Sep 19, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets second baseman
Daniel Murphy(28) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The Mets’ starting second baseman last season recently settled on a one-year, $8 million, but it doesn’t seem like the Mets are going to bring him back after the 2015 season. Check out this tweet from ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin:
Now being told definitively: No plans for multi-year deal with Daniel Murphy. It's free agency after 2015 season.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) January 16, 2015
If you recall, Murphy was one of those names that the Nationals were rumored to be interested last July before the team made the deal with the Indians for Asdrubal Cabrera. Last season, the 29-year-old hit .289 with nine home runs and 57 RBI’s. His 172 hits finished in the top-10 in the National League.
In addition to his solid offensive production in terms of racking up the hits, the All-Star from 2014 has proven to be a durable player as he has played in over 140 games each of the past three seasons.
That being said, the down side to his game is his defense. In the last three seasons, he has made 46 errors at second base combined. His 15 errors last season were tied with Brian Dozier for the most amongst all second baseman.
While Ken Rosenthal suggested that the Mets trade Murphy and a lesser prospect to the Nats for Desmond and Murphy is an upgrade over Escobar offensively, the defense is an issue and the Nats would have to give Murphy a new deal adding to their already long list of free agents.