The inevitable loss of Daniel Murphy plus the uncertainty of whether a few combination of Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada, and Dilson Herrera can get the job done puts the New York Mets in the market for middle infield help. He batted. 281 during the regular season with 73 RBIs and a career-best 14 homers.
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“I expect free agent compensation will be an important part of bargaining in 2016, as it has been over our entire history”, players’ association head Tony Clark said last offseason.
Mets officials portray it as very likely that Murphy has played his final game as a Met. If he gets the offer, declines, then signs elsewhere, the Mets get a supplemental first round draft pick.
He set a major league record by homering in six consecutive playoffs games and was named the MVP of the NLCS after the Mets swept the Cubs to advance to the World Series.
If Daniel Murphy departs through free agency, at least the Mets will receive a nice parting gift. In 2014, Murphy hit. Murphy struck out just 38 times in 538 plate appearances this season, and has been one of the team’s more consistent hitters in recent years. The 30-year-old Murphy is predicted to say no the supply, which might give the Mets a sandwich decide – between the 1st & 2nd rounds – in next yr’s draft.
Murphy is a versatile fielder, though he’s error-prone.
Players have until November 13 to accept. In the three previous offseasons of the current collective bargaining agreement, none of the 34 qualifying offers was taken as free agents sought contracts with longer terms.
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BRIEFS: Catcher Anthony Recker and infielder Wilfredo Tovar were outrighted to Class AAA Las Vegas.
