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daniel murphy Archive

JACOBS, MURPHY TO COMPETE FOR METS FIRST BASE GIG

By
theOCD
Published: 15 February 2010 11:24 AM ESTPosted in: MLB

In May of last year, we detailed how the Mets had a major dilemma at first base. It’s nearly the start of the 2010 season and the issue remains: who will start at first base? Omar Minaya seems to think an “open competition” between Daniel Murphy and Mike Jacbos will solve the problem.

The Mets just signed Mike Jacobs to a minor league deal and Murphy was originally the most likely player to fill the position. Here’s what Minaya said about the position battle:

“He’ll compete for the job. I think it’s fair to say that Murphy has proven himself worthy of being considered, but he’s going to have to continue. It’s an open competition.”

Calling a player “worthy of being considered” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. It’s almost like saying “he’s not so bad that he’s out of the competition.” Jacobs has defensive shortcomings but probably has more power than Murphy. He also strikes out a ton. Murphy is still working to become an adequate defensive first baseman and is a better contact hitter than Jacobs. Both players struggle against left-handed pitching with Jacobs sporting a career .221 average against lefties while Murphy comes in at .240.

Minaya also added that 22-year-old first base prospect Ike Davis was a “special player.” Davis has a career average of .284 along with 20 homers and a .458 slugging % in 644 minor league at bats across single-A and double-A. While he may be an option in the future, the Mets still need to address the lack of talent at first base.

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METS 2009 SEASON MERCIFULLY COMES TO AN END

By
theOCD
Published: 06 October 2009 3:06 AM EDTPosted in: MLB

omar_minaya_jeff_wilpon_press_conference

The Mets season came to a close this past weekend. And it wasn’t long before Omar Minaya and the Wilpons were making moves. The flurry of Mets-related news signals the beginning of the “new” Minaya Era.

The first news of the day was that Luis Alicea got dropped from the coaching staff and Sandy Alomar Sr. will be moved to another position in the organization. The Mets shuffled the coaching staff by relieving Razor Shines and Sandy Alomar Jr. of their duties. They’ll receive new assignments for the upcoming season. Howard Johnson, Dan Warthen, and Randy Niemann will all keep their jobs.

At about the same time, the Post reported that Omar Minaya might seek to build a front office supergroup with recently fired GMs. Minaya called both J.P. Ricciardi and Kevin Towers after they were canned by Toronto and San Diego. Post reporter Joel Sherman speculates that Minaya might be laying the groundwork to bring them to the Mets. It would be shocking if adding those two “great baseball minds” would actually benefit the Mets. Towers is decent but J.P. Ricciardi repeatedly proved he was an idiot this year.

It was around mid-afternoon when we finally learned the fate of Jose Reyes. The Mets revealed that the hamstrung Dominican would require surgery on his right leg. Apparently, there was never any calf injury and his hamstring tendon was the issue all along. He will only need surgery to repair the hamstring tendon but not the hamstring muscle tear. Reyes is expected to be ready for Spring Training. Given that timeline, his recovery time is likely to be around 10-12 weeks. Doesn’t that mean he could have dealt with this issue during the season? Though, that would have required a proper diagnosis and treatment.

The hectic day of Mets news closed with a Q&A session with Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya (video is here). Wilpon expressed his disappointment in the 2009 squad and called New York a “results town.” The Mets executive also indicated that Omar Minaya would be given “one of the highest payrolls in baseball.”

Wilpon also goes on record to say that Jose Reyes’ hamstring was initially misdiagnosed. When the Mets medical staff finally identified the hamstring tendon issue, they thought he could wait it out. Instead of healing, it fully tore and eventually required surgery.

Other tidbits: Jerry Manuel will return as manager; Daniel Murphy got a vote of confidence but won’t be handed the first base job; no decision has been made on Carlos Delgado who will be a free agent; Wilpon said he’s fine with his current role and won’t be “more visible” next year.

I picked the Mets to win the AL East this year and go to the World Series. Clearly, I bought into the 2009 Mets hype. But after watching a season’s worth of their games, it was obvious they were a flawed team. That’s not to say the team can’t be fixed. However, Minaya needs to find the happy medium between sitting on his hands (which he did far too often this season) and brash spending to be successful.

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METS AVOID BASEBALLS, WINS

By
theOCD
Published: 22 July 2009 10:00 PM EDTPosted in: MLB

I like watching the Mets, but this year they’ve having been less than amazing. Luckily, the SNY crew of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling has been picking up the slack while the Mets stink it up on the field. Recent acquisition Jeff Francoeur was the latest Mets outfielder to be victimized by a baseball. I wasn’t watching the game, so I don’t know the context of this play… but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Via TheSportsHernia:

It appears as if Francoeur is defending himself from the baseball as he cowers in fear. Normally, I would lambast such futility. But this is actually BETTER than some recent attempts at baseball by the Mets outfield. Below are a few more pictures of incredibly bad fielding by the Mets. I’ll give Fernando Martinez a pass because he slipped and fell. Daniel Murphy should feel shame.

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Strength in Numbers: 9 Ways the 2009 Mets Can Reach October

By
Chris
Published: 24 June 2009 11:02 AM EDTPosted in: MLB, New York Sports, Spotlight

Will the Mets light up victory cigars in 2009?

As I write this, I have just witnessed the New York Mets get two-hit by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a four-game set at Citi Field to fall to 35-34, three losses back of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

One year ago tonight, the Mets were 37-39 and just getting the feel of things in their first week under new manager Jerry Manuel.  They have played 162 games for Gangsta Jerry and have racked up 90 wins in that span.

It took 92 wins to win the NL East last season and I’m here to tell you by the numbers why the Mets can overcome some earlier season adversity to top that and advance to the postseason this year. Each number relates to the appropriate player(s) or statistic.

  1. Luis Castillo – I know what you’re thinking… “he’s leading with Luis Castillo?” Trust me, it’ll make sense. In 2007, during the Mets collapse, Castillo was not to blame for any of it. In fact, he had an .822 OPS (100 points higher than his career average) during September ’07. Last year, Luis disappeared for a majority of the year to the point where he was replaced by Ramon  Martinez down the stretch. Despite his costly error in the Subway Series, Castillo has for the most part looked rejuvenated and his championship experience will come into play as the Mets move to turn this ship around.
  2. Daniel Murphy – Murphy needs to hit second in this lineup. In 97 ABs in the 2 hole, Murphy is hitting .289. Everywhere else, he’s hitting .210 in 100 ABs. Murphy takes pitches to allow the lead off hitter to run and can control the bat well enough for hit & run opportunities. He was good enough to earn that spot coming out of the spring, and his struggles have come from infrequent playing time and an uncertain spot in the order. In this case, stability will breed success from the young Murphy.
  3. Double Plays – The Mets are third in the National League in GIDPs with 62. What this means is that despite being second in the NL in team batting average, on base percentage and even leading the league in average with runners in scoring position… they kill a TON of rallies with “twin killings,” a function of the Mets lack of power and high ground ball rate (2nd highest in the NL at 0.99 ground balls to fly balls).
  4. Carlos Delgado – In 63 of the Mets 69 games, Delgado, Gary Sheffield or David Wright have hit cleanup. The three have combined for 8 HR, 49RBI and 45 R… admirable numbers especially Sheffield’s contributions. However, the most effective of the three is Delgado, who in 91 games since last year’s All-Star Break has hit .301 with 25 HRs and 86 RBI. Getting him back from his hip injury will go a long way towards helping the power drought that has struck the Mets in 2009.
  5. David Wright – Sports #5 on his back and most productive hitting fifth in the order. Wright has spent 34 games hitting 5th and produced three of his four HRs and driving in 26 runs. In Wright’s other 34 games, he has hit either third or fourth and driven in only 13 runs. Wright has also amassed 13 of his 18 steals (2nd in the NL) while hitting 5th.
  6. Jose Reyes – Bet you thought I was going to use him for #7. Nope. Reyes plays shortstop, defensively referred to as 6 in your scorecards. With 232 runs scored and 134 SBs in 2007-08, Reyes is the clearly most important player in the Mets lineup. He’s the catalyst. The “straw that stirs the drink”. Besides this, it allows Alex Cora to go back to pinch-hitter and part-time second baseman, allowing Castillo’s legs to stay fresh down the stretch.
  7. Wins vs. the Phillies in the last 11 games – July 3,4,5 in Philadelphia. August 21-24 in New York and September 11-13 in Philadelphia (including a double dip on the 13th). These games are where the division will be decided.
  8. The 8th Inning issue – First it was JJ Putz and ineffectiveness (5.22 ERA, 19 BB in 29.1 IP) and a bone spur pushed him to the DL. Then it was Bobby Parnell, who has hit the rookie wall early and seen his ERA rise to about 5 and confidence fall to almost zero. Sean Green’s hot streak has recently ended with 3 ER in his last 2 appearances… so who bridges the gap to K-Rod? Perhaps a late season return from Billy Wagner will give the bullpen the boost it needs.
  9. September – the ninth month of the year. The site of the collapses of 2007 and (to a lesser extent) 2008. Success in this month is non-negotiable if you want to play in October.

Should the Mets get healthy and successfully negotiate these issues, not only will a playoff berth be in their sights, but they’ll have a relatively fresh team with bench players who received a ton of ABs and playing time during the season.

Note: While I like John Maine a lot and think it will be nice to get him back, I don’t view him as a necessary part to the success of this team. I also prefer to keep Oliver Perez away as long as possible.

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Minaya’s Dilemma: Who’s At First?

By
theOCD
Published: 22 May 2009 5:18 PM EDTPosted in: MLB, Spotlight

A week into the season, Ryan Church was raking doubles and Daniel Murphy was the new hotness. Five weeks later, Mets fans are looking at a much different scenario. Church has seemingly fallen out of favor with Jerry Manuel and Murphy has been unacceptably bad in left field.

Daniel Murphy hasnt done it with the bat or glove this season

Daniel Murphy hasn't done it with the bat or glove so far

Many thought that Manuel would use Murphy to spell Delgado at first base and potentially groom him for a future at the position. However, that hasn’t happened. To this point, Daniel Murphy has played 8 innings at first base (with another start coming tonight) and Carlos Delgado is on the DL for at least two months. Manuel has gone to Jeremy Reed in Delgado’s place, who had played all of one inning at first base before this season. Luckily, Sheff is filling in admirably in the field. While that is a positive for the Mets, it also means that the 500 Home Run Club Member will have less in the tank come September and October. What does all of this mean? It means that Omar Minaya needs to make a move sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately for the Mets, it’s not very easy to stumble upon a stud outfielder or first baseman. That being said, it makes the most sense to get a role player at this point. They don’t need to shake up the clubhouse by adding an ego and I also don’t think it’s worth ravaging the farm system for a quick fix. The Mets would be best served acquiring a wait-and-see player that will fill in adequately or that has decent upside. Shooting for the stars will only make the gamble more risky.

THE FRANCESA BUNCH

These are the players that have been mentioned on Francesa’s radio show. I think Nick Johnson is the only guy that he’s latched onto as a candidate. The players listed here are too expensive for the most part. Even so, none of these guys are really a lock for success.

At least Nick Johnson has a pretty swing

At least Nick Johnson has a pretty swing

Mark De Rosa - Chicago Cubs
BLS writer John has already covered De Rosa and I agree with the assessment. He’s a utility player … a very average utility player. The Mets can do better than to pay to get this guy.

Brad Hawpe – Colorado Rockies
I really like Hawpe, but I don’t see how he fixes anything for the Mets. It’s also doubtful that the Rockies would give up their best hitter for any reasonable price.

Garrett Atkins – Colorado Rockies
Atkins is solid but unspectacular. He’s even less spectacular outside of Coors with a career .256 average on the road. There’s really no reason for the Mets to target Atkins unless he’s simply filler. Atkins is 29 and he may have already peaked.

Matt Holliday – Oakland Athletics
Holliday has one year with the A’s to try to max out the value of his next contract. However, he’s yet to prove that he can hit for power outside of Coors. Oakland isn’t a great hitters park, so we’ll give him a pass on the power numbers — for now. In his career year (2007), Holliday slugged a massive .607 with a 1.012 OPS and last year he had a .538 slugging % with a .947 OPS. This year he’s slugging a mere .428 with only 5 doubles (one less than Church, one more than Murphy). So it’s not just the homers that are missing. Holliday might be the worst choice out of all of these players with the highest price and lowest upside.

Adam Dunn – Washington Nationals
He might actually fit well in the lineup with his big bat and high OBP. He’s an excellent player but a less-than-great target for the Mets. The Nats will want blue chip prospects if they’re going to trade away the only reason for people in DC to come to the park.

Nick Johnson – Washington Nationals
Nick the Stick is no stranger to New York and he’s probably the best fit that I’ve heard mentioned on Francesa. He’s finally healthy after a lost season and is off to one of the best starts in his career. I like Nick Johnson a lot as a target for the Mets since he’s consisent and is relatively low cost in terms of trade value and contract. But don’t look now, the Red Sox (Mike Francesa’s favorite team) have been scouting Johnson. Apparently, they like him as an insurance plan for Kevin Youkilis who has been dealing with the must-have-injury-of-2009: an oblique injury.

BLS PICKS

We like these guys because they’re economical. Who knows… the Mets could even end up with a solid major leaguer out of this group. The common themes here are “cheap” and “versatile”. If Met fans are disappointed with Murphy, I’m even more about backlash if they acquire a player with high expectations.

Chris Duncan would bring a bat, versatility, and a fat lip to NY

Chris Duncan would bring a bat, versatility, and a fat lip to NY

Chad Tracy – Arizona Diamondbacks
Tracy has been pretty close to awful this year, but he has been a very productive player in the past. “Opposite Field Tracy” was hobbled the last couple seasons by injuries to both knees. He’s battled his way back but, at 29, finds himself out of a starting gig. Tracy has started 22 games at 1B this year and started 65 games there last year.

Dallas McPherson - San Francisco Giants
McPherson, a former super prospect, hit 42 bombs in the minors last year after missing 2007 due to back surgery. He’s a third baseman but also has played first in the past. The Mets also could’ve had him for free as he was waived by the Marlins earlier this year. He was subsequently signed by the Giants and will join the Fresno Grizzlies after completing extended spring training. He’s already almost 29, but he’s also a career .296 hitter in the minors with 150 bombs in 2273 ABs. His longest stint in the majors was 61 games in 2004. As long as there aren’t unrealistic expectations, this guy could be a decent substitute for Delgado.

Ryan Shealy – Kansas City Royals
Much Like McPherson, Shealy is a guy that has always killed in the minors but never really made it to the show. He’s been up and down the past few years and is now essentially been blocked by Billy Butler. Shealy’s scattered stints in the majors pretty much add up to a full season and his numbers are solid. In 164 career games, he’s hit 19 homers with 94 RBI with a .271 average and has only committed 5 errors. Shealy turns 30 in August.

Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals
It would probably be tough to get Butler from the Royals since they’re kinda sorta in the hunt (for now). He’s also one of the few productive offensive players on KC and is only 23. It’s unlikely that he’s available or his price tag is probably too high, but he could be a good fit for the Mets.

Chris Duncan – St. Louis Cardinals
Duncan’s back problems seem to be behind him and he’s a guy with pretty good power. He’s never been a full-time first basemen but does play the position. He also plays outfield and that flexibility will come in handy if/when Delgado returns from the DL. The Cards have been rotating 4 outfielders (Rasmus, Ludwick, Ankiel, Duncan) so he could be a bargain.

CONCLUSION

I’m hopeful that Minaya will pursue one of the low-risk, high-reward options. The way I see it, the Mets need a player for the next two months that will be decent but not great. I actually don’t see Delgado coming back to play full time even when he returns from the DL.  So the best fit would be a player who could learn from Delgado while splitting time with him in the last couple months of the season (and potentially into 2010).

The price tag and the potential for (perceived) failure is too high with a star-level player. For that reason, the Mets must seek a bargain. I think the ideal scenario for the Mets would be to acquire a player like Russell Branyan for practically nothing. Shealy and McPherson are a lot like him. Branyan languished as a strike-out prone power hitter that got his shot with a near full-time gig in 2001. The Indians decided that his 294 Ks in 807 plate appearances were too much to stomach and was dealt to Cincinnati for Ben Broussard. Six teams and seven years later, the 34 year old Branyan is hitting .310 with 10 homers for Seattle. Similarly, Carlos Pena also didn’t break out until he was 29. Obviously, these are best case scenarios and it’s unlikely that the Mets’ situation will pan out this way. There are also options like Duncan and Tracy who are flexible and have been good hitters in the past. Acquiring a player like that gives the Mets more flexibility down the line with the potential for a pleasant surprise.

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