Mets Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Author’s note: most of this post was written before Monday’s game. Kudos to Murph and Gee on their heroics. But it was only one game…
1984 will probably always be my favorite non-playoff Mets season. After seven years of failure, the team was very much fun to watch again and many now-legends in Met lore made their full-season debuts. Lost somewhat in obscurity however, is the re-tooling the Mets did in-season in 1984, cutting ties quickly with veteran players such as Dick Tidrow and Mike Torrez, as well as long-time Met Craig Swan well before the All-Star game. The team also relegated veterans Ron Hodges and Jerry Martin to the end of the bench, more content to give newer, fresher, faces a turn. I see a lot of 1984 on this year’s edition, including the fact that these Mets roster a few players whose time in New York has passed.
Exhibit #1 is Daniel Murphy. From 2009 until now, Murph was the quintessential good player on a bad team, kinda this era’s version of John Stearns. Both are the hard-nosed gung-ho types that kept horrific teams from losing 110 games. Stearns was “The Dude” of those early 1980’s teams; he broke Dave Parker’s cheekbone, tackled the Atlanta Braves’ outrageously un-PC mascot and set an NL record for stolen bases by a catcher. But he never hit enough (career 259/341/375 slash line) or fielded well enough to become a true star. His All-Star nominations, like Murphy’s last year, were mainly due to the fact that the Mets had to have some representation at the Midsummer Classic. Injuries ended John’s career and he is mainly forgotten as a Met, which is a real shame.
Murphy, while lacking Stearns’ combustibility, is a better hitter, but doesn’t hit enough to overcome the other holes in his game. This was OK for a team treading water (or sinking), but for a team poised to take the next step, Murphy is eminently replaceable. And the Mets have just the replacement on hand: second baseman Dilson Herrera is tearing up the PCL, a year after he tore up the Eastern League. Herrera has out-slashed Murphy the past two seasons and is a better fielder and a faster runner. I also think Murphy is nursing an injured hammy, which the team is trying to keep quiet. If they are unwilling to cut Murphy loose entirely, or trade him for some Low-A types, perhaps the Mets could DL Murph for 15 days and give Herrera a chance to Wally Pipp him.
Second on the list is Dillon Gee. The Mets looked smart at the beginning of the year for keeping Gee after Zack Wheeler went down. Despite the reprieve, Dillon has looked much like the guy he has always been: a cheap fill in on a bad team, but not a rotation arm on a team that expects to contend. Could you see Gee starting a playoff game? Me neither. Like Herrera, the Mets have such a much better option in lefty Steven Matz. You thought I was going to say Noah Syndergaard, no? Matz seems far more polished than “Thor” and looks ready to contribute now. I am starting to have my doubts about Syndergaard, on both sides of his right shoulder.
This next one pains me because we grew up in the same town, but Anthony Recker has become another relic and is most likely the first one on this list to go; which should be about the same time that Travis d’Arnaud returns from the DL. Unless the Mets feel that Kevin Plawecki is better served by getting more playing time in Vegas, I think the former Rough Rider is headed for the waiver wire. I have to give kudos to little ol’ Catasauqua for a moment: two major leaguers (Pat Kelly is the other one) in the last 30 years. Much more expansive programs in this region are still waiting for their first one.
Ruben Tejada and Bobby Parnell are two other Mets who should be renting, not buying, but they are more likely to stick through the season than the other three. The bad news for them, but good news for the Mets (and all of us) is that finally there are upgrades, instead of stopgaps available.
So what do you think? Time for Herrera and Matz? Keep or dump Murphy? Remember Dick Tidrow as a Met? Sound off below.
The others you mention: Gee, Recker, Parnell … all very replacable, and the starting staff could use another lefty in Matz.
Probably Herrera will be called up in a month or so (giving the Mets another year for him) to play both at 2B and SS, as a part-timer. Next year, he’ll be the regular 2Bman.
Sadly I agree with your assessment on Murph. He has been one of our best and smartest hitters since 2008, often snatching that prize from DW. Despite how likable he is, he just hasn’t been “all that” enough to warrant the Mets resigning him as a free agent. He’s making $8M now; I think there’s a team out there with a 2B hole to plug that might give him 3 yrs @ $35M. Do you see the cheapskate Wilpons flipping that kind of dough for him? I sure don’t. Not with guys like Herrera, Muno and Reynolds waiting in the wings.
As for Gee, I was over him a couple years ago, but sadly he would likely command more $$$ than Murph as a free agent. Frankly Niese hasn’t exactly wowed me either, but as our only lefty SP he’s staying put at least until if/when Matz establishes himself.
Recker’s so gone you can smell it. As soon as Td’A heals he’s outta here. We’ve loved watching some of your big flies big guy, but we actually have a glut of catching prospects now and I don’t see you becoming the Ron Hodges of the 21st century (RH logged 12 years with us, can you believe it?).
I honestly don’t know the best way to maximize our catchers. Probably trade either d’Arnaud or Plawecki in a big deal for a star, and pray that whoever we keep stays healthy. Recker’s a fine back-up.
As for Murphy’s salary, I don’t see why any team that would give him 3/$35 in 2016 wouldn’t give up a decent prospect for him in 2014 or 2015. No idea why he’s still here… unless the other 29 teams DO care about defense, and want no part of him.
Don’t belong on that roster:
Tejada, Nieuwenhuis, Mayberry, Niese, Gee, maybe some relievers (hard to tell — Familia’s the only one who’s a lock to stay)
Don’t belong in that starting lineup:
Murphy, Flores, Cuddyer, Granderson, Campbell, Recker (I’d be happy to have these guys as back-ups)
Of course, even great October teams have some weak links. I’m not claiming it’s imperative that we make every single one of these changes. But, y’know, the more upgrades the better…
I could see Flores contributing as a starter, not as a SS but maybe 2b or 3b.
Also a platoon of some sort of Granderson and Cuddyer wouldnt be horrific in a starting lineup (assuming Cuddyer can rebound from his slow start).
I also think there are Tejada types sprinkled throughout playoff rosters as back ups.
As for all the playoff teams carrying worse hitters, that’s true, but many of those guys were great defenders, and most of those teams excelled in other areas. If the Mets can acquire Holland-Davis-Herrera or Casilla-Romo-Affeldt-Lopez, then they can get away with some weak regulars too.
Recker is a decent backup catcher, although I’d like to see him be more consistent at the plate and do more than run into a few pitches once in a while. The problem is Plawecki may be too good to waste as a backup. May be better served to have him put up good numbers in triple A so he’s a trade chip. I think d’Arnaud is a better overall player, although his injury history is unfortunate and may be a concern.
Murphy will stay with this team for the rest of the year and walk after the season is over. Herrera will benefit from the every day playing time in AAA then be primed to be the second baseman for the next 5 years. They will likely make a decision at catcher this year regarding who is their starter for the next 5 years, and trade the other. Personally, I support TDA because of his offensive upside, but either would be fine.
Depth is what will carry the Mets to the postseason. Any of these players being “gone tomorrow” would be a mistake.