I WANT A DO
OVER!! BY Tom Brennan
Remember
when you were a kid and were playing outside and you used to have “do overs”?
Well, I want a do
over: I want Daniel Murphy back.
Last year, I wrote repeatedly in the fall to
re-sign Murph, trade Duda, put Murph at first base.
Why? Better and much more consistent hitter
and one who had finally tapped into his power game. One who, when (not if) David Wright went down
for a months-long injury, could step right in at third base.
Ownership was stupid, plain and simple –
enamored with saving a few mill in 2016, and getting a draft pick, when Duda
(57 homers in 2014 and 2015) could have gotten us nice prospects from some
team.
Everyone chose to ignore the evidence: Murphy’s
new hitting prowess.
In August and September and the playoffs
(against severely excellent pitchers), Murphy had 257 at bats, hit .303, with
21 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, and 48 RBIs.
I tried to convince people he was a new Murph, new and improved.
My friends all agreed. The Wilpons and Sandy did not, sadly.
Duda in 2016, pre-injury, was the same old
inconsistent guy who’d not hit well in the clutch, frustrate you watching him take pitches,
and hit occasional long homers. Whoopee.
Murphy in 2016?
Hitting .352, 38 XBHs in 293
at bats in 76 games, MVP candidate.
But
notice: his stats are remarkably similar to those from August through the last
game of the WS in 2015.
So, for the heck of it, let's combine those 2015 and 2016 #’s: 550 at bats (less than a
full season), 41 doubles, 6 triples, 29 homers, 101 RBIs, .330.
And the fans deliriously chant DE AZA, DE AZA. Just have to double de Aza's .165 average and you get (yes) Daniel Murphy's .330. Easy breezy.
Oh, I know - $30 million a year over 6 years was a
lot to pay a guy like Murphy. Wait….What? He only cost $37.5 million for 3 years??
AND THE METS SAID
NO???????
And, of course, to compound the fracture, he goes
not to the AL, not to the Western Division, but to our division rivals.
We keep him, we’re
back in the World Series. We don’t? The Nats may get there.
All we can hope
for, Mr. Wilpon might say , is meaningful post-July 4 BB.
I
want a do over. Don’t you?
6 comments:
LOL Thomas...I was up last night thinking the very same thing as Murph's SECOND HR sailed over the wall sealing our fate. Adding to the fact that we allowed Washington to sign our best hitter who will now supplant Chipper Jones as our worst nightmare because they say we woudn't have signed Ces if we had signed Murphy....WHY? The Nat's spent close to $400 million to sign 2 pitchers and we won't spend 38 million for 4 years of Murph and the 1 year Cespedes contract is why we will fail to compete as long as the front office/Wilpons continue to operate like a second division small market club and as fans as always we're helpless. Thanks Fred and Thanks Jeff.
Gary - if the site I looked at is correct, Murphy is apparently making $8MM this year in a 3 year $37.5 MM contract...Duda nearly $7 MM, and going up next year also, so if they traded Duda and signed Murphy, almost a wash financially. NO excuse not to do this - and signing Cespy and Cabrera, and getting Walker, was completely, 100% doable.
If you look at Murphy's month by month stats from last season, he started slow and then caught fire before being injured. When he came back, another couple of weeks to get going, then resumed hitting great. Rinse and repeat one more time for a second DL stint and then en fuego for the rest of the season and into the playoffs. There was plenty of evidence that Murph had taken a giant step forward offensively, and that but for a couple of DL stints he would have had a monster year overall. I really wanted them to sign him, giving them insurance at both 1st and 3B, in addition to whatever games he played at 2B. Turns out, he was a bargain, and I expect that his hitting will continue (barring injury) for the rest of his contract.
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I 100% agree with your forecast, Adam, much to Mets' detriment. He may have been a shaky fielder at second, but had to have superior range and agility to Duda at first.
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