Postseason surges can be confusing, and Daniel Murphy stepping up for the New York Mets certainly is. Despite his success over the last couple of weeks, it might not be enough to keep him on the team.
Murphy is a free agent at the end of the postseason. While being an All-Star in 2014, the Mets might prefer going with someone cheaper and they Wilmer Flores and Dilson Herrera as options at second base. Heading into the playoffs it was quite clear that Murphy was on his way out, especially because of his defensive skills.
Now? It’s up in the air, and obviously, more home runs (five so far in the playoffs) and big hits means more difficult to let go of him, although it does drive up his price. Murphy made $8 million in 2015, hitting 14 home runs and batting a .281.
Murphy does have a qualifying offer of $15.8 million he can sign. If he declines it, the Mets will receive a draft pick between the first and second rounds once he signs with someone else. Considering David Wright is often injured and Lucas Duda is the epitome of inconsistency, maybe keeping Murphy for one more year, even if its for almost double his salary now, could be good insurance for problems at third and first base.