the Mets distaste for Murphy:
Mets' interest in Daniel Murphy at this point is limited to if they can get him on a 1-2 year deal, which is probably not happening.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 9, 2015
Why is Murphy worth two years less than Zobrist? Murphy is four years younger. He’s versatile. He’s a team player. He doesn’t complain. He does what’s necessary to help the team win. There a lot of value in that. Plus, he’s insurance for David Wright‘s back.
Look, if you have that much faith in Herrera, great! However, I don’t get the disparagement of Murphy. Yes, only offering him two years after offering Zobrist four years is disparaging. Murphy was a good Met who did a lot of good for the team. He deserves to be treated better on the way out.