It certainly seems like a perfect fit for Baltimore. Murphy won't have to play second base due to the Orioles' recent acquisition of Jemile Weeks, so it seems that his role will be the primary DH and may serve as a backup third baseman to the recovering Manny Machado. Baltimore struggled last year to find anyone worthy of the role. If anything, Murphy is a capable hitter who won't be relied on for power numbers with players like Chris Davis on the team. He would thrive in the upper half of their lineup.
However, I am struggling to find a match as far as a trade goes. I highly doubt that J.J. Hardy would be the trade candidate because the Orioles as thin at the position and to be honest, I feel like his game does not translate very well to Citi Field. His defense doesn't make him stand out from any other shortstops that can be had through trade either. One player that I think makes sense for the Mets is Brian Matusz.
The Orioles have made it a point that he could potentially rejoin the rotation after some success last year in relief and his skills would be well suited for the Mets. He only gave up three home runs in 51 innings of work while striking out almost a batter per inning. It makes sense that Matusz could man the back of the rotation for the first half of the year and then move to the bullpen for relief and spot start duty when the Mets plan on promoting younger pitchers in the summer.
Should we even be talking about trading Murphy? He was one of the few good hitters on the team last year and some have suggested that he could even be the leadoff hitter for the Mets in 2014. However, anything that can be done to shore up the pitching staff, I'm in favor of. We are not talking about losing an All-Star caliber player. He is and will always be a slightly above average major league second baseman. Could Eric Young Jr. really replace Murphy? On the defensive side, the answer is a resounding yes. As far as offensively, It is a small sample size, but EY tends to hit better in his at bats as a second baseman. If a trade can yield an effective arm and even come close to replacing Murphy's value with someone in house, the trade makes sense.
The hot stove will continue to get hotter as the winter goes by and it is a real possibility that the Met who gets dealt isn't Ike Davis, but Daniel Murphy. Be prepared, Mets fans. And hope that this is the kind of return we can get.
Manny Machado's natural position is SS. Daniel Murphy's natural position is 3B. J.J. Hardy's contract expires after one year. That seems to be your fit.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Hardy at CitiField, I'll take a SS with 20 HR power any day of the week if the Orioles would open up a window to talk contract extension.
Mack,
ReplyDeleteSomething is going to go down today thru Friday. Murphy is a soli player- great character as well but not a difference maker and if he could bring back impact than pull the trigger Sandy. Disappointed that we are selling low on Ike Davis but his performance and lack there of dictated it. Make an impact Sandy. Take a risk .
Where is Frank Cashen when we need him. Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. You kidding me. Those two were beyond money ball players!
ReplyDeleteWe certainly shoulld be talking about a Murphy trade, but only so long as we get quality and a definite need filled. Brian Matusz? No way I trade Murphy for an average reliever. Hardy's game fits Citi just fine. May not hit 25 jacks but 15-20 from a SS would be great. He's a superor glove (around 2.0 dWAR per year) which is what we need. I'd do Hardy for Murph in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, the more I feel like they've made the decision to move EYJ to 2B and hit him leadoff. He might not be the world's greatest leadoff hitter, though I believe that they think he'll be better than many expect. But having a guy at the top of the order vying for the league lead in stolen bases at the very least gives the illusion that he's a weapon, and gives them something positive to talk about.
ReplyDeleteIf they see EYJ's value at 2B overall as comparable to Murph, than they've gotta believe that almost anything reasonable that they get for him is found money.
Adam -
ReplyDeleteSandy is not going to give Murph away. It seems he always needs to be perceived as the winner in the deals he makes, so he will sell high or not at all.
That said, I'm pretty sure we'll see EYJ as a starter next year, either in LF or at 2B. It all depends on whether Alderson brings in another outfielder or Murphy gets traded.
Ever wonder if Sandy is out of touch with the younger GM's in the game? I see so many deals that go down without him and it makes me think he is out of touch with the newer generation of GM's. I think its valid
ReplyDeleteSandy out of touch? You can argue that his free agent decisions leave something to be desired (should have paid Jose, for example).
ReplyDeleteBut, his overall performance has been bolstered by his trade prowess!
Wheeler, Syndergaard, D'Arnaud, Black, Herrera, etc.
Hell, just his handling of the Marlon Byrd situation last year was spot on.
Your assessment is out of touch, IMO.
Fresh off the rumor Mill.
ReplyDeleteMets asking for Milwaukee Brewers Top prospect last year Tyle Thornburg in exchange for Ike Davis.
THat would be highway robbery if Sandy could pull it off.