Daniel Murphy - Fantasy News & Updates
Daniel Murphy - Fantasy News & Updates
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The Mets are uncertain whether to pursue Delgado, who fueled their offense in the second half of 2008. People familiar with club's machinations have noted that there's a good deal of opposition to the idea of re-signing Delgado, but that GM Omar Minaya favors offering the veteran slugger a conditional contract with a low base salary and many incentives. The alternative, as things stand, would be to play Daniel Murphy at first.
Murphy didn't deliver the sort of strong numbers some expected after he hit .313 in '08, but he grew more comfortable at the
plate as the season progressed, batting .282 with a .485 slugging percentage after the break. He also developed into an
adequate first baseman along the way, though the Mets may elect to bring in a more traditional big bopper to play the position.
News that Carlos Delgado's comeback campaign would end last week has reinvigorated Murphy. No longer burdened by the possibility of returning to the bench, the rookie first baseman has put together a five-game hit streak, during which time he's gone 9-for-20 with three doubles, a triple, two homers and six RBIs.
Delgado, who had right hip surgery on May 19 and appeared to be on track for a return in August as recently as the All-Star break, said there is inflammation in his hip following some running last Saturday. "I'm a player. I like to play," Delgado said. "You want to see your hard work pay off. It's been a long and frustrating four months, so it would be refreshing to come back." Daniel Murphy has gotten most of the starts at first in Delgado's absence. In 25 starts this season, the veteran first baseman hit .298 with four home runs and 23 RBIs.
Although Murphy is hitting 20 points worse than he did last month when he posted a .292 average, Murphy has already socked more homers and has nearly surpassed his August RBI total of 11 as well, having driven in nine runners during the current month's first 10 games. The left-handed ripper is one to watch for NL-only leaguers looking for a hot hand to fill in at first.
Murphy entered Sunday's home tilt with the Cubs searching for a spark to snap him out of a dreadful 2-for-16 stretch to start September, and he got it, falling just a double short of the cycle. However, for all of his recent struggles, the 24-year-old sophomore has made them count when he's gotten a hold of one, blasting a triple, a pair of taters and lashing his 29th double of the year to account for four of his five September hits. With Carlos Delgado's return to the club in doubt -- the veteran is due to test his balky hip later in the week -- Murphy seems like a safe bet for steady playing time down the stretch, increasing his value to NL-only owners.
An 0-for-4 night on Tuesday brought Murphy's 10-game hit parade -- his longest of the year -- to a screeching halt, but the 24-year-old sophomore was right back at it Wednesday against the Fish. While Murphy may never project as much of a home-run threat, he's been hitting the ball on a line over the past two months, ripping 18 doubles, including five in his last six contests. His latest showing leaves him with a .260 average with 26 doubles and 42 RBIs on the year.
Murphy's three-hit attack on Sunday marked the ninth straight game that the sophomore batsman has hit in, during which time he's raised his average to .261, the highest it's been since May 27. Murphy ripped at a .313 clip in 131 late-season at-bats with the Mets last year, so it's possible that this hot streak could be for real.
Murphy has hit safely in eight of nine contests in August as he remains firmly planted in the heart of the Mets order. He's started his last three games at the cleanup spot, where he holds a respectable .293 batting average in 41 at-bats.
Murphy, who’s dialed in two long balls during a modest five-game hitting streak, has put some good wood on the ball lately, hitting safely in 11 of the last 12 games. He’s cracked six doubles in that span to give him 19 on the year.
If the Mets were fully healthy, Murphy would probably be riding the pine. But instead, he's the club's regular first baseman who on Monday happened to bat cleanup. Protecting David Wright ought to give him some pitches to hit, but not nearly enough to lift his .244 average and 33 RBIs to the point of mixed-league consideration.
Murph's presence at cleanup says more about the Mets' offensive struggles and current try-anything mode than it does about Murphy himself. Considering his .244 average and .360 slugging percentage, Murphy is a very fringe-y play even in the deepest of NL-only leagues, but he closed 2008 on a torrid hot streak and could potentially be useful if he can put something together.
Add Murphy's name to the large list of Mets players that got off the schneid on Sunday. The sophomore raker enters the break with an underwhelming .245/.312/.359 line, but is in no danger of losing his job in the short term thanks to a myriad of Mets injuries.
Murphy has two multi-hit efforts in his last three games in one of the only bright spots in the Mets offense lately. His .269 batting average at Citi Field makes him a much better play at home than on the road, where he holds just a .230 figure.
Manager Jerry Manuel expressed the need for good at-bats at the top of the lineup since the Mets have lost much of their team speed due to injuries. With Jose Reyes injured, the Mets need a hitter of Murphy's aptitude to give the subsequent hitters a good look at the opposing pitcher. He certainly doesn't possess the speed often desired in a leadoff hitter, but Murphy's value could see an uptick if his value as a patient hitter leads Manuel to pencil him into the lineup on a more consistent basis.
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