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Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 11:07 AM

I've been thinking about this, and I've got a bunch of perfectly reasonable arguments bouncing around my fool head. [list]You want to win the World Series? You're going to have to win the National League Championship Series. Who's most proven at getting you through that stage? Daniel Murphy, that's who. And speaking of the NLCS, you just know if the Mets don't sign him, the Cubs will, and he'll end up hitting a hundred homers. Isn't the new Royal-centric baseball economy moving away from the walk-and-homer-model hitter and declaring a premium on high-contact guys who challenge the defensive loads put out there by walk-and-homer-minded GMs and managers? You know who's a Royals-type hitter? Daniel F. Murphy is Royal-type hitter, kids. And he's right there in front of us. If he leaves town, Foley's is going to have to wait until he retires to put him in their stupid Irish Baseball Hall of Fame. Yeah, he's a flawed player. Grow up. Everybody's flawed. What makes Murphy different is that his flaws are known. Dilson Hererra, by comparison, is freakin' MYSTERY! Doubles. He hits 'em. Lots. They're not homers, but they're, like, doubles. We're not just talking about a defensively sub-standard starting second baseman. We're talking about a defensively perfectly decent backup third baseman and first baseman. Somebody's getting hurt next year, and Daniel has stepped into many a breach. And THAT'S when you want the real second baseman. GUH. He fits into any team. Why not have him keep fitting into the Mets and their wild-assed improvisations? Did you like Tejada at third? Well, did you?! Jerk. Two Words: Home-town discount. Yeah, I know one of them is a hyphenated compound word and the phrase can arguably said to consist of three words. Present a paper at the next MLA convention, hotshot. What's relevant is that I'm sure The Murph is jonesing to give the Mets one of those HTDs so he can keep living in Astoria or Montclair or Mamaroneck or wherever the deuce he lives. Vicki and the kids have settled into a routine, you know? And he likes waking up to The Daily News, God help him. How desirable is that mediocre and familiar Muffiness to you? Think about it. Think hard. Now think about how desirable it is to you at BELOW-MARKET RATES? Got your heart pumping a little there, didn't I? You can't let the Gay Mafia WIN!!!! And hey, maybe he can find redemption on the tolerance front. There's plenty of room for personal growth here. We'd hate to miss out on that! Who's your 28? Well fangraphs credits Murphy with 12.5 WAR, but there they have John Milner with 10.0 and Bobby Jones with 9.8. That's a win for Murphy, but is it a decisive win? Not quite. No, not quite. Unsettlingly ambiguous, I'd say. Thirty-three hits short of a thousand. Think of the sellout crowds anticipating THAT milestone. Nobody THINKS about that. Back of the baseball card, baby. Who is more reliable with regard to being the same dude, year in and year out? Nobody. Nobods at all. The same dude. The same modestly productive, defensively adventurous, brilliant, brain-farting dude.[/list:u] Resign Murphy NOW!!!

seawolf17 Nov 04 2015 11:15 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

One year, $15 million. That's your qualifying offer. You want it? Take it. You want more? Enjoy Dodger blue, Murph. We'll remember you fondly.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 04 2015 11:17 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: What's relevant is that I'm sure The Murph is jonesing to give the Mets one of those HTDs so he can keep living in Astoria or Montclair or Mamaroneck or wherever the deuce he lives.[/list] According to that SI with Murph himself on the cover, he lives on the Upper East Side, those newfound homers aren't exactly flukes, he's made a deliberate attempt to increase his power this season, he might not hit 'em at the rate of six every six days but he might have morphed into a 20+ HR a year guy, he was hitting HR's at an increased rate (for him) over the last 6-8 weeks of the season but hardly anyone noticed because Yoenis happened, he was the toughest guy to strike out in 2015, he's always making contact, and he thinks that David Wright is better looking.

TransMonk Nov 04 2015 11:28 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

batmagadanleadoff wrote: ...he was hitting HR's at an increased rate (for him) over the last 6-8 weeks of the season but hardly anyone noticed because Yoenis happened... I'd guess hitting in front of a hot Cespedes may have contributed to Murph's rising performance the last three months of the year, too. I've always loved Daniel's hitting...very consistent for the most part. His defense and baserunning are average at best and are sometimes liabilities. I'd gladly welcome him back at the qualifying offer, but I think he'll get an inflated contract from someone else based on his NLDS/NLCS performance. Good for him.

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 11:29 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

batmagadanleadoff wrote: ... but he might have morphed into a 20+ HR a year guy... . Murph has morphed! Morphy is the new Muffy! Sign Morphy NOW!!!!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 04 2015 11:30 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

The best argument there is the fact that he could fill-in at 1st and 3rd where Doodoo's inconsistency and Wright's health make for question marks. But I don;t think that's necessarily enough. All well and good to get the Royals-style high-contact, low-K players in the lineup but the WS should also have convinced you the Mets would be better off with the Royals-style steady-glove players. As always we need to look at Muffy and all players in context of the other moves. Right now I'm imagining the Mets introduce Nimmo as a doubles-hitting, lefthanded support bat in 2016, and Hererra at 2B. Make the QO, and see what happens.

d'Kong76 Nov 04 2015 11:34 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Lazy question, what are the dates for QO's and filing for FA and all that jazz? Is there some ten days after the WS or something or am I mixing thing up with something else?

batmagadanleadoff Nov 04 2015 11:36 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: All well and good to get the Royals-style high-contact, low-K players in the lineup but the WS should also have convinced you the Mets would be better off with the Royals-style steady-glove players. This. I get it by now for the 500th time that the Royals have an approach to how they do things as an offense. Great. There's more than one way to skin a cat. The Royals contact game isn't gonna make the HR obsolete. Chicks will always dig the long ball. But fielding ... everybody's gotta field. The Mets have big problems on the field. It's not that they're overloaded with bad fielders but that they could stand to get better at two out of the three toughest positions to field -- the middle infield. They're bad in the wrong spots.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 04 2015 11:38 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

batmagadanleadoff wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: All well and good to get the Royals-style high-contact, low-K players in the lineup but the WS should also have convinced you the Mets would be better off with the Royals-style steady-glove players. This. I get it by now for the 500th time that the Royals have an approach to how they do things as an offense. Great. There's more than one way to skin a cat. The Royals contact game isn't gonna make the HR obsolete. Chicks will always dig the long ball. But fielding ... everybody's gotta field. The Mets have big problems on the field. It's not that they're overloaded with bad fielders but that they could stand to get better at two out of the three toughest positions to field -- the middle infield. They're bad in the wrong spots. BTW -- rumors are starting to circulate that Murph might now command $70-80M instead of the $30-40M that insiders were predicting four or five weeks ago.

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 11:44 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: As always we need to look at Muffy and all players in context of the other moves. Right now I'm imagining the Mets introduce Nimmo as a doubles-hitting, lefthanded support bat in 2016, and Hererra at 2B. I get the idea that Nimmo's stock is falling. He probably has to prove a bit in AAA. He could appear in 2016, but I'm not counting on him for anything.

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 11:48 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

batmagadanleadoff wrote: But fielding ... everybody's gotta field. The Mets have big problems on the field. Well, it follows that when you're whiffing more batters than most everybody else, and walking fewer, you don't have to field as much. That, I think, is part of the philosophy (if a tertiary part). The Mets got away with that for much of the year. It just didn't work against the Royals.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 04 2015 11:50 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Yeah, I actually see Nimmo coming in late May/early June but eff this "stock is falling" noise. He's only 22 and all he does is reach base and play center field. I think just in the sense of being a more complete team we have to try and improve the fielding where we can.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 04 2015 11:55 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: But fielding ... everybody's gotta field. The Mets have big problems on the field. Well, it follows that when you're whiffing more batters than most everybody else, and walking fewer, you don't have to field as much. That, I think, is part of the philosophy (if a tertiary part). The Mets got away with that for much of the year. It just didn't work against the Royals. Yeah. I don't even blame the Mets defense. I think they were victimized by freak plays. Murph's error was a very tough play. Murph had to charge that ball if he wanted to give himself the chance of getting even one out on the play. The ball rolled slowly, unevenly and met Murph at the infield lip. The inside the parker -- both outfileders converged under the ball and either one could have caught the ball if they were determined to do so. I guess Duda could have made a better throw, but the Mets had just three hits up to that point -- two hits against Cueto. They didn't hit enough, and the Royals had all the luck. I think the Mets were being punished for the incredible luck they had in past WS -- the Buckner grounder, the shoe polish play, JC Martin's out of bounds run, the amazing catches in '69.

Frayed Knot Nov 04 2015 12:04 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Gutsy move re: Murph -- Gamble that this increased power/reduced strikeouts is real (and spectacular) and will continue // install him at 1B where his glove will do less damage and trade Duda (2 years from FA) to fill other holes. You'll still lose some HR pop but will increase consistency, lower Ks, be about the same in speed. Install Flores and/or Herrera at 2B, get a REAL SS via the Duda deal or elsewhere. Nimmo's "problem" is sort of related to Murphy in that he might wind up being a bit of a "tweener", not enough power to excel in a corner OF spot but not really a CF either. More likely to wind up as a high-OBP 1st or 2nd hitter than a middle of the order thumper. But Conforto has clearly moved ahead of him for the LF job, both now obviously but probably long term as well because of his powah!

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 12:07 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Frayed Knot wrote: Gutsy move re: Murph -- Gamble that this increased power/reduced strikeouts is real (and spectacular) and will continue // install him at 1B where his glove will do less damage and trade Duda (2 years from FA) to fill other holes. This isn't ideal, but isn't crazy. Depending on how long you are committing to Morph and how much you can get for Duda, it just. might. work. It also dovetails with the Mets' inability to sign Duda long-term last season.

TransMonk Nov 04 2015 12:34 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Agreed. I'm not sure Duda is a lock to return, but also feel like the puzzle grows much more complicated (though not any less solvable) if he's moved.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 04 2015 12:43 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I don't think I can get behind a scenario that swaps Muffy for Duda.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 04 2015 01:00 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Depends on what else happens, of course. I don't expect that Duda will still be a Met five years from now, but I think he'll probably be around for the next two.

Frayed Knot Nov 04 2015 01:04 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Well, it would be Muffy in for Duda plus whatever you get for dealing Duda. I mean, I'm just blabbing here, but we do need a spot for either or both of Flores & Herrera and I'd prefer Flores NOT be the regular SS. But if this theoretical trade of Duda could net us a real SS then Murphy could play 1B until either Dabid needs to move across the diamond or until Dom Smith is ready.

Centerfield Nov 04 2015 01:26 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy, What sort of deal locks him up? Even with a hometown discount?

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 01:29 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Well, keeping in mind that I was tongue-in-cheek speculating there, as I was throughout the post, I'm thinking three years, $39 million. Throw in a few incentives that could bring the total to $45 million (but never will) and NOTARIZE THAT SHIT.

Centerfield Nov 04 2015 01:33 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

If you do that, that could free up Herrera for a trade to offset the loss of Cespedes. I'm open to ideas. Sounds like your team could use a bump in payroll to make this happen.

Ceetar Nov 04 2015 01:41 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: Well, keeping in mind that I was tongue-in-cheek speculating there, as I was throughout the post, I'm thinking three years, $39 million. Throw in a few incentives that could bring the total to $45 million (but never will) and NOTARIZE THAT SHIT. I think that's a wee bit on the far end. was thinking 3/36 as the max I'd go. And yea, incentives. MVP votes! ASG appearances! appeal to his sense of thinking he's better than he is with false value.

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 01:55 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Yeah, I was torn between $12 mills and $13 million annually. I figured he'd keep shopping if I only gave him a million more than Cuddyer. GUYS CARE ABOUT THAT! I'm not worried about payroll. I'm worried that the guy gives me a return on my outlay.

Centerfield Nov 04 2015 02:38 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

But don't you have to be worried about payroll when offering a three year, forty million dollar deal to someone who might have a cheap successor waiting in the wings?

Benjamin Grimm Nov 04 2015 02:42 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I'd say, if you sign Murphy you make sure there's not a no-trade clause. I don't think he becomes five-and-ten until after the 2018 season, so that wouldn't kick in during a three-year contract. My guess is that Murphy is very likely gone. I predict that the Mets will acquire a shortstop and move Flores to second. Herrera may eventually displace Wilmer at second base, but not for a while yet.

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 03:07 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Centerfield wrote: But don't you have to be worried about payroll when offering a three year, forty million dollar deal to someone who might have a cheap successor waiting in the wings? They all might have a cheap successor waiting in the wings. Certainly Granderson and Cuddyer were signed under such circumstances. Colon too. "We're signing you for X amount of time, but we have replacements in development and only half expect you to be holding down the job at the end of the line. I'm curious how long you can keep the kids at bay. Good luck." If I think the projected-production-per-dollar cost works, I have to be attracted to it. I think a three-year deal allows that transition to happen or not, as circumstances warrant, and Murphy's versatility in particular allows the team to pivot over the course of the contract, perhaps a few times. And sure, if Murphy continues to prosper but so does his cheap successor, trades can always clear up such conflicts. Embrace the redundancy!

Lefty Specialist Nov 04 2015 03:28 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Daniel may be a good Christian boy, and he may love playing in New York, but he also has an agent. He'll never accept 3/$40 or even less. Daniel's got to strike while the iron is hot and I'd expect him to be somewhere in the 5/$70 range. Someone will pay it, and it won't be the Mets. Hell, he was making $8 mil this year and he had no leverage. He won't sign up to be Duda's and David's caddy either. He's gone, even if they give him the QO. I honestly don't see any scenario where he stays. Move on; there are other options.

Ceetar Nov 04 2015 03:32 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Lefty Specialist wrote: Daniel may be a good Christian boy, and he may love playing in New York, but he also has an agent. He'll never accept 3/$40 or even less. Daniel's got to strike while the iron is hot and I'd expect him to be somewhere in the 5/$70 range. Someone will pay it, and it won't be the Mets. Hell, he was making $8 mil this year and he had no leverage. He won't sign up to be Duda's and David's caddy either. He's gone, even if they give him the QO. I honestly don't see any scenario where he stays. Move on; there are other options. 5/70 AND perhaps losing a draft pick. I dunno, I don't see him getting that. I don't think GMs are dumb enough to be fooled by a hot stretch of games in the NLCS

Benjamin Grimm Nov 04 2015 03:35 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I'm guessing he'll get $56 million over four years. And I don't think the Mets would match that offer. Three years at the same annual rate? Maybe the Mets would go for that, but I expect Murphy will be able to get a four-year contract somewhere.

TransMonk Nov 04 2015 03:42 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Ceetar wrote: I don't think GMs are dumb enough to be fooled by a hot stretch of games in the NLCS But it's not just that stretch. Murphy's OPS+ for the past 5 years are 113, 111, 108, 103 and 126. His batting averages: .281, .289, .286, .291 and .320. He is not a world beater, but he is the model of consistency. I'm sure teams are looking at that, too.

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 03:54 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Lefty Specialist wrote: Hell, he was making $8 mil this year and he had no leverage. Sure he did. He had arbitration. I also don't think he'll get five years and $70 million.

Lefty Specialist Nov 04 2015 04:11 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Arb isn't the same as free agency. People are now competing for your services.

Zvon Nov 04 2015 05:07 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

So if I'm the GM I can extend the QO, right? If so I stick with my plan of last week: 2 yrs, 24-27 million with incentives. The fan in me would go 3 yrs, 36 million, but the GM in me doesn't like the 3 yrs. If he can get 4 years somewhere else, great for him. This is going to be interesting. I think I read the Mets have to make the QO by this Friday.

Edgy MD Nov 04 2015 05:16 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Sandy's Friday To-Do List [list=1][*]Hydrate. [/*:m] [*]Extend qualifying offer to Daniel Murphy. [/*:m] [*]Make list of potential coachies to replace Bob Geren. [/*:m] [*]Talk to Terry about bullpen philosophy. [/*:m] [*]Download Next Stop Wonderland on Netflix.[/*:m][/list:o]

metsmarathon Nov 05 2015 08:12 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

i like murphy. i like that he's a consistent hitter - a "professional hitter" if you will. i like that he's versatile - trying the outfield though he came up as a 3b. then finally, improbably, sticking at second. all with a side order of being probably our best backups at 3b and 1b. i like that he tries really hard in the field - sometimes trying too hard and making mistakes. i like that he tries really hard on the basepaths - sometimes trying too hard and making mistakes. i'd like to see him come back. i really would. but not for 5 years, and not for 4 years. i give him 3 years at $40M, and if another team is willing to over pay for him, i thank him most gratefully for his service.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 05 2015 08:18 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I agree with that. I also like Murphy, and would be glad to have him back for three years and $40 million. But as you say, it would be a mistake to go to a fourth year or much more money than that. It's hard to say what his market will be. I suppose it's possible that $40 million over three might be the best offer he'll get, but I suspect it might not be that likely.

metsmarathon Nov 05 2015 08:26 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

the good folks over at fangraphs have crowdsourced the free agent market, as they tend to do. daniel murphy comes in ranked 18th in terms of projected total contract value, with a median of 4 years, $48M, (crowdsourced average of 3.7 years at $12.6M)

Centerfield Nov 05 2015 08:30 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Reports are that the Mets are still mulling over the QO. Not sure that is true or not, but man, what is there to mull over. You extend the QO without question. Come on guys.

Ceetar Nov 05 2015 08:36 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Centerfield wrote: Reports are that the Mets are still mulling over the QO. Not sure that is true or not, but man, what is there to mull over. You extend the QO without question. Come on guys. Not if they get Murphy to sign a contract first. But that's mostly just GMs being unwilling to say outright what they're going to do. Unless there is something shady going on. "Hey Blue Jays, sure, we won't QO Murphy so you can sign him w/o losing a pick, BUT you're giving us a break on the deal for Tulo"

Centerfield Nov 05 2015 02:54 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Guys. Daniel Murphy. QO. Let's go. You will most likely get a draft pick out of this. Which fits into our scouting/development approach. Worst case scenario, you get Daniel Murphy, October Hero, for 1 more year. No brainer guys.

Ashie62 Nov 05 2015 04:52 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I think the qualifying is more than enough.

Edgy MD Nov 05 2015 05:49 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Lefty Specialist wrote: Arb isn't the same as free agency. People are now competing for your services. Neither is it no leverage.

Vic Sage Nov 06 2015 09:49 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Babe Ruth Murphy came back to Earth in the WS. He's a .290/10-14HR bat, which is very good, but not great. He's versatile and aggressive, but a bit of a bonehead in the field and on the bases, and he'll be 31 at the beginning of next season. Plus, 2 of the better young players on the 40-man (Flores, Herrera) play 2b better than he does... in fact, Murphy's best defensive position is DH. QO, that's it.

Edgy MD Nov 06 2015 10:09 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

It's funny. Murphy might end up being that guy who gets totally screwed by the qualifying offer. The guy who other teams think might be a good piece but they don't want to give him a multi-year contract and give up a first-round draft pick. On the other hand, he could sign with a bottom tier team like Colorado. They would only give up a second-round pick and he'd hit the ball all over the place in Denver. I'm probably crazy, but I could totally see him putting up a four-digit OPS in that park.

Lefty Specialist Nov 06 2015 12:34 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Well, the QO is official. Good boy, Sandy.

Farmer Ted Nov 06 2015 01:09 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I don't think the market is going to be as friendly to Murph as some in the media portray. We're talking $16 million to push aside for what, the Yankees or Pirates? He's going to get the QO, look around a bit, and show up in PSL in February.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 06 2015 01:23 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Well, rejecting the QO in favor of a three-year contract, for example, gives him more security, even if the average annual value is less. If Murphy accepts the QO he'll have to try free agency again next year, and one year from now he'll be older and (presumably) not coming off a superstar postseason.

Ceetar Nov 06 2015 01:28 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

he has to reject the QO pretty soon. Before he negotiates with other clubs.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 06 2015 01:37 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

If Murphy accepts the QO, the Mets payroll goes to about $110M, before a single free agent is signed. Good luck with that. Look for the Mets to salary dump Niese and his $9M no matter what happens.

Centerfield Nov 06 2015 03:51 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Wow, I didn't realize that Murphy only had one week to accept the QO. No brainer then. No way he takes it. Free draft pick!

Edgy MD Nov 06 2015 05:39 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

batmagadanleadoff wrote: If Murphy accepts the QO, the Mets payroll goes to about $110M, before a single free agent is signed. Good luck with that. Look for the Mets to salary dump Niese and his $9M no matter what happens. Well, you said that last year too. I'm guessing it's a moot point. Murphy likely won't accept it because nobody does.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 07 2015 07:54 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: If Murphy accepts the QO, the Mets payroll goes to about $110M, before a single free agent is signed. Good luck with that. Look for the Mets to salary dump Niese and his $9M no matter what happens. Well, you said that last year too. I'm guessing it's a moot point. Murphy likely won't accept it because nobody does. Well, I said it with respect to Gee, who got a reprieve because of Wheeler's injury. But on second thought, the Mets might not be so quick to move Niese, especially since Wheeler isn't scheduled to return until at least a few months into next season. But on third thought, Niese is the Mets highest paid pitcher (by a lot) and the 4th highest paid player overall. So given that Niese plays for a team that, unfortunately, places a disproportionately high emphasis on money concerns when making roster decisions, well that cuts towards Niese going.

Ceetar Nov 09 2015 08:58 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Not as much as Niese being a talented lefty pitcher that's not old, has a friendly contract (in terms of value per $ anyway) and the Mets have some depth. He's worth more to another team and the Mets might be able to leverage that to fill positions that can't fill as easily by buying a free agent.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 09 2015 09:13 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Ceetar wrote: Not as much as Niese being a talented lefty pitcher that's not old, has a friendly contract (in terms of value per $ anyway) and the Mets have some depth. He's worth more to another team and the Mets might be able to leverage that to fill positions that can't fill as easily by buying a free agent. On fourth thought, there's also Verrett and Montero in the wings. This cut towards Niese going. I agree that Niese's contract is "friendly". It's the going rate, in fact. If a team wants a starter with Niese's experience (i.e., service time) who's demonstrated that he's worthy of being in the regular rotation and deserving enough innings pitched to qualify for the ERA title, $9M is about what a team's gonna pay, and that's just for a regular pitcher, not a star. But for the Mets, $9M a year is like $20M for another team. What kind of a player do you think the Mets can get for Niese (putting salary aside for now)? And don't tell me Mike Trout.

Edgy MD Nov 09 2015 09:33 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: It's funny. Murphy might end up being that guy who gets totally screwed by the qualifying offer. The guy who other teams think might be a good piece but they don't want to give him a multi-year contract and give up a first-round draft pick. On the other hand, he could sign with a bottom tier team like Colorado. They would only give up a second-round pick and he'd hit the ball all over the place in Denver. I'm probably crazy, but I could totally see him putting up a four-digit OPS in that park. And just like that, reports spill out (hopefully not generated by this post) that the Rockies are kicking the tires.

d'Kong76 Nov 09 2015 09:53 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I heard that on Sat afternoon on FAN... Rockies may want him for 3B.

Ashie62 Nov 10 2015 07:55 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Murphy is worth about 1/2 of his QO.

Edgy MD Nov 10 2015 09:13 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

And yet, the Mets offer it, and Murphy's representatives are likely advising him to reject it. So a lot of professional minds differ with you on that opinion.

Ashie62 Nov 13 2015 04:52 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: If Murphy accepts the QO, the Mets payroll goes to about $110M, before a single free agent is signed. Good luck with that. Look for the Mets to salary dump Niese and his $9M no matter what happens. Well, you said that last year too. I'm guessing it's a moot point. Murphy likely won't accept it because nobody does. Nobody?

Edgy MD Nov 13 2015 04:54 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Well, nobody had to that point. I think by my use of the term "likely," I made it pretty clear that I wasn't expecting that state of affairs to continue into perpetuity.

Ashie62 Nov 13 2015 04:59 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: Well, nobody had to that point. I think by my use of the term "likely," I made it pretty clear that I wasn't expecting that state of affairs to continue into perpetuity. I'd say you fudged in the literal sense. NEXT!

Edgy MD Nov 13 2015 05:07 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

You mean I literally made fudge? Next what?

Benjamin Grimm Nov 13 2015 05:22 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Murphy has declined the QO.

Zvon Nov 13 2015 06:05 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

As expected. I was surprised about Rasmus breaking the streak of players not accepting the QO and I was hoping it might start a new trend. Ha. Well, until he is signed by some other team, he's still a Metropolitan to me. I'll miss ya Murph. I hope he gets a good payday, preferably as a DH in the AL.

Nymr83 Nov 13 2015 08:51 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I hope he gets a payday and we get our draft pick!

Frayed Knot Nov 14 2015 08:25 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

As things stand now, Muffy signing elsewhere would net us the 10th compensation pick (out of a potential 16 QO FAs) after round 1 is over, aka: pick #40. Our existing 1st round pick is #24 Both picks could slide upwards somewhat depending on how the FA season breaks out: where the QO picks sign, if any re-up with their current team, etc.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 14 2015 10:58 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Edgy MD wrote: You mean I literally made fudge? Next what? Next, you hand over some of that sweet fudge, you fudge-retentive son of a bitch.

MFS62 Nov 15 2015 08:41 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: ... you fudge-retentive son of a bitch. If there ever was a set-up line for Andrew Dice Clay, that was it. Back to Daniel Murphy. Now that he has rejected the QO, isn't there a rule about the earliest they can re-sign him? IIRC its well into Spring Training. (or has that changed?) Later

d'Kong76 Nov 15 2015 08:49 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I thought that date was May 31st but I may be conflating rules.

Edgy MD Nov 15 2015 08:53 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

No, we're conflating with old rules. Daniel Murphy is eligible to sign with the Mets right NOW!!!!

Ceetar Nov 16 2015 08:22 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

May 31st (I think that's the right date) is the date the draft pick compensation weight lifts from his shoulders. If he signs after that no one loses a pick.

Ashie62 Nov 17 2015 04:40 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Murphy has declined the QO. Good!

Centerfield Nov 17 2015 06:00 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Kind of a delayed reaction no?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 17 2015 11:43 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Centerfield wrote: Kind of a delayed reaction no? Yeah, but there were a lot of moving parts to the response, to, y'know, sort out. I DO have a feeling this one will take a while.

RealityChuck Nov 18 2015 09:40 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

It ain't over: [url]http://metsblog.com/metsblog/mets-expected-to-make-legitimate-bid-for-daniel-murphy/ The Mets are expected to make a legitimate attempt to re-sign Daniel Murphy, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (Nov. 18, 2015). Murphy rejected the team’s $15.8 million, one-year qualifying offer last Friday. According to Rubin, because Murphy enjoyed his time with the organization, the Mets believe he might return even if they are not the highest bidder. The Mets will receive a compensatory draft pick if Murphy signs with a new team. He is expected to receive offers around 3-4 years and $12-15 million a season (Nov. 11, 2015).

Centerfield Nov 19 2015 09:51 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I have to say, second base is a real conundrum. The knee-jerk reaction is to go get Ben Zobrist. Best hitter and fielder available for the position. But he's 35 and looking for a four year deal. Does 4 years, 15 million per make sense? Probably not. His OPS was at .809 last year, so realistically with age we're going to see that drop into the high .700's. And if you're in the high .700's, that's where Daniel Murphy lives. And Murph is much younger. So Daniel Murphy for 3 years, $12 million per makes a lot more sense. But if Murph signs elsewhere, you get a draft pick. And sometimes draft picks turn into Michael Conforto. (others turn into Lastings Milledge, but the potential is there) And re-signing Murph blocks Dilson Herrera. Herrera is completely unproven, but I think there's a good chance that he can give you low .700's and better defense. And who knows, he might turn out to be better than Murph or Zobrist. He costs nothing. Is Herrera (+draft pick) the best option? This frees up money for an outfielder or bullpen help. I don't know. I'm glad Sandy is smart.

Ceetar Nov 19 2015 10:07 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Zobrist's wRC+ over the last four years is 123 to Murphy's 108. Zobrist also plays the outfield. His defense is better. Zobrist is a significantly better player. It's really about who else wants him (i.e. what the final price will be) and how fast he'll drop off. I'd like not to just hand it all to Flores/Herrera/Tejada/Reynolds up the middle and hope for the best. But technically that's a 2016 problem, but there's not guarantee it won't continue to be a 2017, etc problem, and having Zobrist definitely helps mitigate that.

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2015 10:13 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Tejada may not be around to be in that mix according to some. I don't think we have a Tejada thread but his price tag goes up next year via arbitration and they may not want to pay him?

Ceetar Nov 19 2015 10:18 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

d'Kong76 wrote: Tejada may not be around to be in that mix according to some. I don't think we have a Tejada thread but his price tag goes up next year via arbitration and they may not want to pay him? mostly b.s. rumormongering i suspect. he still might be the best SS they have.

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2015 10:21 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I believe it's a Rubin thing, and he does get quoted here and there an awful lot as reliable but whatever...

Ceetar Nov 19 2015 10:26 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

d'Kong76 wrote: I believe it's a Rubin thing, and he does get quoted here and there an awful lot as reliable but whatever... Rubin's a throw everything against the wall and see what sticks guy. If someone connected with the Mets in some way ponders out loud to him that it might be wise to just cut Tejada loose, he reports it without qualifiers, pretending he's unaware that it fits into a nice predefined narrative.

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2015 10:31 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Thanks, it's the first I've read any of his stuff hahaha

Ceetar Nov 19 2015 10:32 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

d'Kong76 wrote: Thanks, it's the first I've read any of his stuff hahaha he also loves spoilers.

Edgy MD Nov 19 2015 10:59 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Hey, if he has a quote from a Mets official that Ruben may not get tendered, he has a quote, and should report it as such. If people want to take it as a sealed promise, that's on them.

d'Kong76 Nov 20 2015 08:51 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

I'm starting to hope Murph wants to stay a Met and something gets worked out that isn't too nutty in years and financially. What would next year's Mets be without some Muffy? Moiph? The Muffster? Watching him rake in the rarefied air of Coor's Field would really suck.

Vic Sage Nov 20 2015 09:24 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Flores proved to me he could play SS well enough to stay there next year, to keep his bat in the lineup. What he needs is a DP partner with the range to make up for his lack of it. That's not Murphy. I don't know if it's Herrera but it's worth finding out, considering his offensive upside. Also, with Tejada (and with Reynolds, Cecchini and Rosario in the pipeline), Flores' bat and D could play even better at 2b and make room for one of these guys to develop at SS. So I'd rather they took the Murphy money (3-4yr/$40-50m?), and added it to the budget for a power bat in the OF.

seawolf17 Nov 20 2015 09:28 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Vic Sage wrote: Flores proved to me he could play SS well enough to stay there next year, to keep his bat in the lineup. What he needs is a DP partner with the range to make up for his lack of it. That's not Murphy. I don't know if it's Herrera but it's worth finding out, considering his offensive upside. Also, with Tejada (and with Reynolds, Cecchini and Rosario in the pipeline), Flores' bat and D could play even better at 2b and make room for one of these guys to develop at SS. So I'd rather they took the Murphy money (3-4yr/$40-50m?), and added it to the budget for a power bat in the OF. I agree, but... ...you don't know what you're going to get out of Wright next year, and Duda's only played one full season. If Murph will take 3-4/40-50 to stay, I could see him getting 130 games between first, second, and third.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 20 2015 09:33 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

And Zobrist could do the same, only better (most likely). And somewhat more expensively.

seawolf17 Nov 20 2015 09:38 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: And Zobrist could do the same, only better (most likely). And somewhat more expensively. Yes, but. He's also older and therefore less likely to keep that up. So spend more money on an older guy for (possibly) more production? I don't know. Dance with the horse that brought you.

Centerfield Nov 20 2015 09:45 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Fuck. If Fred would actually keep his promise and bring us back to pre-Madoff payroll levels, we could sign Zobrist/Murphy AND Heyward/Upton.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 20 2015 10:01 AM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

And if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs... if we had eggs.

Ashie62 Nov 20 2015 08:35 PM Re: Sign Murphy NOW!!!!

Put Flores at 2b and save a lot of cash to spend elsewhere.